Yoga in Italy
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File:Padangushtasana, Heinz Grill 1992 (cropped).jpg{{cite web |title=Contributions to a new Yoga Will: An individual yoga path for shaping sociability |url=https://heinz-grill.de/en/ |publisher=Heinz Grill |access-date=5 August 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Hobusch |first1=Marie-Kristin C. |title=Heinz Grill: Kurzes Portrait |url=https://www.yoga-und-synthese.de/referenten/referenten/ |website=Yoga. Sozialer Prozess. Spiritualität |date=31 May 2016 |access-date=5 August 2022 |language=German}} demonstrating Padangushtasana in 1992]]
Yoga in Italy is the practice of yoga, whether for exercise, therapy, or other reasons, in Italy.
History
File:DadasKirtan3.jpg group singing a Kirtan on the occasion of Shrii Shrii Anandamurti's liberation. Italy, 1978. The organisation uses asanas alongside mudras, pranayama, and other practices of Patanjali's ashtanga yoga.{{cite web |title=What is Ananda Marga Style Yoga? |url=https://amytc.net/ananda-marga-yoga/ |publisher=Ananda Marga |access-date=3 January 2020}}]]
{{further|Yoga as exercise}}
A pioneer of modern yoga as exercise in Italy was Vanda Scaravelli (1908-1999),{{cite web |last=Mannarelli |first=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}} author of the "classic"{{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}} 1991 book Awakening the spine.{{cite web |last1=Redfern |first1=Helen |title=Book Review: Awakening The Spine by Vanda Scaravelli |url=https://www.yogamatters.com/blog/awakening-spine-vanda-scaravelli/ |publisher=Yoga Matters |date=3 January 2019}}
Another pioneer, Carlo Patrian (1930-2008), began studying yoga in 1950 and founded the yoga institute that still bears his name in Milan in 1965.{{cite web |last1=Mannarelli |first1=Massimo |title=Carlo Patrian, Il Pioniere Dello Yoga in Italia |url=https://www.yoga-magazine.it/2019/03/carlo-patrian-il-pioniere-dello-yoga-in-italia/ |publisher=Yoga Magazine |language=it |date=1 March 2019}}{{cite web |title=Istituto Yoga |url=http://web.tiscali.it/istitutoyoga/nuovo/ |publisher=Istituto Yoga Patrian |access-date=10 December 2019 |language=it}}{{cite book |last1=Patrian |first1=Carlo |title=Yoga |date=1971 |publisher=Sperling & Kupfer |language=it}}
In the 21st century, yoga is growing steadily in Italy, and the International Day of Yoga (21 June) is celebrated across the country each summer. By 2017 there were some 830 recognised yoga schools in the country.{{cite news |title=Esplode la yoga-mania, in Italia oltre un milione di praticanti |url=https://gds.it/articoli/societa/2017/06/09/esplode-la-yoga-mania-in-italia-oltre-un-milione-di-praticanti-assicurazione-per-la-salute-b5ac9b52-49c6-4675-a6d7-88b28be477f6/ |work=Giornale di Sicilia |date=9 June 2017 |language=it}} The 2018 Coop report (compiled by Nielsen in 2017) stated that 11% of the women of Italy and 3% of the men practiced yoga or Pilates; 32% of those consulted said they intended to practice in future.{{cite web |title=Rapporto COOP 2018 |url=https://www.italiani.coop/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/rapporto-coop-2018.pdf |publisher=Coop |date=2017 |language=it}}
Among the forms of yoga in Italy are hybrids such as aerial yoga, Acroyoga,{{cite web |title=Yoga |url=http://festivaldelloriente.it/brescia/yoga/ |publisher=Festival dell' Oriente |access-date=10 December 2019 |language=it }} and Mindful Yoga.{{cite web |title=Contributions to a new Yoga Will: An individual yoga path for shaping sociability |url=https://heinz-grill.de/en/ |publisher=Heinz Grill |access-date=5 August 2022}}{{cite web |last1=Hobusch |first1=Marie-Kristin C. |title=Heinz Grill: Kurzes Portrait |url=https://www.yoga-und-synthese.de/referenten/referenten/ |website=Yoga. Sozialer Prozess. Spiritualität |access-date=5 August 2022 |language=German}}
Italy is a popular destination for yoga tourism, with yoga retreats and holidays taught in various languages.{{cite web |last1=Dunford |first1=Jane |title=Perfect positions: 20 best yoga holidays worldwide |url=https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2018/oct/07/perfect-positions-20-best-yoga-holiday-destinations |work=The Guardian |date=7 October 2018}}{{cite web |title=Diese Hotels sind perfekt für Yoga-Fans |url=https://www.welt.de/reise/nah/article175485460/Yoga-im-Urlaub-Sieben-Hotel-Empfehlungen-in-Europa.html |publisher=Welt |access-date=10 December 2019 |language=de}}
Regulation
By 2019, yoga teacher training was still not regulated in Italy despite the country's 3 million yoga practitioners, resulting, according to Bianca Carati writing in La Stampa, in excessively "accelerated" courses, some taking as little as 2 months to deliver 150 hours of training at a cost between €1500 and €3000. Carati reported that the Associazione Italiana Iyengar yoga{{efn|The Italian Iyengar Yoga Association}} considered this inadequate; it required at least 3 years of training. It, along with the Associazione Italiana Insegnanti Yoga{{efn|The Italian Association of Yoga Teachers}} and the Associazione Yoga Satyananda,{{efn|The Satyananda Yoga Association}} has created a set of proposed standards for yoga teacher training in Italy, requiring at least 500 hours of training over a period of at least four years, and to have taught for at least four years.{{cite news |last1=Carati |first1=Bianca |title=Yoga sempre più in voga, ma il settore non è regolato |url=https://www.lastampa.it/tuttogreen/2019/03/14/news/yoga-sempre-piu-in-voga-ma-il-settore-non-e-regolato-1.33687901 |work=La Stampa |date=14 March 2019 |language=it}}
See also
Notes
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