Philosophy

Philosophy
"Best Yoga Studio" Thank you for voting for us in the Republican's Mass Live Reader's Choice Awards. Thank you, "Team Heartsong," our teachers, support staff and all of our students, for this honor. Namaste!


Heartsong Yoga opened its doors in 1993, "back in the day" when launching a small business in a relatively unknown industry took courage, faith, determination and a big vision...that the Pioneer Valley was ready to embrace the practices of Yoga and that Heartsong would thrive and grow over time.

Fast forward three decades, and Heartsong is solidly in place in our community as a safe, warm and welcoming place for folks to come and learn about yoga, meditation, mindfulness and healthy living. The studio has grown to include two lovely practice spaces, a staff of amazing teachers, and wonderful workshops and events. Heartsong's Yoga Teacher Trainings have launched skillful knowledgeable teachers who are meeting the needs of the growing interest in yoga with their offerings throughout the area.

Heartsong's owners are husband and wife team Sheila and Tony Magalhaes. They are dedicated to hosting a wide variety classes and offerings to support their community. Sheila, an East Longmeadow native, reminds her students that Yoga is not just about the physical body, but that it teaches us to respect ourselves and others, to practice self care, and to cultivate "santosha" (contentment) with life as it unfolds.

We are proud of the rich traditions that inform all of the practices at Heartsong, the loving and compassionate heart of the Kripalu Yoga lineage, and the strong and vibrant energy of the Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga lineage, as well as the passion, trainings, and practices of all of the teachers who so generously share their time and energy with the students who have come through the doors over the years. Sharing yoga not just in the studio, but out in the community in a wide variety of settings and reaching a diverse population of students is fundamental to Heartsong. Our vision is that the practice reaches out to family members and friends in ways that are seen and unseen, the benefits of practice radiating outward, as a prayer for peace.

The "Story" above, has changed dramatically during the 2020 COVID-19 Pandemic.  On Sunday, March 15, we closed the studio, "temporarily", to help "flatten the curve" and the world shut down.  During that time Sheila got busy creating our Heartsong Yoga YouTube Channel, uploading classes for students to access while they were "Sheltering at Home". Realizing this was not going to change quickly, she developed a way to deliver classes to the students with a Zoom Livestream format, slowly bringing the teachers back to teach, from their own homes. 

5 months later....August 15, 2020, Heartsong had a "Soft Re-Opening" and began offering both Livestream Zoom classes with all MA State Gov. protocols in place to small socially distanced classes. Gratefully, we continue on! Our next chapter has begun.
A wonderful article published by the Reminder, tells the story.

It is an honor to share this work out in the world.
Sheila, Tony, and Team Heartsong

View Sheila's TEDx talk from October, 2016.
"Movement is medicine, and stillness can be healing. Can the ancient art of yoga infused with the calming effects of mindfulness support us in our quest for health, wellness and vitality, while at the same time helping to bring peace to the world? Is it science? Is it faith? Does it matter? Be inspired to lighten up every day, get upside down, and see things from a new perspective".