Yoga and Ahimsa: the 22nd annual convention of the Mediterranean Yoga Federation, Apr. 30 - May 03, 2026
The eagerly awaited 22nd edition of the annual conference of the Mediterranean Yoga Federation, one of Italy's longest-standing institutions dedicated to spreading the principles of yoga – particularly Hatha Yoga – according to the classical Indian tradition, will take place from 30 April to 3 May 2026, in collaboration with YogaFestival Italia. Yoga is now, by its very nature, an indispensable tool for surviving the momentous changes we are experiencing, thanks to the understanding it gives us of ourselves and the world around us. The magnificent setting of the Catania coastline will provide the backdrop for this event, which is unmissable for all yoga lovers.
The programme includes four days of yoga practice, meditation, sat-sangha, conferences, book presentations, and sharing spaces and ideas with Italian and international teachers who are authoritative and respected worldwide.
Ahimsā, the concept of non-violence, and the first of the five yamas, the precepts that yoga indicates as the path to inner evolution, will be the topic of the conference, a subject of extreme relevance today. It is a topical issue that raises questions that deserve to be explored and shared, especially in an age that leaves us no time or space for reflection and deeper feeling.
The list of teachers and guest speakers for this edition is extensive and varied; thanks to their contributions, we will have the opportunity to explore Ahimsa, the theme of the conference, in greater depth.
Swami Asokananda (USA) - one of the most authoritative teachers of Integral Yoga in the yoga world, a direct disciple of Swami Satchidananda, whom he has followed since the age of 19.
Driss Benzouine (Morocco) - has been teaching hatha yoga for decades between the sands of the desert and the traffic of Paris, with a particular focus on ancient Vedic and Tantric texts.
Carlos Fiel (Spain) - born in the Basque city of San Sebastián, founder (more than 40 years ago) of the Sadhana Yoga Association, of which he is president and educational director. A student of Gerard Blitz and the Venerable Thich Nhath Han, in 1982 he became a Zen monk according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Dmytro Danilov (Ukraine) is a Ukrainian yoga teacher (UFY) who has been actively promoting yoga and its philosophical and esoteric essence for 20 years. He is the author of in-depth publications on yoga and has been President of the European Yoga Union since 2022.
Aoife Lydon (Ireland) has been practising yoga since 1997 and graduated from the Irish Yoga Association. She has been teaching yoga since 2006. In her classes, she explores how yoga can be transformative for the individual. She has an affable and accessible style, capable of conveying compassion, spontaneity and humour. Aoife is committed to creating a balanced practice that is not competitive or performative, but evolutionary.
Gioia Lussana (Rome) is a yoga teacher (Y.A.N.I.) and yoga teacher trainer. She graduated in Indology with R. Gnoli and R. Torella, co-founded A.ME.CO with Corrado Pensa, and for over 20 years has studied vipassana meditation with contemporary Buddhist masters. She has published essays on yoga in scientific (RSO) and popular magazines.
Gianni Pellegrini (Turin) is an associate professor of Indian and Central Asian Philosophy and Religions, as well as Sanskrit Language and Literature at the Department of Humanities at the University of Turin. After sixteen years of training and research in Sanskrit in Varanasi, in 2012 he received the prestigious Sanskrit Saraswati Award (Heidelberg-Delhi). Indian philosophy of a metaphysical and logical orientation and the archaic texts of yoga hold no secrets for him.
Gisa Franceschelli (Rome) teaches psychology and human sciences in secondary schools, continuing to use yoga to stimulate interdisciplinary skills. Passionate about yoga since her teenage years, she trains teachers of yoga for children and teenagers.
Lorenzo Aristodemo (Cosenza) Introduced to yoga in 2003 by Portuguese master Jaime Silva, he continued his studies with Giovanni La Salvia, a pioneer of yoga in Calabria, continuing his teaching and founding Il Giardino di Shiva (The Garden of Shiva) in the historic centre of Cosenza. After several training experiences in India, he obtained his diploma from the Mediterranean Yoga Federation, according to the Van Lysebeth tradition. He has participated in several seminars with Patrick Tomatis and Claudio Conte on the Hahoutoff method. He follows the teachings of Wanda Vanni and is a full member and teacher of the Mediterranean Yoga Federation.
Maria Farina (Giarre) - graduated in 2000 with the Mediterranean Yoga Federation, she has been teaching yoga, meditation, yoga during pregnancy and yoga for children since 2000, following the various stages of a woman's life, from adolescence to menopause. She is a holistic practitioner, specialising in body and energy therapy, a Reiki Master and an Ayurvedic massage teacher.
Special Guest Ram Rattan Singh (Italy)
With the presence of Wanda Vanni, president of the Federation
For information and reservations: e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] - tel. +39 3334111482
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