About us
The Italian Yoga Association for Children (Associazione Italiana Yoga per Bambini or A.I.Y.B.) was established with the aim of spreading the practice of Yoga among children and young people, in schools, within families and in the centers where Yoga is normally practiced. The founders and shareholders of A.I.Y.B. are directly and personally involved in both school teaching and yoga teaching, and are convinced that Yoga is a global education proposal able to integrate perfectly with modern pedagogy, in order to enrich and enhance the potential of children and young people. President of the A.I.Y.B. is Lorena Valentina Pajalunga.
The founding members
Lorena Pajalunga
Yoga teacher graduated in 1989 from Swami Satyananda’s Bihar School of Yoga in Munger (India) and subsequently from the Italian Yoga Federation in the four-year period 1992-1996.
Graduated in Education Sciences at the “Bicocca” University and lecturer at the Faculty of Education of the same University for teaching Yoga workshops for children to first year students of the Single Cycle Degree Course of Primary Education Sciences.
Lorena Pajalunga has also directed the yoga school Le Filosofie del Corpo in Oreno di Vimercate for 25 years. www.lefilosofiedelcorpo.it
Federica Palatella
Graduated in Linguistic and Cultural Mediation with a Master in Tourism Management, she approached yoga around the age of 25. Direct student of Lorena Pajalunga, she graduated as a Hatha Yoga teacher at the Institute for the Study of Yoga and Oriental Culture in Turin, she immediately began to conduct courses and specialize at the Italian Yoga Children Association, dedicating the latest ten years studying, practicing yoga in all its forms and full-time associative activities. She specialized in the Master ‘BabyOM’ for teaching yoga to pregnant and postpartum women, in the Master ‘Yoga Nidra’ and in the Master ‘Giocayoga’ for teaching Yoga to children and for some years she has been part of the teaching staff of these same organisations. Since 2013 she has been involved in the organization of the AIYB Masters throughout the Italian territory and the ‘Aiyb School’ online platform. She conducts numerous yoga courses at ‘Le Filosofie del Corpo’ Yoga School in Vimercate, at ‘Home Balance’ in Brugherio and has gained various experiences in associations and preschools in the area, conducting Giocayoga projects for children.
Alessandra Di Salvo
Alessandra De Salvo was born in Moncalieri in 1981 and has been practicing yoga since the age of 19. She graduated in Hindi Language and Literature in 2007 with a thesis dedicated to the Bhaktamal of Nabhadas, a hagiographic text dedicated to the mystics and saints of medieval India and, deepening the same theme, in 2011 she obtained a PhD in Indological Studies at the University of Turin. During her studies she had the opportunity to attend classes in Indology, Religions and Philosophies of India, Hindi and Sanskrit language and literature with Pinuccia Caracchi, Stefano Piano, Mario Piantelli and Alberto Pelissero.
During her university years she collaborated with some theatrical associations (Cantoregi Project, Pelobate Theater, Gruppo del Cerchio), carrying out the duties of assistant director and, starting from 2005, conducting theatrical animation workshops at the Preschools of the Province of Turin. At the same time she developed a deep passion for early childhood education and, in 2008, obtained a diploma for early childhood educators and coordinated a nursery for many years. At the same time she deals with Italian courses and home help services of the Municipality of Pancalieri aimed at foreign children and young people. For over ten years she has tried to combine her passion for Indian culture with pedagogical practice, and the encounter with the Giocayoga method and the achievement of the title of Yoga Teacher for children in 2013 represent an important milestone in her long training path. Since 2014 she has collaborated with Aiyb, where she deals with Indology and GiocaYoga teaching for the age group 0-3 years and since 2017 she has been coordinating the Turin Master.
Ivano Gamelli
He teaches Body Pedagogy at the Bicocca University of Milan. He participated in the creation of the Free University of Autobiography of Anghiari and is one of the founders of Philo – Higher School of Philosophical Practices in Milan. Among his publications: Pedagogia del corpo (Raffaello Cortina 2011), Sensibili al corpo. I gesti della formazione e della cura (Libreria Cortina 2011), I laboratori del corpo (Libreria Cortina 2009), Quella volta che ho imparato. La conoscenza di sé nei luoghi dell’educazione (con L. Formenti, Raffaello Cortina 1998), A scuola in tutti i sensi (Pearson 2013), Ma di che corpo parliamo? (Franco Angeli 2012), , Il prisma autobiografico (Unicopli 2002), Dentro fuori. Viaggio artistico educativo nelle carceri pugliesi (con R. Ricco, Unicopli 2005).
He manages the website www.pedagogiadelcorpo.it.
Andrea Scalvenzi
In 2008 he obtained the certificate for the three-year Ayurvedic operator course and in 2014 he obtained the diploma for the two-year Ayurvedic operator course at the AUMSHANTI association. He then attended the Yoga Master for children and teenagers Giocayoga, directed by Lorena V. Pajalunga.
Since 2012 he has been teaching for the Aumshanti associations for AYURVEDA and AIYB for children’s yoga.
In 2007 he was the Founding Member of A.N.O.A. (National Association of Ayurvedic Operators), becoming part of the board of directors.
Since 2009 he is a Founding Member of A.I.Y.B Italian Yoga Children Association, currently vice president of AIYB. Since 2008 he has been working daily in numerous schools in the province of Brescia as an expert for the GIOCA YOGA method and is a tenured YOGA teacher at the Novalis Open School in Mompiano (BS).
Lucrezia Maniscotti
She obtained a Master’s Degree in Literature by taking all the History of Theater and Indology exams.
Since 2001 she has dedicated herself to learning the classical performative cultures of India with particular attention to Bharata Natyam style dance.
From 2006 she studies in India carnatic and nattuvanar chant with Bhagavatulu Seetharama Sharma (Kalapeetham school of Chennai), abhinaya (expression techniques) with Smt Indira Kadambi and has been deepening the study of Bharata Natyam through regular trips to India at the Bharata Choodamani school in Chennai, directed by her guru: Padmashri Adyar K. Lakshman.
Since 2002 she has been acting teacher at the Scuola di Teatri Possibili (adult courses). In 2008-2009 she made her debut in India at the “Kapalishwara Temple”, thus obtaining the Diploma of Professional Artist from her teacher Adyar K. Lakshman who also initiated her to teach Bharata Natyam dance.
In 2009 she founded the Sagome Teatro Association in Milan where, in addition to dealing with theater, she is responsible for the “India Project” for the promotion of Indian culture and the dissemination of classical Indian performing arts. Since 2010 she has been collaborating with the Milon group: Bengal songs and dances.
She is a dancer and choreographer of the Denis Stern Project, a world music project.
The Scientific Committee
Vincenzo Tallarico
Psychologist analyst, Sand Play therapist; former member of the Italian Association of Analytical Psychology (A.I.P.A.) and of the IAAP (International Association for Analitical Psychology), he is co founder and president of the Mindfulness Project, of which he is a teacher; meditation teacher according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
In 1978 he met Buddhism in the person of Lama Thubten Yeshe and trained with Dora Kalff, Jungian analyst and direct student of C.G. Jung; since then he has dedicated his personal and professional research to a work of integration of western and eastern psychology. He has held psychology seminars in various cities in Italy and has taught psychology and meditation in some European cities, as well as in India and Nepal.
For years he has been receiving invitations to hold theoretical-experiential training courses in various Italian Buddhist centers, yoga associations, universities and psychological training schools, to spread a comparative approach between Western and Eastern techniques and methodologies.
Flaminia Morin
Graduated in Psychology from the La Sapienza University of Rome, she obtained a Masters in Neuroscience, Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices at the University of Pisa. In 2017 she began a collaboration with PsicheMilano as a Psychologist, Coordinator for the development of new projects and Instructor of Mindfulness Based protocols. For years she has been practicing Hatha Yoga, Vipassana meditation, participating in awareness groups and inner research. She
conducts individual and group Mindfulness paths with individuals or within work organizations. In the first 20 years of her professional career she worked in the Textile and Clothing field for leading companies in the sector as Buyer, Product Manager, Fashion Coordinator, Product Director.
Passionate traveler and curious explorer of the world, she has lived in South America, in the United States, in small and large European cities.
Valeria Vismara
Kindergarten teacher since 1995, tenured in the state school since 2004. Coordinator, responsible for school training, welcoming tutor of students in training and newly hired colleagues.
Graduated in Educational Sciences and Master’s Degree in Pedagogical Sciences. Internship tutor at the Bicocca University of Milan, Faculty of Primary Education since 2014, collaborates with the Bicocca University in the training of future teachers. She holds a master’s degree in Play Yoga. Specialized in inclusive psychomotricity, planning, evaluation, observation and documentation of educational practices.
Munari method expert. Trainer on issues of Educational Continuity in the Integrated Service 0-6, team work and teams of educators, issues of inclusion and education for Active Citizenship.
The teachers
Patronages and collaborations
A.I.Y.B. is a training center accredited by the CSEN.
He is accredited at the MIUR with the Master Giocayoga MIUR.AOODRLA.REGISTRO DECRETI .0000167.13-04-2017
A.I.Y.B. can count on the patronage of important associations, bodies, municipal administrations and universities, as well as on the collaboration of public and private organizations: