Specialist Yoga Training Course

Yoga Therapy For ME / CFS, Burnout and Chronic Illness

with Fiona Agombar, Leah BarnettHebden Bridge

Weekend training plus optional third day on additional therapeutic teaching tools – see below for eligibility. This course is also being run in London in July.

M.E. is a serious illness affecting around 250,000 people in the U.K. Many come to yoga after having found little relief from allopathic medicine. Other illnesses can cause chronic fatigue including Burnout, Post Viral Fatigue, M.S, depression, arthritis and cancer. This course is designed to give you the knowledge to work with, and to assist students with these conditions. Many yoga teachers come across students with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (also known as M.E.) but have no idea how to give the correct advice. If applied with the right understanding yoga can make a major difference to illnesses such as M.E. and may lead towards recovery.

By the end of the course you will have a good understanding of M.E and chronic fatigue, what causes these conditions and how to recognise them. You will understand how to teach yoga in a way which is effective, gentle and appropriate to the individual and which will promote healing, energy and change. At the very practical level, you will have learnt at least two remedial routines including some chair work, which you can use with students. You will also have advice on how to set up special groups for those with chronic conditions in their area.

You now also have the option of a third day’s training – _Yoga Therapy Teaching Tools for ME/CFS and Burnout – designed to provide extra teaching tools and ideas for working with these conditions and featuring unique teaching methods which really help. Day three is open to all who have already completed the two day course with Fiona, either through Yogacampus, The British Wheel of Yoga or Yoga Scotland and who would like more *yoga therapy teaching *ideas.

What you will cover during the course

• an explanation of what M.E really is and how the immune system is affected. We will look at what can cause this condition, the difference between M.E. CFS and CF and what these labels mean.
• we will examine common symptoms and how to deal with them
• examination of hyperventilation and its role in anxiety, burnout, disease and fatigue together with problems of the flight or fight state.
• a review of other illnesses which may lead to chronic fatigue
• a look at why cardio-vascular exercise is usually inappropriate in the acute stage and what level of physical activity yoga should offer the individual
• a ‘toolbox’ for healing: pranayama, relaxation, visualisation, and gentle stretching
• why ME is a rajasic condition. The importance of identity – how the teacher can help the student to not attach to the identity of suffering in chronic illnesses.
• guidance for teachers on how to direct students on the spiritual relevance of yoga and their illness.
• examination of personality types, how this can work against recovery and how yoga can help
• the different levels of M.E. and development of skills to listen and ‘read’ students
• a discussion of how to prevent relapse
• an overview of the five pranas and what can help keep energy in the body
• how to teach students pacing and the “doing less-is-more” approach. Why we need to ‘be’ and not ‘do’
• two simple but effective therapeutic regimes for those with chronic fatigue and M.E
• pranayama and asanas that specifically help with these conditions.
• yoga nidra and cyclic meditation – and how deep relaxation and visualisation promote healing
• working from the heart with empathy and with an individual approach to each case
• learning how to treat those who are severely affected
• how to integrate students into a class, if appropriate
• how to set up a therapy class, with ideas for getting started

Related video: Watch a clip from Fiona Agombar's DVD 'Beat Fatigue with Yoga' ()

yoga therapy

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Fiona Agombar is an experienced yoga teacher in the Krishnamacharya tradition who herself had ME for 15 years as a consequence of stress combined with a viral infection whilst running a large public relations agency. Initially she was in a wheelchair but she recovered by following a yogic lifestyle. She now works as a yoga therapist, as well as running retreats in the UK and around the world for people with chronic health problems, and is a regular contributor to Yoga and Health magazine. Read Fiona Agombar's full biography.

Leah has been teaching yoga for almost 10 years and, having recently completed the KHYF (BWY) advanced yoga teaching qualification, now works mainly on a one to one basis with adults affected by chronic illness including ME/chronic fatigue. Read Leah Barnett's full biography.

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Hosted in partnership with Calderdale Yoga Centre

For more information please email info@yogacampus.com or call +44 (0) 20 7042 9900