A life-changing meeting in Italy

© Humo / Jelle Vermeersch

We love Italy: sun, gelati, scenic places, chianti, great fashion, pasta, shoes... Last summer we went from a heatwave in Belgium to an even hotter summer in Tuscany in July. One day we drove from Lari, via Sienna, to the Tuscan sanctuary of Patrick De Maeseneire, former CEO of Adecco. 

Bart doesn’t mind working during his time off, especially not when it includes beautiful scenery, great Italian food and wine and an inspiring conversation for his Humo summer series ‘Zin in Zen’ (A mind for zen).

Patrick's work doesn't stop either during a precious week of vacation. To be able to work 15 hours a day, constantly crossing time-zones to tour the 60 countries where Adecco is active, and to stay zen, he takes a mat on his travels and practices yoga three times a week. Present in Tuscany when Bart is conducting his interview: Manoj Bhanot, Patrick’s yoga teacher.

‘Stillness in the body is stillness in the mind’ - Manoj

That afternoon Manoj guides us through a session of Yoga Nidra in the pleasantly cool little church of San Vincenti. Over dinner with insalata caprese, pasta carbonara, salsiccia di cinghiale and zabaglione – Patrick is also a superb cook – Manoj talks about yoga and the teacher training courses he organises. The next morning, a little later than sunrise because of the amount of excellent wine at dinner, we are treated to a Hatha Yoga class outside that culminates in total relaxation.

Yoga, a life changer

After our trip to Italy I had a second knee surgery. I love dance, it has been my passion for more than 30 years, but my body seems to object. What my body does like is yoga: I enjoy the asanas, the challenge in the poses and the relaxation afterwards. You can take lots of yoga classes, try different styles – Hatha, Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Kundalini – and never really understand what yoga is about. That’s why – after meeting Manoj - I decided to take the Yogalife teachers training course; to discover the true meaning of yoga.

I've had my first Yogalife TTC weekend in March and two more since then. While I'm discovering more and more about yoga, I'm also getting to know myself. Even after three TTC weekends I already feel the change; a change in energy, stress level and relationships. I can hardly wait for our next weekend filled with great lectures, wonderful classes, tons of information and awesome people. 

I'm truly grateful for meeting Manoj last summer, and Patrick and his wife Betty, they were so welcoming and generous. So if Bart says he needs to work another day during a vacation I will gladly tag along. You never know what might happen and who you'll meet.

If you would like to join the Yogalife family, admissions are open for the next Yogalife Teachers Training Course in Gent: http://www.yogaopleiding.be/index.html
11th November 2016 to 24th March 2017 (9 weekends)