Amber embarked on her formal training as an Iyengar Yoga Teacher in 1997. Deepening her connection to her practice, she trained and studied with Mr. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Prashant Iyengar at the Iyengar Yoga Institute in Pune, India. Over the years, Amber has taught Yoga at various esteemed institutions, including the Croydon Buddhist Centre, Rivendell Retreat Centre, Body Wise near the London Buddhist Centre, and Dhanakosa, the Scottish retreat centre in Triratna, where she has been teaching for nearly 24 years.
In addition to her extensive teaching experience, Amber is a Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher and Yoga for PTSD teacher, a Peace Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher, and a Chakra energy healer. She is also a Yoga in Healthcare Alliance Certified Teacher and a passionate Permaculture Designer & Teacher.
Amber’s diverse qualifications and deep commitment to holistic wellness make her an inspiring leader and co-founder of OM Yoga School. She has also co-Founded the Inspiring Chakra Project and co- founded the Green Kashmir Permaculture Trust.
Amber’s passion for Yoga began early in life. At just 11 years old, inspired by her great aunt who was a vegan, she purchased her first Yoga book. By the age of sixteen, after an osteopath advised her to give up gymnastics due to an injury, Amber discovered her first Yoga class at the local Sports Centre. This pivotal moment set her on a lifelong path of Yoga and healing.
In London, Amber embarked on her formal training as an Iyengar Yoga Teacher, taking her assessment at the renowned Maida Vale Institute in 1997. Over the years, she taught Yoga at various esteemed institutions, including the Croydon Buddhist Centre, Rivendell Retreat Centre, Body wise near the London Buddhist Centre, and Dhanakosa, the Scottish retreat centre in Triratna, where she has now been teaching for nearly 24 years. Additionally, Amber has shared her knowledge in numerous community, educational, and workplace settings, recently teaching Sangha Yoga for the Hertford Triratna Sangha.
One of the highlights of Amber’s career was travelling to Pune, Maharashtra, India, in 2000. There, she had the incredible opportunity to train and study with Mr. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar, and Prashant Iyengar. This transformative experience deepened her connection with India, particularly Kashmir, where she lived and worked for four years and has been travelling to for the past 20 years.
During the global pandemic, Amber adapted her teaching to the virtual world, conducting Yoga classes on Zoom to keep the Yoga community connected. This initiative helped many within the community combat the widespread mental health issues such as anxiety, stress, isolation, and loneliness that affected many during this challenging time. Utilizing the extra time during the lockdown, Amber trained as a Yoga4Health practitioner, Trauma-Informed Yoga Teacher, and Yoga for PTSD.
Amber has dedicated over 25 years to teaching Yoga and her journey as a dedicated Yoga teacher has been supported by her practices as a Buddhist, Holistic Health Practitioner, Permaculturist, and Earth Sangha Practitioner. Her extensive background has culminated in the co-founding of Om Yoga School, where she brings her collection of skills and lifelong experience to fruition. Amber has witnessed first-hand the challenges faced by Yoga teachers when it comes to supporting their students with health issues, and identifying the key differences between tension and compression, stressing and stretching, and pain and discomfort. Despite her passion for helping these students, the lack of Yoga Therapy qualifications left her feeling at a disadvantage, unsure of how to provide the specialized support they needed.
The Financial Barrier: For years, Amber dreamed of obtaining Yoga Therapy qualifications to better serve her students. However, the exorbitant cost of traditional Yoga Therapy courses presented a significant hurdle. Like many passionate Yoga teachers, she found herself unable to afford the steep tuition fees, leaving her aspirations unfulfilled. At Om Yoga School, we understand the frustration and limitations that come with not having the necessary qualifications to address the unique needs of students with health issues. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to make the world’s best Yoga Therapy training accessible, convenient, and affordable for Yoga teachers like Amber, who want to learn more about the physical benefits of Yoga and take their teachings to another level, or for those wanting to learn the fundamentals and healing qualities of Yoga to benefit themselves and others.
We are committed to empowering more people on their journey of personal and professional transformation by providing them with the knowledge, skills, techniques, and new opportunities they need to blossom.
Shah has been an avid Yogi for the past 20 years and has been teaching Yoga for over 7 years. He is the Co-Founder of OM Yoga School, and Co-founded the Green Permaculture Trust. In addition to his expertise in Yoga, Shah is a Mindfulness & Breathwork trainer and a Chakra Energy Healer. He is also a passionate Permaculture Practitioner and a dedicated Social Entrepreneur.
Yoga has been my anchor through the most difficult and challenging times of my life. It became my natural medicine, helping me heal and overcome depression, insomnia, and feelings of isolation.
On the 10th of November 2014, I received a phone call that would change my life in so many ways. It was the call that told me my father had passed away. My family in India had to give me the news, and I felt helpless and broken – thousands of miles away, grieving in shock. Losing a loved one is one of the greatest challenges anyone can face, and for me, it felt even harder and more traumatic because I was so far away from everyone else who was feeling the same as me.
I immediately traveled back to India to be with my family during this difficult time. However, questions about how long I would be away and when I would return to work came quickly. When I returned to the UK and my job, I faced an entirely unwelcome challenge from my HR manager. Questions kept coming about why I hadn’t returned after two weeks, why I wasn’t back at my desk. I tried to explain that grief doesn’t have a time limit and my mother needed my help, but it was to no avail. This wasn’t a holiday; it was a time of mourning and responsibility.
It became too much. It was so petty, so inhuman… I quit my job.
Now, not only was I broken and grieving, but I also had no job. The stress led to insomnia and depression, compounded by a sense of loneliness and isolation.
If any of you have suffered from insomnia, you know how all-consuming it can be. It tugs at you throughout the day, reminding you of your exhaustion. As darkness falls, it teases you with the hope of sleep, only to keep you wide awake with worries and memories of your lost loved one. It’s a serious problem that can lead to many health issues. I saw my GP, but all I got were sleeping pills, which made me even more unwell, so I stopped taking them.
During this massively difficult time, Yoga was my saving grace. My practice of Yoga became my best companion and played a huge part in stabilizing me mentally, emotionally, and physically. Yoga became my natural medicine, helping me heal and overcome depression and feelings of loneliness and isolation.
I want to explain how Yoga Helped me:
Yoga allowed me to connect with myself once more. Depression makes us feel disconnected and we lose all sense of belonging, making the feelings worse.
2. Distance
Yoga allowed me to distance myself from my thoughts. When I was no longer attached to my thoughts, they didn’t hold so much power over me, and since I wasn’t as attached to my thoughts, they didn’t hold as much sway. Eventually, I was able to recognize and even discredit the negative patterns more swiftly, eliminating the pull of negative emotions that led to depressed states.
3. Relaxation
Yoga helped me to relax in both body and mind, giving me the chance to finally sleep well.
4. Power
Yoga made me feel powerful. When I was depressed, I felt stripped of all personal power. The more I practised Yoga, the more accomplished and empowered I felt.
5. I connected to my better self
When I was dealing with depression, it became part of my identity. Through Yoga, I was able to identify with a deeper part of myself: my spirit, soul, or higher self. Once the depression wasn’t me, then there was nothing inherently wrong with me, and my tendency towards depression was something that I could improve, like a posture. Like tight hamstrings, it was eventually going to change.
6. Compassion
I learned to be more compassionate not only to others but to myself as well. Through Yoga I was able to learn to be softer, kinder, and more loving to everyone (including, and perhaps especially, myself).
I never imagined I would be able to live my life again with happiness, love, and contentment. Yoga has served as my primary tool for self-awareness and self-healing, and I hope that by sharing my story many others will come to the practice so it can work its magic on them too.
I want to spread this message of hope and compassion through OM Yoga School and make Yoga training accessible, convenient, and affordable for anyone who wants to learn more about the physical benefits of Yoga or for those wanting to learn the fundamentals and healing qualities of Yoga to benefit themselves and others. I believe that a single action can make a difference in the community and that collective action can greatly impact the world.
Millions of people are lonely. Despite living in an interconnected society, loneliness remains a harsh reality for many. According to a 2017 report published by the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness, over nine million people in the UK either often or always feel lonely. As the report states, “For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life.”
New research reveals that chronic loneliness is a contributing factor to heart disease, dementia, depression, and numerous other serious illnesses. Recognizing the severity of this issue, governments have declared loneliness and isolation to be a threat to social health. The UK has even appointed a Minister for Loneliness.
In the coming years, loneliness will become an even more pressing health risk.
At OM Yoga School, we want to confront this challenge starting with our communities. We aim to take action to address the loneliness endured by the young, the elderly, carers, those who have lost loved ones, and refugees who have lost their homes and families—people who have no one to talk to or share their thoughts and experiences with.
When people feel lonely, depressed, sad, or broken, they often reach for pills, drugs, or alcohol to cope with their feelings if they have no alternatives available. We want to offer hope through Yoga, and we are dedicated to empowering our students on their Yoga journey to become confident and knowledgeable Yoga teachers and empower them every step to make Yoga and mindfulness accessible within their communities for those who might not otherwise have ready access to these practices due to financial constraints, physical limitations, social anxiety, or other barriers.
Help us spread love and hope through Yoga. Together, we can address the loneliness that is so rampant in our society, offering healing and empowerment to those in need.