Balwyn Yoga Centre - Surrey Hills (VIC)

5 /5 Lia Vasiliadis: This yoga centre is amazing. My sister and I joined as beginners and Ive been amazed at how quickly my flexibility, strength and fitness have improved. The staff are all incredibly skilled and Ive managed to advance rapidly and gain strength without straining or injuring myself. The atmosphere in the class is super friendly and motivating and after only a few months it feels like Ive been going for years. The catch-up system is also a great feature and means if something comes up and you miss a class you can make it up on a Saturday. Going has become a real highlight of my week; each class is challenging but really rewarding and energizing. Much better than the other yoga studio my sister attended previously in which there was no supervision or correction. In this class the staff guide you, teach you how to adjust poses to suit any need you might have, and offer constant supervision and assistance to ensure youre not straining yourself. Cant recommend enough. Best decision Ive made all year.

2 /5 Anesti: I had been taking classes here for a few months, but had to miss my regular class one week for an unexpected surgical operation. I let the owner know in advance but, when I tried to return, was told that I had forfeited my membership and would need to pay for another 5 weeks before I could resume. I was rudely accused of lying, and the term retard was used pejoratively during the conversation. My impression was that the owner was trying to get more money out of me, and the conversation was awfully confrontational and stressful. If you are looking for a relaxing, friendly place to try yoga, I strongly recommend trying elsewhere.

5 /5 Eliza Allender: This is hands down the best studio in Melbourne. Inge is an incredibly knowledgeable yoga teacher and her classes are always challenging. There is great variety in the sessions so you are never bored. The leaders on the mats are excellent, also. I’ve been attending classes here for 8 years and I wouldn’t go anywhere else!

5 /5 Judith Pimentel: I have been going to this centre for the last 7 years and never regretted my being part of it. My body misses it when Im not able to do the Iyengar yoga stretches. Its a different yoga, it is a form of Yoga that has an emphasis on detail, precision and alignment in the performance of posture and breath control . It increases my mobility, strength and stability. Perhaps its not for everyone, but highly recommended for those who thinks Iyengar yoga is for them. Thanks Inga, Larry, Carla, Ingrid and Mark for your patience with us all.

1 /5 Diana Munteanu: My mum and I had been practicing Iyengar yoga for a while but we wanted to try a studio closer to our home, so we found this on google and decided to give it a try. It was not only the worst yoga experience I’ve ever had, but it was uncomfortable, upsetting and outright unacceptable. The class started without any warm-up, the sequence of poses was extremely fast and the owner (not the instructor of the class who was merely a demonstrator but was clearly not leading the class) was sitting in a corner shouting poses to us in a fashion similar to a military training system. Plank! Cobra! Crocodile! Nothing to do with Iyengar Yoga. Very stressful, far from being relaxing or mindful. Halfway through the class, the instructor started yelling at my mum who was doing her best to keep up wth the poses without being offered any help (despite having been reassured that we would be looked after, given it’s our first time at this studio). She shouted at my mum in front of the class: ‘this is my studio, and if you don’t do exactly as you’re told it’s not going to work. So take your stuff, take your money and get out.’ My mum and I couldn’t believe it. Mum said ‘are you kicking me out?’ To which the owner responded ‘yes! And take the girl with you too (referring to me)’. It was unacceptable behaviour, extremely uncomfortable and unsettling to be treated with such rudeness in front of a class full of people. Needless to say I hurt my back given the lack of warm up and I left feeling humiliated and very upset. This studio shouldn’t be allowed to run, which abuses its clients and practices unsafe yoga. No wonder they’re not affiliated with the Iyengar association of Australia. Far from being Iyengar. Extremely disappointing.