Vanda Scaravelli, 1908 – 1999, was a pioneer in the world of Yoga. The use of gravity, combined with the breath, facilitates a natural lengthening of the spine. This intuition led to a Revolutionary Yoga (her words). Her approach encouraged “going with the body, never forcing or pushing it.” Her succinct observations were unforgettable. Many of her direct quotations may be found in “Yoga What I Learned from Vanda Scaravelli” by Elizabeth Lutz Pauncz. A few are the following:

You do not have to do hours and hours, and then have to have a rest to recuperate, to then repeat it all the next day. There is no need for compulsiveness.

Do you know man’s biggest enemy? Fear. People, because of culture and education, are brought up with an idea or image which creates a mindset. When there is no resistance, everything works out.

There is no teaching in the Yoga training. One can only point out to listen to your body, and the body itself is going to give you the answer.

When I was teaching English at the Magistero di Firenze, I used a video camera to create short video projects with the students. It was a very new method in those days. On a whim, I borrowed the video camera from the University and took it with me to Vanda’s for one of my lessons. She willingly began to illustrate and explain the asanas as she was practicing, and this document remains the only one in existence. It took me over 20 years to decide what to do with this precious film and another 2 years to improve the quality and insert subtitles.
TO ADD TODAY
Not only do viewers see Vanda practicing, but she also explains what she is doing and comments on her positions, adding valuable insight to the visual content.