MARA GRANDINETTI

Mara, a Scorpio, was born in Bolzano, Italy, in 1980. Since the age of 6, she tried to find a way to talk to God, facing difficulties in her native land due to what she describes as a state of "ignorance" introduced by the Church there.

Her Yogic path began at age 18, when she became a vegetarian and, the same year, began to analyze the symbols of Hinduism and India, such as the holy Aum. Slowly, she transformed from one of many lost teenagers into a budding yogini; in her village, she found a Yoga course with a Tantric direction, she says with gratitude.

Mara completed her degree to become a primary school teacher in 2001, the same year she first visited India. Since then she has gone nearly every year, exploring this subcontinent and her relationship with it, meeting spiritual masters, practicing, visiting ashrams, putting her soul in the hands of God as she traveled to pilgrim sites as a seeker, looking for her path.

In 2006, Mara discovered Agama, and after a few important realizations, became convinced that Tantra Yoga is her path. She feels that the teachings given by Swami Vivekananda are "pure light" and lead to a complete human understanding of our Divine nature. While acknowledging that Agama's teachings are well adapted for those who live in the Western world, Mara says they are essential for those who don't wish to choose the life of a Himalayan ascetic!