Simona

About Simona

Simona began her meditation journey in 1990 in her hometown in Italy. From there, her path took her across Europe and into the Irish countryside, where she deepened her practice through different meditation traditions and began studying yoga.

Her growing interest in yoga, meditation, and alternative healing led her to Asia, where she completed her first Thai Massage Course in northern Thailand in 1997. Later, she immersed herself in another meditation technique in Bali.

She continued moving between Europe and Asia, working as a massage therapist in Ireland and France while expanding her knowledge of massage styles and alternative therapies. During this time, she also kept studying Thai Massage in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.

Simona later opened a Thai Massage school and yoga center in Dublin. With years of personal yoga practice and a constant need for a yoga teacher, she decided to complete an Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training course in Edinburgh. She then began teaching in Ireland, both at her own center and through workplace yoga classes at different companies.

She went on to study Reiki up to master level and continued with ITEC training in Holistic Massage and Anatomy Teacher Training Certification, which led her to teach anatomy in a college in Ireland.

As anatomy and yoga became central to her studies, she moved permanently to Asia in 2005. In India, she completed a Hatha Yoga Teacher Training Course at Sivananda Meenakshi Ashram in Tamil Nadu.

Since then, she has worked in Thailand, first at Y Fit Yoga Studio in Bangkok and later at Spa Koh Chang, where she taught yoga for detox. She then moved to Hua Hin, where she worked as a spa trainer, taught anatomy to Thai therapists, and led yoga at Six Senses Spa and Evason Resorts before being transferred to the Maldives with the same company.

She continued traveling to India between jobs, studying yoga and completing a course in Ayurvedic Massage and Pulse Diagnosis in Rishikesh, as well as Tibetan Massage in Dharamsala. Later, she moved to Koh Samui in southern Thailand, where she taught yoga at Spa Samui and Four Seasons Resort. After another trip to India, she returned to Thailand and opened her own company in Koh Phangan. Two years later, she relocated to Koh Samui, where she taught yoga and meditation at Infinite Horizons Rehab Centre. In 2011, she opened a yoga studio and retreat centre in Taling Ngam, in a beautiful beachfront location on the south of the island.

Qualifications

Simona has completed 500 hours of yoga teacher training, including Hatha Yoga, Vinyasa Yoga, and Ashtanga Yoga, plus an additional 150 hours of Yin Yoga Teacher Training. Marga Yoga is a registered yoga school offering 200 hours YTT and 100 hours Yin YTT, along with continuing education courses.

Current Teaching

Today, Simona teaches 200 hours Yoga Teacher Training courses and 100 hours Yin Yoga Teacher Training courses in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and at various locations in Europe. She also leads a wide range of continuing education courses.

Nutrition & Coaching

With experience as a cook in Europe and nine years running her own vegan cafe in Thailand, Simona has developed a plant-based menu that also includes meat and cheese alternatives. It is available in Koh Samui through her vegan fresh food shop, MY Vegan Food Shop & Cafe. She also supplies other shops around Samui island, as well as Koh Phangan and Bangkok, with vegan meat and cheese products. Further information can be found on the cafe page of the website. In addition, Simona is a qualified vegan health and nutrition coach and offers sessions in person and online.