Welcome to ÁGORA…
Ágora Yoga Lisboa was born of a common dream and aims to become a collective one.
The dream to create a different space, thought as a Yoga and Meditation studio that could allow for social and cultural exchange. Our wish is to create a space where practices for the body, the mind and the heart can merge. Where physical and meditative experiences can meet creative explorations. A place where people can gather and get to know each other in a bubble of simplicity, loving kindness and acceptance. Where healing can happen and self-transformation can unfold. Where thoughts, ideas and a community can take roots.
Our Yoga and Meditation Studio is located in the heart of Lisbon at Rua Rafael de Andrade 23, near the metro station Intendente. Second Floor!
We developed an Ashtanga Mysore program, and teach other forms of Yoga and Meditation classes, special workshops, community events, we invite international guest teachers, and we organize retreats, in Portugal and abroad.
We also host trainings and yoga workshops given by local teachers, from different schools of Yoga, Meditation, Healing Arts, Massage…
Maximilien Vergnaud is an Osteopath who has his office at Agora, you can book treatments with him on his website HERE.
At Agora, we also have a “Therapy Room” where therapists (massage therapist, osteopathy, acupuncture, etc) can give treatments, massage. You can ask us if you are interested to get an appointment, or if you wish to rent the space.
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.
About
Sonia
Sonia’s first encounter with yoga happened during her studies in the United States when she was 18 years old. After a few years exploring different forms of yoga, she became passionate about Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and since that day dedicates her life to self-study and to the practices of this system. She left her International Development career and decided to start teaching Yoga in 2014.
Sonia sees yoga as an every day transformative practice that for her smoothly evolved into a lifestyle. She wishes to share with others the tools that the yoga practice can offer to support each of us on the path of self-transformation and freedom. Starting a personal Mysore style practice of Ashtanga Yoga is, according to Sonia, the best gift one can offer him/herself.
She met Linda Munro and Gerald Disse in 2014 and started studying with them at Ashtanga Yoga Paris. She then taught yoga in this beautiful community for three years.
She has been following trainings in Yin Yoga the last two years with Biff Mithoefer and Betty Papadopoulou to combine a more gentle and restorative practice to her Ashtanga classes and share this soft practice of letting go and acceptance with her students. She loves studying Yoga philosophy and has been studying Ayurveda with an Indian Ayurvedic Professor since December 2017.
From July 2017 until March 2019, Sonia was traveling the world to practice with experienced Ashtanga teachers that inspire her and deepen her study of yoga. Sonia is half Brazilian and half French, so Portugal is a perfect mix for her. She had been dreaming to move to Lisbon for a long time and works every day to contribute to the Ashtanga and Yoga community.
Sonia keeps growing and evolving in her yoga every day and wish to make her teaching as evolutive…. always keeping a “beginner’s mind”.
About
Luis
Luis has been meditating for 16 years, after having discovered Zen Buddhism in Japan. He worked during 10 years for a French governmental organization in a performance and competition-oriented environment, and thus became very aware of the difficulties, challenges and stresses faced by office workers in the modern world. Thanks to a not-for-profit solidarity organization Luis founded 13 years ago in Colombia, he has been able to cultivate on a daily basis the values of solidarity, generosity and patience.
He received his training as a meditation teacher from Dh.Vajracaksu (Triratna Buddhist Order) and decided to give a new start to his life by moving to Lisbon and joining Agora. He feels immensely happy to be able to share with students tools that have helped him to transform himself and to positively influence his everyday live, including at work. His main influences are the Zen and Tibetan mindfulness traditions, although he is also greatly inspired by the Sufi tradition that he became familiar with while living in Turkey. He enjoys creating a safe space in Agora where students can learn, share and create while encouraging each other with a sense of community.
Having recently discovered yoga and practicing it regularly, Luis enjoys building bridges between yoga and Zen-Tibetan meditation, cousin traditions that can be immensely supportive of each other
About
Maximilien
Maximilien received his national diploma in osteopathy in 2010, after studying in Bordeaux for 4 years. He was first attracted to the sports world and gained experience being a therapist in high level contests such as 24h of Le Mans or for feminine rugby teams. He then developed his practice and broadened his skills by practicing osteopathy in several countries as Morocco, India and Nigeria, mostly working within the expatriate community.
Over these five years of practice, dealing with imbalances created by daily life habits as much as with intense sport requirements, Maximilien grew interest regarding all aspects that can support one’s good health condition or even allow improvement in physical performance.
It led his approach to evolve towards a holistic care of the patient, involving focus on postural work, nutritional advice or even stress reduction methods. Passionate about how the body processes and functions, Maximilien keeps studying and improving his physiology and anatomy knowledge in order to offer the most accurate and precise diagnosis possible. You can watch some of his videos on Youtube where he shares his passion.
Currently undergoing a university degree in the field of nutrition, he plans to develop his knowledge about Yoga and Meditation to collaborate with teachers and being able to help patients in a comprehensive approach of care : both physical, psychological and nutritional.
Sign up for classes
COVID-19 : Currently , we are only accepting 10 students in the room in order to respect distance between each student. You can sign up via WhatsApp (+351 937 798 057/055) or send an email to info@agora-lisboa.com
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 also participate to most of the classes online (via Zoom) : Mysore and guided Yoga or Meditation classes , simply ask us for more information.
In general (not during this time) You can just show up to the class you want! And you can pay directly in cash at the studio (or ask us for our bank info to pay via transfer).
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 / 70 euros for others.
Classes & Cards Prices – Preços Pacotes de Aulas
| Classes & Cards Prices | Members | Non members |
| Yearly Membership/Cartão de Sócio (Access to Cheaper Prices for Drop-in classes & Osteopathy session, Access to Class Cards and community Events) |
€20 | |
| Class 1h/ Aula 1h | €10 | 12 |
| Other class (Mysore included)/ Outras aulas | €12 | 14 |
| Card 10-class (all classes) 6 months validity/ Cartão de 10 aulas | €100 | € 115 |
| Mysore only monthly passes: 2/3 x week OR 4/5 x week/ pacote mysore | €60 /€75 | |
| Unlimited month/ Pacote Mês Ilimitado
(Sonia’s & Luis’ classes only – including Mysore) |
€100 | |
| MEDITATION ONLY PASSES/ PACOTES AULAS MEDITAÇÃO | ||
| Meditation 5 classes card – 6 months validity/ Pacote 5 aulas | €50 | |
| Meditation 2 x week/ Pacote 2x semana | €55 | |
| Meditation Unlimited month/ Pacote Mês ilimitado meditação | €75 | |
| OSTEOPATHY Session with Maximilien Vergnaud (937 798 053) | 50 | 70 |
Pergunte-nos qual pacote seria o melhor para si!Ask us if you are not sure which card would work the best for you!
Osteopathy Sessions with Maximilien Vergnaud : 937 798 053
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
ÁGORA…
Upcoming events and retreats at the Studio! This Year : Massage Trainings & Courses, Yin Yoga Training Level 1 & Yin Yoga retreat, Meditation and Yoga Retreats, Summer Intensive Practice week, and much more…Check out the events Below and click on “Read More” to get the full flyer
Summer Events
September Events
October Events
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 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 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 the sequences 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 Maximilen practices at Agora?
These are relevant questions.
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 :
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
Sessions are 50 euros for members of Agora / 70 euros for Non members
Send us a message
We are located in the heart of Lisbon at Rua Rafael de Andrade, 23 , 2nd floor, near the metro station Intendente.
Call us to get more info: Sonia 937 798 057 & Luis 937 798 055
