Oh Sicily

Being in Sicily re-ignited the appreciation for my country. It showed me how rooted in ancestral lineage we are as Italians. How deeply we care to hold true to our roots, to maintain tradition alive. Nothing exists singularly. Everything can be traced back to a grandmother or great grandmother and to mother earth. 

The way the food is prepared honors and respects its original format. Anything added to the original form of the food itself is something that uplifts it, helps its essence stand out; supports it. It's a deep study into the understanding of the elements and qualities of any given thing. Etna, the volcano on the island is known as Mama Etna, there is great reverence towards her, because their whole ecosystem depends on her rhythms…they deeply trust that anything she does is aligned with what the island and its people need, their whole ecosystem relies on her. The way a lemon is used in so many forms and why. Why granita is not just shaved ice. Why pistachios are expensive, how they grow, how to tend to the trees and what their history is. Nothing is removed from itself. There is a history to it all.  All abides in its true form. My people are obsessed with food and taste because they understand the importance of tradition, of honoring mother earth and the importance of her nourishment. It reminds me of Bharat, India and their culture.

Yoga is the same. Those of us that have entered the stream of Parampara, lineage, have come to understand that yoga is not an independent, singularly existing thing. Yoga is a way of life, it is nature itself. Yoga in parampara is here today because of beings who dedicated their lives to upholding the teachings in their totality and original form, despite all odds. They withstood the challenges that inevitably arise when we resist trends to remain established in truth. These centuries old teachings are accessible to us thanks to people who over the centuries understood the importance of them, and took it upon themselves to ensure they would be passed on. As teachers we are so lucky if we manage to find one person in a generation below who deeply understands and wants to enter this river. This is Guru Shishia Parampara. We pass the torch along. This is no light endeavour. 

So here we are holding, like my fellow Sicilians their food traditions,a tradition that has brought many from a Place of suffering and disconnection to a place of peace and insight. A tradition that has kindness and compassion embedded into its fabric, a tradition that is passed down through practices that serve as tools for us to come home to ourselves and understand the truth. We are guided, we are held.