Yoga Therapy

“I began yoga about 6 years ago after a quadruple heart bi-pass, a family member recommend yoga with Simon as it helped him to recover from an illness. I started yoga 6 months post surgery, my body was falling apart, I was not feeling very good and I wanted to get my physical and emotional health back. I felt the energy yoga brought back to my life. Yoga helps my mobility enormously, my body is getting older but what is interesting, small ordinary things like getting out of bed, bending to pick something up, I can do now very much better. In this regard I think it has helped delay the aging process. I am able to live in my own home. I have had the occasional fall but yoga has helped me. Simon has an acute awareness of peoples emotions and bodies, he has guided me over the years with the use of yoga therapy to bring awareness into my body its limitations, capabilities and capacity. I will be turning 90 in a few months and that is old, I do not feel old, but I am. Yoga helps keep me calm , I am doing this for myself.”

Margaret Fulton - Australian food and cooking ‘guru’, writer, journalist, author, and commentator.

The practice of Yoga Therapy is highly effective in bringing a balance to the systems of the body. Yoga Therapy is not a treatment as such, nor is it aligned with any medical system or practice. Rather, Yoga Therapy allows people to access the healing benefits of yoga through the use of props, support and specialised sequencing.

  • Yoga Therapy at MYC

    Marrickville Yoga Centre is Australia's leading Centre of Yoga Therapy where we run specialised Yoga Therapy classes and principal teachers, Simon Joannou and Hasu Opa Clark, have been helping students with injuries and chronic illnesses through their extensive knowledge in this field for over 15 years.

    We offer affordable programs to help students recover and manage their health.

    We also offer training for teachers with the Worlds leading authority on Yoga therapy Stephanie Quirk, who runs Yoga Therapy training for teachers at our studio. Further information can be found on our Yoga Therapy Training page.

  • Benefits of Yoga Therapy

    Yoga Therapy can be of benefit to new or existing students who have ongoing health issues or problems with various parts of the body.

    It is also suitable for people with no yoga experience but looking for an alternative approach to an existing condition or injury.

    Some common ailments which bring people to Yoga Therapy include - Arthritis, Asthma, Anxiety, Back pain, Blood disorders, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Circulatory disorders, Diabetes, Depression, Fatigue, Heart abnormalities, Immune disorders, Migraines, Muscle pain, Skeletal-muscular disorders and Thyroid disorders to mention a few.

  • Our Yoga Therapy Program

    Our Yoga Therapy Program includes the following:

    • Yoga Therapy Group Classes - These are classes with a number of students practicing the same sequence. The classes are gentle paced and well supported. They are suitable for all levels of students, including those with no yoga experience.

    • Yoga Therapy Personal Classes - These are more personalised classes, where a small number of students are practicing there own sequence specifically designed for their personal circumstances, with one-on-one support.

    Students can do one or both of these options and further details are provided below.

    We will also have various special workshops throughout the year which will address issues like:

    • Women's health

    • Men's health

    • Anxiety

    • Menopause

    Details for these workshops will be provided on the Workshops page and in our regular Newsletters.

  • Yoga Therapy Group Classes

    In these classes we use specialised programs and props to help students who suffer from common issues. The classes include the following:

    Backcare on Wednesday at 4.45pm with Hasu

    Neck & Shoulders on Thursday at 4.45pm with Simon

    Restorative on Saturdays at 4pm with Veronica

    The classes are taught by highly trained teachers in the application of Yoga Therapy. They are gentle paced and well supported classes. They are suitable for all levels of students, including those with no yoga experience.

    The intent with these classes is prevention of ongoing issues by guiding students through yoga poses gently, that will help to bring mobility to the body.

    These classes are not suitable for students who already have a chronic issue and already have ongoing pain. We recommend that these students attend our Yoga Therapy Personal Class on Friday morning at 10am.

    A Casual Pass or 10 Class Pack can be used for these classes. Please refer to our Prices page for further details.

  • Yoga Therapy Personal Classes

    These classes include a one-on-one consultation with our principal teachers Simon or Hasu, where we prepare a personalised sequence for students to practice based on their personal circumstances.

    These classes are suitable for students with individual needs and ideal for students working with injuries or medical conditions.

    Some of the common conditions we have worked with in these classes include:

    Multiple Sclerosis

    Vertigo

    Sciatica

    Hip post-surgery recovery

    Since students in these classes get one-on-one support, spaces are limited and bookings are essential . You can book by emailing us at info@marrickvilleyoga.com.au or calling us on 02 9569 1776.

    We ask first time Yoga Therapy Students coming to the Personal classes to compete a Yoga Therapy registration form here.

    The cost of a Yoga Therapy Personal class is $80 for a 1 hour class. Payment is made at the studio on the day of the class.

    The classes are scheduled on Friday’s at 10am.

If you are unsure which Yoga Therapy approach is right for you are your personal circumstances, please speak to one of the teachers at the Centre or email us at info@marrickvilleyoga.com.au or call us on 02 9569 1776.

  • How does it work?

    Yoga Therapy is run by Simon and Hasu. Students need to get in touch with us via email info@marrickvilleyoga.com.au or give us a call on 02 9569 1776 to book a time.

    The sessions are $80 per session and run for 1 hour.

  • Who can attend?

    Yoga Therapy can also be of benefit to new or existing students who have ongoing health issues or problems with various parts of the body. It is also suitable for people with no yoga experience but looking for an alternative approach to an existing condition or injury. Some common ailments which bring people to Yoga Therapy include:

    Arthritis, Asthma, Anxiety, Back pain, Blood disorders, Cancer, Cardiovascular disease, Circulatory disorders, Diabetes, Depression, Fatigue, Heart abnormalities, Immune disorders, Migraines, Muscle pain, Obesity, Skeletal-muscular disorders, Thyroid disorders.

  • When are sessions?

    Therapy sessions are by appointment only.

    Appointments are available as follows:

    Friday 10am

    Bookings are essential.

    The cost for each Yoga Therapy session is $80.

About Simon - Simon Joannou is an experienced senior Iyengar teacher with specialised skills and knowledge in Yoga Therapy. Simon has worked closely with the Iyengars in their medical classes at the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute in Pune, India over many years. He has also trained with leading Iyengar yoga therapist Stephanie Quirk and continues to work closely with Steph assisting her in her therapy training courses running in Asia.

“I no longer have all over body ache, am not tired all day and feel restored when I wake in the mornings.The Yoga Therapy Class offered by the Marrickville Yoga Centre is a fantastic opportunity to do some healing work in an incredibly supportive and expert Yoga environment. ” Sharny C

“At the end of each class I felt rejuvenated, refreshed and alive and I knew I was on the right track. Stephanie, Simon, Hasu and their team are very experienced and well accredited yoga therapists who have a deep understanding of how the body works. I feel very blessed to be on a yoga journey with such caring and experienced practitioners and now have become committed to yoga for life.” Kerry D