Our Teachers

Maggie Heinzel-Neel

The peaceful feeling I receive from practicing yoga asana (poses) and pranayama (breath work), as well as the empowerment from becoming strong and flexible, is at the core of my teaching. After years of debilitating back pain and a very inflexible body, I finally took my first yoga class. People say that they’re not flexible enough for yoga, if they only knew what I looked like (for a very long time) in my practice! But what made me stick to it is how I felt afterward; elated.

I love to combine a wide range of experiences; a dynamic physical workout with precise alignment instructions, focus on breath within the poses and in pranayama, spiritual reflection, and a mindfulness observation that leads to a meditative experience. My prime focus is on the breath, throughout the entire class, which provides a cleansing from the inside out. I strive to teach an equal part of challenge and nurture, a balance of feminine and masculine. As the breath, heart and body all work together, I hope to lead students to a deep feeling of connection and wholeness that helps to stay focused and quiet the mind.

My initial training came from a foundation in Iyengar Yoga, then Ashtanga, resulting in an alignment based vinyasa flow that’s a slightly slower vinyasa then the typical vinyasa flow, emphasizing on alignment as we move with a rhythmic breath. I am also trained in Medical Chi Gong, using the 5 elemental theory to guide the practices according to the seasons, that I overlay in the Meridian Flow Yoga+Qigong. This is the ultimate combination of a strong physical practice combined with a deep inner focus of moving our prana (chi) in the patterns of the energy highways. It’s a unique combination that is deeply healing.

Here’s what students are saying about Maggie

Michael Gould

When I discovered yoga, not only did I get into better physical shape, heal my injuries, and reduce stress, I found a way to fill a deep spiritual hole in my life. In my teaching I create a peaceful, nurturing, and safe space. With an awareness of breath and body, we ground ourselves in the moment. From this solid foundation we move in flowing and playful sequences that challenge us physically, mentally, and spiritually. The music and the underlying yogic theme of the class inspires us as we move. My physical adjustments lead to better understanding of the poses, which make us strong and confident and able to feel at home in the practice.

We learn to trust ourselves, while we approach challenging poses with a sense of humor, learning not to take ourselves too seriously. I stress that striving for perfection is not the goal of yoga, but rather to notice the beauty, the peace and the sense of play in every moment. We are all already perfect in every way. We try as hard as we can, and let go of the results of our efforts. Let’s have fun and feel good, knowing that yoga always works.

Here’s what students are saying about Michael

Meg Saso

As I laid in my first savasana, I took a deep breath, opened my eyes and rolled off my mat a new person. 10 years later the bliss of finding myself on my mat has never left, but grown deeper and stronger. Yoga has given me a deeper connection to both my inner-self and the outside world. After years of admiring my yoga teachers and witnessing what their commitment to yoga did for themselves and those around them, I decided to take the happiest leap of my life and become a teacher! I am proudly certified with my RYT 200 and hold additional certifications in Yin and Restorative Yoga. I am currently blissfully immersed into my RYT 300. My hope is to heal, inspire and shine the yoga light that’s lit so bright inside me, into others’ hearts and practices, inspiring all to pay the knowledge and powers of yoga forward to more who need it.

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Sam Phelan

I always felt like something was missing in my life and I couldn’t quite figure out what that was, until I found a steady yoga practice. After a yoga class I always loved the way I felt but they were so spread out I wasn’t aware of the true- life changing benefits practicing regularly can bring. When we practice silencing the mind, opening the heart, and strengthening the body we find the wholeness that comes from yoga. Through a vinyasa flow style class with the use of props and pranayama guided meditation breath work I hope to show you how to find space within your body, balance, strength, self realization and the clarity that yoga brings to the mind, body and soul. When I’m not teaching or practicing yoga I am singing or making driftwood art, I enjoy hiking, swimming, climbing and laughing a lot.