About me
The peaceful feeling that Maggie Heinzel-Neel experiences from practicing yoga and breathwork, as well as the empowerment that comes from becoming strong and flexible, is at the core of her teaching. After years of debilitating back pain and a very inflexible body, she finally took her first yoga class. People say that they’re not flexible enough for yoga if they only knew what she looked like (for a very long time) in her practice! But what made her stick to it is how she felt afterward: elated.
Maggie owns Vitality Yoga Flow studio in New Paltz, NY, and loves 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. Her prime focus is on the breath, throughout the entire class, which provides a cleansing from the inside out. She strives to teach an equal part of challenge and nurture, a balance of feminine and masculine. As the breath, heart, and body all work together, she hopes to lead students to a deep feeling of connection and wholeness that helps them stay focused and quiet their minds.
Maggie’s initial training was rooted in Iyengar Yoga, followed by Ashtanga, resulting in an alignment-based vinyasa flow that is slightly slower than the typical vinyasa flow, emphasizing alignment as we move in rhythm with our breath. Maggie took her practice further and is now a trained Medical Chi Gong instructor, utilizing the 5-elemental theory to guide practices according to the seasons, which she incorporates into Meridian Flow Yoga and Qigong. This is the ultimate combination of a strong physical practice, combined with a deep inner focus of moving our prana (qi) in the patterns of the energy highways. It’s a unique combination that heals us on multiple layers of our being.
Instagram
