“True, without falsehood, certain, and most true: What is below is like what is above, and what is above is like what is below, to accomplish the miracles of one thing. “

Emerald Tablet

I enjoy exploring different styles and believe it’s a nearly natural progression, as every place has unique factors and stones influencing the choice of style and forms created. What I practice is a game, therapy, a moving meditation with my total involvement that nourishes my being and soul. I find satisfaction and inner peace when something beyond my common human understanding materializes. This is a way that connects me to the present moment.

The awareness that it can last for days, as well as just a few seconds due to the wind, other factors, or precarious balance, puts me in a position to treasure those moments on one hand and, on the other hand, to accept change.

Through this activity, over time, various skills develop: motor, sensory, respiratory, observational, aesthetic sense, self-awareness, and a deeper connection with the surrounding environment, all wrapped in a sincere and spontaneous atavistic quiet.

In this practice, Descartes’ “Cogito, ergo sum” (I think, therefore I am) transforms into “Aequilibrium, ergo sum,” where the very act of balancing becomes an essence of existence, a way of being in the moment that goes beyond words and mental reflections.

In AUGUST 2016 –  My venture into the world of stone balancing was born out of curiosity about those who mastered this art. Yet, I believe it all begins before one becomes aware of their interest in something that captivates them. I pondered, “If others can do it, why can’t I give it a try?”

Even today, when I admire those accomplishing extraordinary feats, I ask myself the same question. A warm summer sunset in the southern Salento, on the low cliffs facing the sea, a group of friends, and the inevitable mix of drinks and food triggered what happened next.

During one of my moments of detachment, observing the surrounding stones, I felt the urge to stack some. However, the fear of judgment crept in: “What if they fall, and I make a fool of myself?” I found myself ignoring the voice urging me to stay still. In the dim light of nearby lampposts, I began grabbing stones, stacking them one after another. With legs spread wide and the fear that a collapse could turn my feet into sacrificial victims, I delicately placed the last stone on top. Gently, I let its weight release onto the rest of the structure, forming a stack. There, incredulous, I admired this precarious balance—ten stones in a column. I did it! It can be done! As the wise Dr. Frankenstein said in “Young Frankenstein”: “It’s alive!”

From that moment, my journey among the stones began. I started to understand their physical nature, perceiving the structures as living organisms with which I silently converse. A silence that shuts off the incessant flow of thoughts, allowing me to be solely there, with my hands, my breath, and the sounds of the sea on the cliffs or leaves singing in the wind, and all the other senses our being possesses. In that moment, all thoughts vanish, except for the act of love you give and receive during the operation you’re performing, letting go of everything else, giving and receiving the magical wonder of balance.

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