This is a landmark year for me: 25 years ago, I started practicing yoga. I never imagined as a young college student that a quarter of a century later, in Italy, I'd still be practicing and that yoga would be so important to my health and wellbeing!
Yoga has brought so many blessings and lessons to my life, and many of them are extra relevant to me as an expat here in Italy.
You Are Nowhere But Here
I have a tattoo on my wrist that says Santosha in Sanskrit. It means to be content in the moment.
I, like many people, can find myself obsessing and worrying about the future, especially when it comes to living in Italy.
How long is it going to take to get my permesso di soggiorno?
Do we have everything we need to get married? What do we do if not?
What color should we paint the bedroom?
Being on the mat teaches you that there is nowhere else you need to be other than here and now. It's a lesson I constantly have to remind myself here in Italy. Worrying accomplishes nothing.
Results Aren't Immediate
Doing yoga isn't going to give you a buff bod. It will, however, over time, strengthen your muscles, increase flexibility, and calm your mind. I look at how much easier I handle stress and how less frequently I get angry, and I attribute that to decades of practicing yoga and meditation.
In Italy, nothing happens quickly. People love saying "piano, piano," and by that, they mean slow down. Take your time. Don't be in a hurry, because we aren't.
It can be so frustrating for someone who comes from a culture of instant gratification to have to wait for things to happen. But in the end, they always do.
Don't Compare Yourself to Others
When I was in my 20s, I constantly looked at other yogis to see how bendy they were, and I felt bad if I couldn't do a headstand. I am now wiser and understand that everybody (and every BODY) is different, and we should never compare ourselves to others.
Being an expat, I understand that every journey is different. I never in a million years would have bought a house before even coming to Italy, but I have clients who do just that.
We're all on this journey, and no one way is the right way.
The Learning Never Stops
Twenty-five years of yoga doesn't mean I'm an expert. Every single time I step on my mat, I'm a beginner again. Maybe today I'm less flexible than yesterday. Maybe my balance is better. I have a beginner's mind, and that keeps me flowing.
I've learned so much living in Italy for 2.5 years, but the lessons are still pouring in and humbling me. I have to understand that, while many things are so much easier than they were, I'm still not 100%. There are still corners of the Italian language that are obscured in darkness for me. Cultural references (not to mention political intricacies) that I don't get.
But I'm gentle with myself, knowing that the learning is the whole point of this journey.
I've practiced yoga for more than half my life. I cherish it and the lessons it brings me, and I use those lessons to thrive as an expat in Italy.
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