AGORA…
is Greek for « Open space assembly »

Nearly every city of ancient Greece had an agora when the classical period of Greek civilization began to flourish. Usually located near the center of town, the agora was easily accessible to every citizen. It was the heart of the city – where ordinary citizens bought and sold goods, politics were discussed and ideas were passed among great minds like Socrates, Aristotle and Plato. Some of the world’s most important ideas were born and perfected within the confines of the Athenian agora including, most importantly, the concept of democracy.

AGORA also means Now in Portuguese

&

AGHORA…
in Sanskrit, is derived from the root word ghora

which means « darkness » and « fear ». A- ghora stands for the opposite, « illumination », « peace », « calmness ». Darkness represents ignorance, whereas knowledge brings forth light. The path of Aghora, which is also a school of Tantra, aims to eliminate the veil of ignorance.

Sign up for classes

LAST COVID-19 NEWS : The studio is closed during the lockdown. All classes are now online, available on Zoom. Write us if you don’t have an active Fitogram account with us already and wish to join classes.

(Currently , we are only accepting 10 students at the time in the room in order to respect distance between each student.)

You can register for classes directly on Fitogram, creating an account is very easy and you will have access to the schedule updated : https://widget.fitogram.pro/agora-lisboa/calendar/?w=/registration/

You can pay directly for your class or class pass at the studio. You can also register sending us an email to info@agora-lisboa.com

You can also participate to some of the classes online (via Zoom) : Guided Ashtanga Yoga and Meditation classes , ask us for more information.

Sign up for Osteopathy Treatments with Maximilien

Maximilien attends you at Agora all week long :

Monday: 8.30am – 8pm
Tuesday: 8.30am – 8pm
Wednesday: 8.30am – 8pm
Thursday: closed
Friday : 8.30am – 8pm
Saturday: 9am – 1pm
Sunday: closed

You can check his availability and book an appointment with him on his website by clicking HERE

OR Contact Maximilien by phone or email to make an appointment  :

937 798 053 / +33 (0) 667474633  – osteovergnaud@gmail.com

Sessions are 50 euros for Agora Members / 65 euros for others.

Classes & Cards Prices – Preços Pacotes de Aulas

If you wish to practice with us but cannot afford the price of classes, please come to a class to meet us and talk to us about it.

Pergunte-nos qual pacote seria o melhor para si!Ask us if you are not sure which card would work the best for you!

ASHTANGA MYSORE PASSES AVAILABLE

Rent our Yoga Space…

We rent our beautiful Yoga Room for teachers and events organizers. It is very bright with wooden floors and filled with a peaceful energy.

You can rent it for a special event, workshop, training – for a few hours or for few days during the time of the day when there are no Yoga or Meditation classes taking place in the space.

We provide all the Yoga and Meditation material (yoga mats, blankets, bolsters, blocks, belts, cushions, zafus etc) and the room can fit a maximum of 23 yoga mats.

Present us your work and ask us about conditions : info@agora-lisboa.com

AGENDA

 
Upcoming events and retreats at the studio this year : Yin Yoga Training Level 1, Meditation and Yoga Retreats, Ashtanga Yoga Retreat, Massage Trainings & Courses, Women’s Circles and much more…Check out the events Below and click on “Read More” to get the full flyer

About Yoga

The term “Yoga” is derived from two Sanskrit roots, one is « union » , the other « contemplation «  or absorption. Yoga is aimed as reconnecting with our true nature, allowing us to see that we are free.  Going through the process of knowing ourselves deeply so we can take out our layers of conditioning and leave the state of ignorance from which suffering arises.

There are several Yoga schools and systems drawing upon different influences that offer guidance on this path of self introspection and inquiry. Yogic practices show us the way to union with our inner selves, this deep sense of consciousness that is in all of us, already there and awaiting to be unveiled. This feeling of unity or union can be experienced through both physical, mental and spiritual (body, mind and soul) practices.

The Asana practices (physical Yoga) that you will find at Agora represent only a small portion of yogic practices , yet they are often the most accessible to us when we first come into Yoga, and a wonderful healing tool for your body.

Pranayama (breathing exercices) and Meditation are some of the other tools that one can explore on his path of self discovery and acceptance.

If you are new to Yoga and Meditation, you can ask us for advice as of which Yoga form would fit you best, or simply try them all and see for yourself. As an indication as what to expect and how to pick the right Yoga form for you, you should feel good after your practice, pain- free and you might experience a sense of peace and calm.

About Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga

The physical dimension of the Ashtanga Yoga system (that encompasses many other dimensions) was developed in Mysore, India, and is practiced as a predefined set of postures linked together with the breath. Intended to be a daily practice (6 days a week and 1 day rest) this powerful, healing practice is a specific sequence of postures (asanas) linking breath (pranayama) and movement (vinyasa) Ashtanga is an dynamic flow that combines strength, flexibility and stamina and the sequence is designed carefully to both open and strengthen every part of the body for a complete evolutive practice.

How is Ashtanga Yoga taught at Agora?

Our Yoga practice should support our life and make us feel better, healthier and happier in our everyday life. Each student is unique. Therefore, we believe the practice should serve the student’s needs and be adapted to her/his body’s limitations. We wish to share a mindful approach to the practice of Ashtanga where the emphasis is placed on the breath and the individual’s own way of learning the poses and moving through the predefined sequences.

Ashtanga Mysore style 

In Mysore (India) it is the way that Ashtanga is practiced. The student develops a personal practice, moving at his own pace (his breathing pace) and the teacher guides her/him along posture by posture. Each posture is built upon the preceding one and the teacher is there to help the student move safely from one posture to the next one when the student is ready. The teacher can give the students verbal advices and, if the student wish to, hands-on adjustments or assists in poses to support the health of the body and enhance the experience of the posture. By making the student autonomous in his practice as soon as possible, memorizing the sequences and knowing how to work with his own breath and body, Mysore practice encourages self practice and an individual empowerment. The Mysore room is set to create a safe space filled with the energy of each practitioner practicing together, so each is given all what is needed for the development of a lifelong Yoga personal practice.

Ashtanga Led Classes

Ashtanga Beginners

When you first come to Ashtanga, you might feel intimidated to jump in a Mysore room filled with students who seem to already know what they are doing…You can start by joining our Ashtanga Beginners sessions. They are one hour long guided classes designed to introduce you to the practice of Ashtanga and acquiring the basics to make you feel more confortable to join the Mysore.

Ashtanga Intermediate

During the led 1,5 hours classes, the students are guided through the postures of the primary series in unison and given several options to do some poses that may be more challenging. The led classes are designed  both for Mysore students who wish to work on endurance and concentration by following the flow of breath under the voice of a teacher, and for those do not wish or cannot join the Mysore classes but still want to practice the Ashtanga sequence in a group class.

About Yin & Restorative Yoga

In most of our “Yin” classes, we blend Yin and Restorative Yoga together

At the foundation of Yin yoga is the Taoist concept of yin and yang: opposite and complementary principles such as soft and strong. The Yin symbolises the dark, calm, and stable aspects of nature, and is also associated with a contemplative, meditative energy while Yang embodies  light, energetic, and dynamic and active aspects.

Accordingly, Yin yoga is a slow-paced practice focusing on poses that stretch the hips, thighs, and lower back with the use of conscious breathing and an emphasis on physical awareness. In a yin yoga sequence, poses are held for three to five minutes or more. Yin yoga poses stretch the subtle, more stable connective tissues of the body rather than the large, dynamic muscle groups that are worked in fast-paced yoga classes (as Ashtanga or Vinyasa classes) which could be considered “Yang” yoga.

In a pure Yin Yoga class, stretches can be intense and there is still effort being done in the poses, the use of gravity in passive stretching bringing deep stretches. On the other hand, Restorative yoga is a practice that aims at stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system by taking all notion of effort out of the poses. The Restorative poses are designed to allow for complete relaxation of the body thanks to the use of blankets, blocks, belts and bolsters as a central part of the practice.  They are held for a longer time (5 to 10 minutes or sometimes more) in order to allow for real deep relaxation and an opportunity to restore your energy.

In our classes, we mix Yin and Restorative Yoga in order to ally possibility to stretch our connective tissues while still allowing space for « unplugging » and total relaxation that will make you feel your energy renewed at the end of the class.

If you are looking for a soft, relaxing and gentle practice, or wanting to take it easy some days while still practicing Yoga, these classes are made for you. If you have already a more « Yang » Yoga practice, it is vital to balance your practice with some of the Yin/Restorative classes so that you can keep your body healthy and a strong vitality along the years, avoiding to burn yourself up by too intense workouts.

Mentally, Yin yoga is a great way to grow your meditation practice. Without the constant distraction of movement that we can come to rely on in a more yang practice, Yin forces us – gently – to slow down and go inward. Learning to be comfortable in stillness and to accept the things as they are in the present moment are great tools for happier lives, especially in the world of constant stimulation and distraction that we live in.

About Meditation

We live in an increasingly complex and busy world, with high-speed technology, tons of desires to satisfy and goals to achieve.

There are many things in life that are beyond our control. However, it is possible to take responsibility for our own states of mind – and to change them for the better.

Meditation is a means of transforming the mind. In our mind lies the possibility to find antidotes to our own personal sorrows, and to the anxieties, fears, hatreds, and general confusions that affect us as human beings.

Meditation practices taught at Agora come mainly from Tibetan and Japanese traditions. They are techniques that encourage and develop concentration, clarity, emotional positivity, and a calm seeing of the nature of things. By engaging with a particular meditation practice you learn the patterns and habits of your mind, and the practice offers a means to cultivate new, more positive ways of being. With regular work and patience these nourishing, focused states of mind can deepen into profoundly peaceful and energized states of mind. Such experiences can have a transformative effect and can lead to a new understanding of life.

Even if you are someone who finds it extremely difficult to let go of thoughts, even if you are highly stressed or overloaded with mental activity, you may gradually find more inner stillness and peace of mind by introducing a dose of meditation into your life.

About Osteopathy

Are you not familiar with osteopathy, or do you want to know what “type” of osteopathy Maximilien practices at Agora?

You will find videos and others info on his website: maximilien-vergnaud.com or you can directly check fees and availabilities HERE. 

But first, here are some answers :

I practice the policy of “no pain” which means that I will prefer a slightly longer session, to faster techniques but which can be unpleasant. Considering that the approach of moving to a health practitioner should be encouraged in a society where performance sometimes takes precedening over health considerations, I try to facilitate this initiative by unloading it from everything. stress is not essential.

Regarding the type of technique I use, apart from the painful consideration I have no restrictions. I could thus use techniques called “structural” with the patient’s consent and if the need arises, but also other techniques given during national training such as fascia or cranial.

Maximilien attends you at Agora all week long :

8.30am – 8pm from Monday to Friday (except Thursday)
Saturday: 9am – 1pm

You can check his availability and book an appointment with him on his website or directly by clicking HERE.

Sessions are 50 euros for members of Agora / 65 euros for Non members and lazsts an hour.

Check schedule & book