Interview with Beatrice Iulini – Teacher of the first Art of Living course in Malta
Artofliving.org: Hi Beatrice!
Beatrice Iulini, Art of Living teacher: Hi, nice to meet you.
Artofliving.org: So, tell us, what are your first impressions of Malta as a place and a community?
Beatrice: Malta is really an amazing place... very alive, with warm people, open-minded and enthusiastic. What is more, the wonderful nature around together with the ancient and sacred historical heritage of the Island make this a really vibrant community.
Artofliving.org: And do people need relaxation techniques in such a beautiful place? Perhaps they will end up getting too relaxed!
Beatrice: Tendencies of the mind do not depend so much on place - we get used even to the most beautiful place, and then boredom starts. This is the moment we get depressed or we get stressed in looking for something more.... Eventually we become a seeker....It’s incredible to see the thirst for knowledge Maltese people have! - Knowledge on how to be healthy, on how to deal with the mind and the emotions, knowledge about life.
The quality of our life depends more on our mind’s perception than on the external environment we live in..... For sure, a beautiful and harmonious place helps, but despite these good things, small, insignificant things can make us stressed, affecting our health and our happiness in life.
Moreover, some social problems in the country – such as youth violence in schools and the challenges of living together with different cultures and nationalities – can really stress daily living and need urgent solutions starting from the education and uplifting of the individual.
Artofliving.org: And how exactly do you teach participants to handle stress, be it at work, or at home – to be able to sustain a dynamic life style, without losing our enthusiasm?
Beatrice: During the course, we teach a range of techniques to handle different kinds of situation, the most important aspect being the breath. You see, breath connects the mind and the body – when we are stressed our breath changes, when we are relaxed, our breath is more smooth and long. So the techniques we teach use this connection – by using breathing techniques we can overcome stress, and learn to remain calm even in the most challenging situations!
Artofliving.org: So the courses are not only for when we have some trouble handling stress?
Beatrice: No, the program has something for everyone. Say, you’re a sportsperson. You’re health and happy, but still for the big competitions, you get a little nervous, and do not perform at your peak. It would be great to learn how to handle those ‘big moments’ – right? The same goes for anyone who has to perform at a high level – students in exams, business people at presentations and so on.
Artofliving.org: Speaking of sports, I understand you are also teaching programs of Yoga, in particular the Sri Sri Yoga program. Can you tell us more about that? How does it differ from other schools of Yoga?
Beatrice: Sri Sri Yoga is the international school of Yoga founded by Yogacharya Krishanji Verma under the inspiration and guidance of H.H. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - the Founder of «The Art of Living» Foundation.
Sri Sri Yoga is a very complete discipline bringing together different paths of Yoga in a joyful and deep manner. It is Yoga both for the Health of the Body and the Contentment of the Mind. Not only does it give strength to the body-mind complex, actually it provides people with what they are looking for in order to satisfy the inner dimension of their being.
Moreover, it is taught by authorized teachers who practise Yoga, really live Yoga as a lifestyle and want to enrich their society in this way. Sri Sri Yoga is about how to be healthy and happy, how to kindle liveliness and enthusiasm in us. It is not something that you just ‘do’. It’s an experience - of the calmness of the mind, of the union of body-mind-spirit - and in order to make it you need to learn under the guidance of someone who really practises Yoga and represents what they teach.
Artofliving.org: Will you be running any Sri Sri Yoga programs in Malta?
Beatrice: Actually, the first program I taught in Malta last June was a Sri Sri Yoga course.... For sure we will start with regular courses and programs from the New Year on! Malta is going to be one of the countries offering the European Sri Sri Yoga Retreats we organise every year in spring-summer time: residential 3-6 days retreats in beautiful venues - in Italy and other locations.... The Maltese Art of Living team will take care of accommodation in order to allow people from everywhere to join and enjoy an amazing body-mind holiday, full of knowledge and fun.
Artofliving.org: Tell us something about yourself Beatrice - where are you from?
Beatrice: I’m from a little, beautiful city in Northern Italy where I lived with my family till the age of eighteen studying scientific subjects as well as classical dance and piano, and enjoying horse-riding in my free time.... Later I moved to the ‘Big’ city: Milan... where I had the chance to be a successful Public Relations manager for 10 years ... travelling around the world and living a sparkling and yet mundane life - running after success and more and more recognition... Despite all the good things, something was missing in my life till I encountered the Art of Living and the precious life-wisdom it opened up for me.
Artofliving.org: So how exactly did you get interested in the Art of Living?
Beatrice: I started 10 years ago with the Part 1 course without knowing anything Yoga and so on... I just had an intuition that breathing techniques and meditation were something fitting me... after the first day I practised Sudarshan Kriya® – the core breathing technique of the Art of Living – I realised a new meaning of my life... I had this strong willing of dropping my job and becoming a teacher of this precious technique in order to spread to other managers this knowledge about life ... about how to keep the awareness of being human being in our professional and personal daily life living a more meaningful and healthy life.
Then I started by being active in Art of Living Italy as volunteer contributing with my job skills and this gave me strength and fulfilment... in the meanwhile I learned more about techniques and about the social Project leaded by Art of Living around the world... More and more there was clarity in my mind: „This is the way in which I’m ready to contribute to the betterment of the world”. Then I made my step! I dropped my job and now I‘m full time dedicated to teach and to support social project in Italy and in Europe.
Artofliving.org: By now, Beatrice, you have taught many courses: both Part I courses and Sri Sri Yoga courses. What benefits have these programs brought your participants?
Beatrice: For sure awareness and joy together with a healthier way of living. Above all in the Hospital in Milan where we are teaching people suffering from Depression, Anxiety and Panic Attack the benefits are incredible! There was a lady who for 40 years never went out alone because of panic attacks... after the course, she started to move alone for short ways, and now she is a happy volounteer supporting the teacher to take care of the new people coming to the Program at the Hospital... She feels she is useful for others and her confidence increases, she feels connection and meaningfulness... these are the best „medicines” for modern age diseases!
These days I’m teaching a course for Managers and... for many of them with a keen intellect, good vision and deep cultural background the natural laws of mind-breath technology are totally unknown! Nobody teaches us that the breath is a really powerful source of energy that directly affects our health and our performance, our creativity and our well being, helping us to deal with emotions and to experience a smile from deep inside. A smile that nothing can take away.
