January 3 – 6, 2023
Genova – old town

There is no light without shadows, and no psychological wholeness without imperfection. Life, to be realized, doesn’t demand perfection, but fullness. Without imperfection, there is neither progress nor growth.

G Jung

The shadow (a different gradation of light).

Treccani states that shadow is a zone of lesser luminosity produced by an opaque body interposed between a surface and a light source (e.g., casting a shadow, having part of one’s face in shadow). It also refers to the figure this body projects onto the surface, reproducing its form.
When we think of our own shadows, it’s almost automatic to give them a negative, sometimes frightening, connotation (my bad, wrong, flawed, dangerous, dysfunctional part, etc.). We associate them with the imagery of a dark place where deformed creatures, dangers, or morally questionable temptations lurk. We contrast them with light as a metaphor for elevation, purity, and impeccable morality. We are firmly in the realm of duality, of opposition.
But here, we propose a different vision. Tantric sages, like modern scientists, agree in recognizing the existence of a unitary energy that pervades everything, intrinsic to every being and every form. It is totally “positive,” has no opposite, is neither good nor bad; it is “just” energy, vibration.
Without even needing to invoke ancient Indian philosophies, the dictionary definition comes to our aid in shifting perspective on the subject, describing shadow as a zone of lesser luminosity, not absolute darkness: absolutes do not exist, except in our mental definitions. What exists are different degrees of manifestation of a given phenomenon—in this case, light.
The shadow can, therefore, be defined as a part of us that we don’t see clearly, simply because something—within us—is interposed. What is interposed? That’s for each of us to explore: perhaps a judgment, a fear, a conviction matured over time that acts as a filter to our perception, without us even realizing it.
More “yogically” speaking, we could say that the light of our awareness, projected onto ourselves, encounters an obstacle, a limit. This “obstacle” typically generates a shadow that reproduces its form (a nice trick to guide the search!): a less luminous zone, then, an area of us that is not entirely clear, that has not yet been fully understood, accepted, integrated. Welcome, obstacle! For it represents the opportunity to integrate new awarenesses, broaden and refine our perspective, and gain new dimensions of freedom and knowledge. It allows us to reclaim our power, contacting our essence of pure energy, vibration, and light ever more clearly and directly.
Jung, whose work was influenced by Eastern scriptures, called the shadow: “the person we would prefer not to be.” It is what is hidden from our consciousness, what we reject and oppose, and precisely because of this, it tends to direct our emotions and behaviors in unpredictable ways. It triggers automatisms that imprison us in limited self-images, in the obsessive repetition of the same scripts. Perhaps you recall the tale of Peter Pan, when Peter loses his Shadow, which, inevitably, causes all sorts of mischief. Only when he sews it back to himself, reintegrates it, does his Shadow regain a functional role (warning of imminent danger, finding unexpected solutions, accessing intuition).
One last thought: what we do with ourselves, whether we want to admit it or not, is what we do with others and with the reality around us: how much judgment, repulsion, and fear we harbor towards those and what reminds us of our poor, rejected shadow!

Grace.

The solution (from the Latin solvere: to loosen, to transform) to the shadow, then, isn’t light. The shadow is merely a manifestation of it: without a light source, there would be no shadow. And darkness has no power to expand, except proportionally as light diminishes in intensity. Open the window in a dark room, and the darkness won’t leave, but light will certainly enter.
The solution to the shadow—I emphasize this in an etymological sense, not in terms of dualistic opposition—is rather grace, the power of revelation. The Latin root of the word is “grata” or “gratia“, meaning “a gift freely given.” In Sanskrit, the concept of grace is expressed as “shaktipata“: shakti means “energy,” and pata means “to transmit” or “to bestow.”
In Tantrism, grace is the power of the Absolute manifesting in everything. In what we like and what we don’t like. The state of grace arises spontaneously whenever we open ourselves to understanding, acceptance, and intuition. Every time we consciously offer ourselves to practice. It’s an active force that generates joy, bliss. Opening to grace means saying yes to life in its entirety. It’s the will to be aware of all parts of ourselves, light and darkness, the entire rainbow of sensations, emotions, and thoughts. It means feeling and knowing every moment fully, without applying the distorting lens of our preferences, prejudices, phobias, and expectations. It’s opening the heart to the present moment, perceiving that Union (yoga) with our essence of pure vibration and with all things animated by the same energetic pulsation, which manifests at different degrees and frequencies.
*Guru: Gu is etymologically darkness, Ru is light, the “formless.” The inner teacher who leads us from the darkness (of ignorance) to the light of awareness. This light is our true nature, the Absolute within us that has a radiant nature. The power that hides and blocks, the limit that generates the shadow, is also Guru. It’s no coincidence that the word also means “he who is heavy”: what is heavy is energy in condensed, contracted form.

The practices.

• Day 1 (17.00-18.30): we’ll connect with our shadow by relating to the obstacle that generates it. We’ll develop some conscious friction to contact and soften our reactivity, our attachment to limits, and our inertia. Our focus will be on: the core, Kali (often spelled Kali in English, representing transformation and dissolution), and twists.
• Day 2 (10-11.30): the back of the body—that which is in shadow but also less defined by identity traits (in yoga, connected to the Absolute within us). Our focus will be on: forward folds, the internal spiral of expansion, patience, and humility (the form of the bow).
• Day 2 (17.30 -19): we seek softness and clarity in the experience of limits. We don’t ignore them, but instead explore actions that help make the body more flexible, in preparation for the peak pose: Hanumanasana. Our focus will be on joint mobility in the lower body.
• Day 3 (9.30-11): the Pelvis. We’ll explore the fluidity of movement and dedicate ourselves to listening to the world of sensations, taking advantage of the work on hip opening, which helps us connect with our emotions. The pelvic area is, in fact, a zone that tends to particularly retain the effect of what we feel. Focus: Hips, Mula Bandha, Emotion, Water.
• Day 3 evening (17.30-19): the light, tejas, the connection with our true nature. Our focus will be on: shoulders and hips, balance, Garudasana (Eagle Pose).
• Day 4 (10.30-12): opening to Grace, Epiphany. The practice is centered on backbends, extensions of the spine—a category of postures that supremely demand core strength and open us to grace. Our focus will be on: spinal extensions and Camatkarasana (Wild Thing Pose).

The sessions, courses, seminars, retreats, and materials offered by Sarangi are intended for inner exploration, problem-solving, and personal growth. They are not a substitute for the work of doctors or psychotherapists, as their purpose is not to consider, treat, or resolve medical or health-related pathologies and symptoms.