Vanda Scaravelli

{{further|Yoga as exercise|Yoga in Italy}}

Vanda Scaravelli was born in Florence in 1908. Her father, Alberto Passigli, was involved in creating the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as well as the Orchestra Stabile which enabled Florence to have its own orchestra. Her mother, Clara Corsi, was a teacher and one of the first women to graduate from a university in Italy. At the age of three Vanda started learning the piano, and went on to train as a concert pianist, taught by {{ill|Ernesto Consolo|it}}. She maintained her involvement in music throughout her life. The family home functioned as a salon for famous artists and musicians. World class musicians such as Pablo Casals, Andres Segovia and Arturo Toscanini were frequent visitors to the family villa, Il Leccio.{{cite web |last1=Mannarelli |first1=Sibilla Vecchiarino |title=Vanda Scaravelli: Gravita', Colonna e Respiro |url=https://www.yoga-magazine.it/2018/02/vanda-scaravelli-gravita-colonna-respiro/ |publisher=Yoga Magazine |language=it |date=23 February 2018}}

As a young girl, Vanda met the philosopher Krishnamurti, who became a family friend. He stayed at their home in Florence each year.{{cite web |last1=Redfern |first1=Helen |title=Book Review: Awakening The Spine by Vanda Scaravelli |work=Yogamatters Blog |url=https://www.yogamatters.com/blog/awakening-spine-vanda-scaravelli/ |publisher=Yoga Matters |date=3 January 2019}} Krishnamurti and the violinist Yehudi Menuhin, another friend of the family, invited the pioneer of modern yoga Tirumalai Krishnamacharya to come to Scaravelli's home in Gstaad, Switzerland to teach them yoga. Krishnamacharya sent two of his students, B. K. S. Iyengar and T. K. V. Desikachar, to teach them. Iyengar taught her the asanas, and Desikachar taught her the awareness of the breath. In this way she took up the practice of yoga in her 50s. When they left Europe she no longer had a teacher, and had to develop her own practice. As this progressed, she developed a focus on breath, gravity and the spine.{{Cite web |last=Wishner |first=Nan |url=https://yogainternational.com/article/view/the-legacy-of-vanda-scaravelli |title=The Legacy of Vanda Scaravelli |publisher=Yoga International |date=5 May 2015}}{{cite web |last1=Catalfo |first1=Phil |title=Vanda Scaravelli |url=https://www.yogajournal.com/yoga-101/vanda-scaravelli |publisher=Yoga Journal |date=5 April 2017 |orig-year=28 August 2007}}

Her daughter, Paola Scaravelli Cohen, has updated Scaravelli's book from notes that she left.

• {{cite book |last1=Scaravelli |first1=Vanda |title=Awakening the spine : the stress-free new yoga that restores health, vitality, and energy. |date=1991 |publisher=Aquarian Press (HarperCollins) |isbn=978-1855381506 |oclc=877438335 |ref=none}}
• {{cite book |last1=Scaravelli |first1=Vanda |last2=Howard |first2=Rob |last3=Iyengar |first3=B. K. S |author3-link=B. K. S. Iyengar |title=Awakening the spine: yoga for health, vitality, and energy |date=2015 |publisher=HarperOne |isbn=978-0062428530 |oclc=939995733 |ref=none}}

Her book Awakening the Spine was called a classic by Yoga Journal.

Scaravelli-style yoga, inspired by her work and that of her student for 23 years Diane Long,{{cite web |title=The intuitive yoga of Diane Long and the teaching of Vanda Scaravelli |url=http://www.dianelongyoga.com/ |publisher=Diane Long Yoga |access-date=1 April 2019}}{{cite web |last=Borg |first=Christine |title=Exploring the Teachings of Diane Long and Vanda Scaravelli |website=Yoga with Meriel |url=https://www.yogawithmeriel.co.uk/christine-borg |access-date=1 April 2019}} continues to be taught into the 21st century,{{cite web |title=Awakening The Spine Inspired Vanda Scaravelli Yoga |url=https://vandascaravelliyoga.com |publisher=Vanda Scaravelli Yoga |access-date=1 April 2019 |date=17 October 2017}}{{cite web |title=About Scaravelli Inspired Yoga |url=http://freeingthebody.com/about-scaravelli-inspired-yoga |website=Freeing the Body |access-date=1 April 2019}}{{cite journal |last1=Baroncini |first1=Rossella |title=The teaching of Vanda Scaravelli |journal=The Quarterly Magazine of Yoga Therapy Ireland |date=2018 |issue=72 Summer 2018 |url=https://www.rossellabaroncini.com/the-teacing-of-vanda-scaravelli/ |access-date=1 April 2019}} by teachers such as Esther Myers in Toronto.

Scaravelli asked her followers not to name any school of yoga after her. The yoga scholar Theo Wildcroft notes that this has not prevented yoga teachers{{efn|Such as [https://www.catherineannisyoga.co.uk/about/scaravelli-inspired-yoga/ Catherine Annis], [https://www.ekhartyoga.com/resources/styles/scaravelli-inspired-yoga Helen Noakes], and [https://bristolyogacentre.co.uk/new-blog/2017/7/6/what-is-scaravelli-inspired-yoga Kate Fox].}} from running sessions described as "Scaravelli-inspired yoga".{{cite book | last=Wildcroft | first=Theodora | title=Post-lineage yoga : from Guru to #metoo |title-link=Post-Lineage Yoga | publisher=Equinox Publishing | publication-place=Sheffield | year=2020 | isbn=978-1-78179-940-6 | oclc=1152054676 | page=15}}

• Indra Devi, a yoga pioneer taught by Krishnamacharya
• Angela Farmer, another post-lineage yoga teacher who has avoided having schools of yoga named after her

{{notes}}

{{reflist|30em}}

• {{cite book | last=Long | first=Diane | title=Notes on yoga : the legacy of Vanda Scaravelli | publisher=YogaWords, an imprint of Pinter & Martin | publication-place=London, England | year=2016 | isbn=978-1-906756-45-1 | oclc=919860033 | ref=none }}
• {{cite book | last=Sabatini | first=Sandra | title=Like a Flower: My Years of Yoga with Vanda Scaravelli | publisher=Pinter & Martin Publishers | year=2011 | isbn=978-1-905177-29-5 | ref=none }}

{{Yoga as exercise}}

{{Modern Yoginis}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scaravelli, Vanda}}

Category:Women yogis

Category:Yogis

Category:1908 births

Category:1999 deaths

Category:Modern yoga pioneers