Page 196 - Adhiyoga Purana

Professor Lara Pintossi – Brescia, Italy
Professor Lara Pintossi had been teaching and practicing yoga for many years before she crossed paths with Adhiyogi, but nothing in her experience quite prepared her for what she was about to encounter. From their very first meeting, she sensed something rare — here was a teacher who not only carried an ocean of knowledge but who poured himself unreservedly into his students’ growth.
Lara’s journey with Adhiyogi became one of deep commitment and mutual respect. She trained with him three times — first as one of the best students in the very first teacher training ever conducted by Adhiyogi in Italy, then again in Milan, and finally in Avellino, near Napoli. In each training, she not only met the high standards expected but often exceeded them. Adhiyogi himself would smilingly describe her as “perfect in the classroom and in homework,” a standard of discipline and dedication that inspired her peers.
In Adhiyogi’s presence, learning was never a one-size-fits-all experience. He took the time to know each student personally, guiding them according to their inclinations, strengths, and even their hesitations. This personal attention, Lara realized, wasn’t just a teaching method — it was an act of generosity. He gave his time, his insight, and his heart without condition.
What fascinated Lara most was Adhiyogi’s creation: Adhiyoga, a system rooted in the timeless traditions of yoga yet crafted for the needs of modern practitioners. But even as he shared his life’s work, Adhiyogi insisted on granting his students complete freedom. “Develop your own style,” he would say, urging them to explore their own logic behind each action, posture, or philosophical idea. This approach transformed Lara’s teaching. It wasn’t just about repeating what she had learned — it was about thinking, questioning, and making yoga alive for each student she would one day guide.
She could feel the depth of his lifelong study in every lesson. His knowledge stretched across philosophy, asanas, Sanskrit, history, science, and the subtle art of living a yogic life. Yet, this vastness was always paired with something disarming — an irrepressible joy. His laughter would fill the room, his warmth dissolving any formality, reminding everyone that yoga, at its heart, was not just discipline but also celebration.
Looking back, Lara saw meeting Adhiyogi as one of the most fortunate turns in her life’s journey. He was not only a Master of Yoga but also a master of humanity — brilliant, kind, and unshakably joyful. She often told her own students, “When you meet someone like Adhiyogi, you don’t just learn yoga — you learn life.”
And so, with gratitude and inspiration, Professor Lara carried forward his lessons, not as rigid rules, but as living seeds — ready to grow uniquely in every heart they touched.
OM Shantiḥ.
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