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Summary of Talk by Analia Tolosa, Founder of Espacio Ananda (Argentina), at the Indo-American World Yoga Conference, 2024
At the Indo-American World Yoga Conference, 2024, Analia Tolosa from Espacio Ananda in Chivilcoy, Argentina, offered a heartfelt reminder of yoga’s true purpose: to recognize our inner light and allow it to shine in everyday life. Her reflections challenged the modern misconception of yoga as a practice centered on aesthetics, instead revealing its essence as a path to gratitude, transformation, and deep contentment.
Analia began by addressing how yoga is often misrepresented in the West. Social media and popular culture have amplified the notion that yoga is reserved for the flexible or for those capable of mastering complex postures. For many newcomers, yoga appears as a pursuit of achievement, performance, or image.
But, she emphasized, the true search of yoga goes far deeper. It is not about outward display, but about inner discovery. At its core, yoga is the journey of recognizing our true nature and moving beyond limited states of consciousness.
Speaking from her experience teaching in a small Argentine city, Analia observed that many students initially come to her studio seeking physical or emotional relief: better sleep, reduced stress, improved mobility, or simply an hour of peace.
Over time, however, they discover that yoga offers much more. With consistent practice, yoga nurtures gratitude, cultivates contentment, and fosters a more positive outlook on life.
She highlighted that yoga is not limited by age or background. Children, adolescents, adults, and older adults can all benefit—because yoga adapts to the practitioner, not the other way around.
At Espacio Ananda, Analia and her colleagues intentionally weave philosophical principles, such as the yamas and niyamas, into even the most foundational classes. These teachings, she explained, provide the ethical and spiritual compass that gives yoga its depth.
One example is Santosha—contentment. True contentment is not about forced cheerfulness or ignoring life’s struggles, but about cultivating gratitude for what is already present.
She described how this philosophy can be lived out in simple yet profound ways:
Practicing gratitude, she noted, transforms how we see the world. It allows us to shift from seeing the glass as half-empty to seeing it as half-full.
Analia shared inspiring stories of students who initially came to yoga for physical reasons but left with something far deeper. They reported sleeping better, reducing their dependence on medications, moving with greater ease, and—most importantly—realizing how much they already had to be grateful for.
This, she said, is the essence of yoga: not changing the outside world, but transforming ourselves from within.
Analia also reflected on the evolving perception of yoga in Argentina. Once seen as primarily a women’s practice, yoga is now embraced by men, professionals, and even members of the medical community. Doctors increasingly recommend yoga to patients, as scientific research continues to affirm its benefits.
Prejudices are fading, and yoga is being recognized for what it has always been: a universal path to health, balance, and inner freedom.
Analia concluded her talk with a simple but powerful reminder: yoga invites us to be happy, just as we are. Through gratitude, awareness, and the practice of contentment, we begin to shine our inner light—not only transforming ourselves, but also the way we live and perceive the world around us.
Namaste.
