The’soul of Yogamat is made up of so many yogi from all over the world who make this space so unique and full of energy that there are no other accurate and powerful words to describe its purpose.
But to make all this possible, there are so many other people!
But let’s start with the one who is writing, I am Clara. I’ve always been a curious person, even a bit of a nomad for a period of my life; I was fascinated to be able to experience a place and get to know its most intimate aspects, like a local.
What does this have to do with yoga?
My first encounter with yoga was not in Italy but in the United States, and it was not love at first sight. I remember having access to a free class in the Nike Center in Chicago, and immediately I was surrounded by super-gymnastic and strong women. At that moment, I thought of yoga as a discipline very similar to karate. I was soon proved wrong: the class was mainly structured around some aerobic exercises accompanied by a final meditation. Needless to say, I walked out of that room and never returned.
My second encounter with yoga, on the other hand, was out of necessity. It was 2015, and I had recently moved to Paris for an expat: a new city and zero words of French known at the time. Only a few days after my move, the city was the victim of a terrorist attack. From that moment on, the rhythms and life of an entire city were turned upside down, no one felt safe, and every street corner was presided over by armed soldiers and army trucks. In the metro, almost every week there were repeated alarms due to the possible presence of a bomb on board the train.
Of course, although I had decided to stay in the city and continued to go to work, claiming to live a “normal” life, those situations soon created in me a growing sense of anxiety, which soon translated into insomnia, mild panic attacks, and perpetual anxiety. So it was my roommate who suggested that I do yoga with her, saying it would help me. And I trusted her.
It really did! Slowly, I learned how to breathe, calm my mind, and feed my thoughts with positivity at times when I felt most sad or anxious.
Since that time, I have never stopped practicing yoga; in fact, my practice has evolved greatly, even experimenting with very different styles, from ashtanga to kundalini to my much-loved vinyasa.
After years of practice, I decided, during the COVID lockdown, to enroll in teacher training and spend my time delving into yoga, from its origins to its evolution, its philosophy, and its essence. It was from this moment that my Yogamat vision began to take shape: to share the beauty of yoga and its benefits with as many people as possible.
But I also had another great fortune, that of meeting Alberto, a computer programmer who enthusiastically took part in this adventure right from the start, thinking of all the 2.0 ways to connect people, their lives, and experiences through technology, of course, and creating completely by himself a’smartphone and tablet app and a site!
And like Alberto, there are so many other people who make yoga mats.
There are Matteo’s shoots and his patience; there is the support of many friends and friends who are riding the wave of my enthusiasm to practice yoga all together.
And then there are my yoga mats that, though worn down to the last fiber, continue to greet me with such kindness.
Because yoga is ultimately about people—from the friend who introduces you to it to the teacher who makes you love it—and the companions with whom you continue to practice.
Namasté
Clara