Yoga and Buddhism: How to Build a Practice That Actually Frees You

Harmony Slater is a Spiritual Wellness Coach whose mission is to support spiritually-curious entrepreneurs with “science-backed woo” to create a deeply fulfilling life and a business they love.

She's a National Board Certified Health Coach, Certified in both Quantum Coaching and in the Mastery Coaching Methods. She's also Certified Ashtanga Yoga Teacher, one of less than 20 women in the world to hold this honour, after training in India for 15 years.

She began travelling to East Asia in 2002 to study Buddhism, after completing two degrees in Philosophy and Eastern Religious Studies. In 2004, I began a life-long love affair with India, spending the next 15 years living there for extended periods of time immerse in Yoga practice, Vipassana meditation, Ayurveda, and Philosophy.

For the past 20+ years Harmony's been focused on sharing these deeper teachings + practices of multidimensional wellness to support women around the world in eliminating midlife burnout + restoring joy, to create a life and wellness business that nourishes both their soul and bank account. She's taught workshops and retreats in over 30 different countries.

She’s the host of the Finding Harmony Podcast, an active Board Member for the non-profit organization Yoga Gives Back, and has been featured in two anthologies on yoga, pregnancy, and motherhood in: ‘Yoga Sadhana for Mothers’ and ‘Strength and Grace: A collection of Essays by Women of Ashtanga Yoga.’

Sonia’s first encounter with yoga happened at the age of 18. After a couple of years exploring different forms of yoga, she soon became passionate about Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga and since that day dedicates her life to the exploration of Yoga in all its forms. She left her International Development career and started teaching Yoga in 2014.
Sonia sees Yoga as an embodied practice of self-inquiry and connection to the divine. She is fascinated by the healing potential of Yoga and how it can be a somatic experience. It has been a therapeutic and transformative exploration for her since the very first day and therefore naturally evolved into a lifestyle. She feels deeply grateful to have come across this incredibly grounding practice, that yet conceals endless possibilities of ecstatic experiences. A heartfelt desire has naturally arisen to share Yoga with others to support our collective path of self-transformation and freedom.

She met her first teachers , Linda Munro and Gérald Disse in 2014 at Ashtanga Yoga Paris. They introduced her to Mysore-style practice, helped her grow immensely and taught her how to teach Yoga. During the years she was teaching there, she was lucky to study with experienced guest teachers such as Chuck Miller, Ron Reid & Marla Meenakshi Joy, David Guarrigues and David Swenson. After that, she traveled to Asia and to India between 2017 and 2019 and immersed herself even more into practice and going to the roots of Yoga. She practiced with Rolf Naujokat & Marci in Goa and Prem Carlisi and Radha in Bali during that time.

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Luis has been meditating for over two decades, after having discovered Zen Buddhism in Japan. He worked internationally during 10 years for a French government organization before giving anew start to his life by moving to Lisbon, founding Agora Lisboa together with his wife Sonia Amalric, where he leads a Buddhist Centre and Sangha while taking up an ashtanga yoga regular practice.

He received his meditation teacher training from Dh. Vajracaksu and is a Mitra (friend) of the Triratna Buddhist Order. He practices yoga following primarily the guidance of his wife, Sonia Amalric.

Luis enjoys creating a safe space in Agora where students can learn, share and create, exploring bridges between Buddhist and yogic practices, while encouraging each other with a sense of community.