Energy Yoga - Fiona Agombar

Fiona teaches classical hatha yoga which is inspired by the teachings of Desikachar and Krishnamacharya. Although known for teaching gentle yoga therapy for those with chronic illness such as ME and MS, Fiona also teaches general hatha yoga for those who enjoy a stronger practise - always adapting the yoga postures for the individual. Her teaching focuses on developing potential for full health. Energy Yoga uses awareness of breath and self-observation as a bridge to awaken subtle energies (prana), which balance and strengthen the whole body whilst yoga postures (asanas) and gentle moving sequences open, stretch and release tension. Fiona teaches yoga as a spiritual practice which aims to help us connect with the true self within. Often we have a crisis or an illness in our life and this can be used as an opportunity to develop our spiritual awareness.

Fiona has developed Energy Yoga as a way of working with the breath to take the student deeply into each posture and sequence to connect with the stillness within. The practise is based on the Patanjali's Sutras of sthira and sukham - sanskrit terms which describe steadiness, comfort and ease within each sequence. In this way Energy Yoga releases blocked energy and held patterns (samskaras) and invigorates the whole being. Fiona seeks to include everyone, making Energy Yoga suitable for all levels regardless of age, injury or fitness. Sessions are fun and include classic postures, gentle flowing movements, pranayama (breath work), mantra and yoga nidra (deep relaxation) to promote well-being of body, mind and spirit. Energy yoga is non-competitive and is based on the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) to the self as well as to others.

For those with ME and other chronic conditions, Fiona works by aiming to change the autonomic nervous system response back to a healthy pattern so that it no longer chronically hyper-arouses to fight-and-flight stimulation. For many people with chronic fatigue, the central nervous system adapts to chronic stress so that it no longer switches back when the stress passes. By teaching students how to breathe more slowly, through the nose and from the diaphragm, the central nervous system begins to calm down which in turn helps the mind to slow down so that the whole system learns to relax. In this way the student becomes more present and centred - and also aware of symptoms and how to control them. On retreats, changes to maintain this calmness are worked on based around emotional culturing. This involves discussions and workshops around learning to become more present and to not identify with suffering, looking at behaviour patterns (samskaras) which can prevent recovery. Becoming more in touch with our physical body and looking at finding the true purpose in life and our true nature through spiritual inquiry. Above all, Fiona teaches healthy, slow breathing to bring the system back to a state of health and healing.

Those with chronic fatigue are often hyper-aroused (also known as global high activation) which leads to exhaustion, sleep disorders such as insomnia and anxiety, together with muscle aches and pains which occur when too much magnesium is lost from the body because of hyperventilation. Over a period of time Energy Yoga reverses this by training the body back to a healthy pattern.

Fiona has been studying yoga since 1993 and originally trained with the Yoga for Health Foundation. She is grateful for the inspiration of teachers such as Bill Feeney, Angela Stevens, Mukunda Stiles and Dr Nagarentha (Vyasa ashram Bangalore). In 1998 she wrote Beat Fatigue with Yoga (Cherry Red books). She is now studying for an advanced teaching diploma (BWY accredited) in the Krishnamacharya tradition (KHYF in Chennai) under Sarah Ryan and her mentor Gill Lloyd, who is a student of Desikachar. Fiona visits India regularly to deepen her knowledge of yogic philosophy. She is now studying Vedanta with her teacher James Swartz.

Fiona believes that every yoga practise should be a healing session and that students should leave the class feeling better, with more energy and with a sense of peace and calmness. Energy Yoga focuses on yoga as a philosophy that is continued off the mat, helping the yoga student to connect to their true authentic being, thus leading to complete health of body mind and spirit. Fiona teaches retreats all over the world, teaches Energy Yoga for ME to other teachers and also teaches one-to one. Fiona is also studying vedanta with her teacher James Swartz, a disciple of Swami Chinmayananda. She is registered with the CNHC as a yoga therapist. Please contact her for further details.

Yoga developed thousands of years ago in India and is actually a spiritual path aimed at bring complete harmony and balance of mind, body and spirit. The essence of yoga is in stillness. The sage Patanjali said that yoga is about quietening the thought-waves of the mind. Patanjali also devised the eight limbs of yoga - also known as astanga yoga. These include a set of moral restraints and observations and the yoga postures, which is what most people in the West think yoga is about. The eight limbs also include Pranayama or yoga breathing - these include ancient techniques, which can bring about great energy changes within the body and mind. The whole purpose of the eight limbs of yoga is to bring about stillness in order that we can meditate and eventually find union - that is our real self, beyond the ego, which becomes aligned with the whole universe.

In our busy consumer society most of us do not pay enough attention to how we breathe, how we relax and how we keep mobile and flexible Even if you are very tired all of this is very important to your health and well-being. For example, many people in the West hyperventilate. This is because we get in to poor breathing habits. When we are stressed, the body takes itself into the 'flight and fight mode' and we start to breathe rapidly, from our upper chest. This is fine if there is an emergency, but then after the stress has passed, the autonomic nervous system should take us back to healthy breathing - that is breathing which involves the diaphragm, so that there is a correct exchange of gasses in the body. The trouble with chronic stress is that we don't automatically do this - so we continue to breathe too fast, and from the upper chest. Stop now, take one hand to the centre of your upper chest and one to just above the navel and note how you are breathing. Is the breath fast? If you are mainly using your upper chest to breathe, then you may suffer from fatigue, stress, insomnia and aches and pains. So the first step to health is in correct breathing - something yoga will help you with.

In yoga, we start with a relaxation posture - also known in Sanskrit as savasana. This is said to be the most important - and the hardest posture to do. It is only when we relax properly that we can start to heal. Being, not doing is emphasised in yoga, although relaxation is something we often feel guilty about and don't give ourselves space to make time for.

Stretching postures or asanas are all designed to improve blood flow, mobility, stamina, muscle tone, flexibility and energy. Using gentle postures, we can gently encourage the body back to health. There is no competition in yoga, everything is done with the body, not against it.

Meditation helps to calm and focus the mind. It helps us to be calm and centred and more in control of our mind - so that we are not swept along by our thoughts and emotions and can bring peace and a general sense of purpose and meaning to life. Most of us experience our thoughts as a continual chatter inside our head - speeding between the past and the 'what might be' future. The aim of meditation is to calm and still the mind, and bring us back in to the present. This quietens the brain down so that we go in to what is called the 'alpha' state where the brain-waves are slower. This greatly relieves stress. Information overload is then reduced, giving us space just to be. Meditation slows down the production of stress-related chemicals and the heart rate and can bring about a feeling of well being, as well as an increase in energy. There is a chapter on how to mediate in Fiona's book 'Beat Fatigue with Yoga' and also 'Endless Energy' (Piatkus books currently out of print). Fiona also runs workshops and one-to one-sessions on how to meditate using breath, mantra, mandala and other tools.

Yoga, Meditation and their benefits