Summit's Simplyoga: A Personalized Mind, Body Experience

Simplyoga opened its Springfield Avenue location in mid-January offering small class sizes and tailored classes to each person’s individual needs provided by instructor and owner Eliana Moreira.  

Moreira opened Simplyoga at 428 Springfield Avenue after moving from a smaller space on Summit Avenue. She said the second floor space for Simplyoga is the perfect size with two studios, one which features large open windows that let the sun in.  

In Studio A at Simplyoga class sizes do not exceed 10 students. Simplyoga also holds private lessons in Studio B and smaller classes between 6 and 8 students. Moreira said that she would not have more than 10 students in a class because then it becomes difficult to get to know each student and what works best for them.

“Yoga back in the day was meant to be one-on-one,” she added. “Not every action is universal.”

The name of Simplyoga came from Moreira’s desire to get away from some of the separation that exists in the yoga world.  She said that she wants people to get in touch with their mind-body connection and develop a sense of awareness.

“Yoga is not a sport and it is not a religion,” Moreira added. “It’s really like an art and a science.”

Moreira herself first came to yoga on a spiritual level during college and began yoga at age 18. She had always been an artist and a dancer and she felt she really connected with the concepts in yoga.

“There was a language for how I always experienced my life,” Moreira told Patch.

Moreira was born in Brazil and grew up in Chatham, after doing many different things with her life she said she always found herself working for small businesses, such as World of Music in Summit at age 15.

Moreira said she was always inspired to do her own thing at some point. Now at age 32, Moreira said looking back she never could have imagined she would already be owning her own business.

“I think it’s yoga that has brought me to this point,” she expressed. “It has given me the gift and courage that this is what I was meant to do.”

Moreira said that yoga has become an umbrella term for the poses but it is really a way of life. She added that she hopes people will see that Simply Yoga is a warm unthreatening environment.

“I hope people will come and have fun with us and practice it’s pretty simple.” 

Simplyoga holds a variety of class options including, Simply Gentle, Simply Restorative, Simply Meditation and Simply Pranayama, Basic and Pre and Post Natal classes.

“You can be at any age or any level to be able to come and do yoga,” Moreira added.

Simplyoga also has a variety of props, such as ropes along the walls that are not available in most yoga studios, according to Moreira.

Classes take place in the mornings and evenings, but if a high demand comes in for afternoon classes, Moreira could add those as well. For more, visit Simplyoga's website at simplyoga.net.