Community Highlights: Meet Austeen Heeney of Free To Be Yoga & Massage

Today we’d like to introduce you to Austeen Heeney.

Hi Austeen, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My journey began with a deep curiosity about the body, healing, and personal growth. I first entered the wellness world through massage therapy, learning the art of touch and the power of presence. Over time, I realized that healing wasn’t just physical—it was emotional, energetic, and spiritual. That realization led me to diving deeper into my yoga studies, which completely transformed how I lived, moved, and showed up in the world.

Teaching yoga quickly became more than a job; it became a calling. I saw how transformative it could be, not just for individuals on the mat, but for the way we relate to ourselves and to life. That passion evolved into creating Austeen’s Online Yoga Academy, a digital sanctuary for the last 8 years where people can access yoga and meditation practices anytime, anywhere. I wanted to make this work accessible, supportive, and real, especially for those who are newer to the practice or have the desire to truly learn the practices.

From there, I expanded into leading retreats and workshops—sacred, intentional spaces where people can reset, reconnect, and remember who they are. I also continue to offer therapeutic massage and bodywork, though I’ve recently shifted that part of my practice to a more intentional, home-based model.

Today, I’ve transitioned into a company of one, working from my home and traveling to my students and clients. Whether it’s through yoga, massage, or retreats, my mission is to help others feel free to be—to live bravely, authentically, and with deep self-respect.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not always smooth. Like many people in the healing arts, my work has often grown out of my own experiences with challenge, burnout, and the search for meaning. There were seasons where I questioned my path entirely—wondering if I was making a difference, if I could sustain myself financially doing this work, or if I was being true to myself in the way I was showing up.

One of my biggest lessons came after expanding too far, too fast, driven by a wildfire in my heart and a deep desire to serve. I opened two physical locations with so much passion and vision, but ultimately, I had to close both. The second space was even bigger and more ambitious, and while I don’t regret trying, it taught me invaluable lessons about sustainability—what it actually means for me and my business.

That process of expansion and contraction allowed me to reinvent myself without shame and to inspire others to do the same. The body is change, life is change, and I’ve learned to flow with it. After realizing I needed to close my second location, I finally began to recognize the signs my body and business were giving me. I now feel more connected than ever to what my business truly wants to be, as it moves through me, not just what I think it should be. And it took a lot of mistakes to arrive here.

These struggles taught me how to listen more deeply to my intuition, to honor my energy, and to build something that feels alive, sustainable, and true.

As you know, we’re big fans of Free To Be Yoga & Massage. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
My business is rooted in the belief that healing, growth, and self-discovery are deeply personal, and that everyone deserves access to practices that help them feel more at home in their body and life. Through my Online Yoga Academy, yoga retreats, and therapeutic bodywork, I help people reconnect with themselves in a way that feels supportive, embodied, and real.

What I’m known for is creating spaces that are warm, welcoming, and unpretentious—where people don’t have to perform or push to belong. Whether it’s a student logging into a gentle online yoga flow, a retreat guest sharing tears around the fire, or a client on the massage table releasing years of stored tension, my work is about helping people soften into who they truly are and not what society wants from them. I specialize in intentional, nourishing classes like Vinyasa, Yin, Tender Yoga, meditation, and massage—all designed to help create relationship with the body, regulate the nervous system, and support emotional wellbeing.

What sets my brand apart is the soul behind it. This isn’t just a business—it’s an extension of who I am and what I believe: that we’re all worthy of rest, all worthy of great investment, reconnection, and radical self-acceptance. I’m not interested in hustle culture or flashy wellness trends. I’m here for the real stuff—the brave, messy, beautiful journey back to wholeness. I am fighting for and with my students every day.

One of the things I’m most proud of is how my work has evolved to meet people where they are—whether that’s on a yoga mat at home, in a retreat space surrounded by nature, or in the stillness of one-on-one bodywork. I’ve built a business that is heart-led, intentionally slow, and deeply personal.

I want your readers to know that healing doesn’t have to be confusing, rigid, intense, or done alone. My offerings are invitations to pause, to breathe, to come back to yourself. Whether you join the Online Yoga Academy for $25/month, come to a retreat, or receive bodywork, my hope is that you leave feeling more grounded, brave, and free to be yourself.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Yes. so much. First, trust your timing. It’s easy to look around and think you’re behind, but the truth is, your path is yours for a reason. Sustainable growth is often slow, and that’s okay.

Second, don’t build what you think you should, build what feels true. In the beginning, I was chasing what success was supposed to look like, and that led me to expand too fast and ignore the signals from my own body and intuition. I wish I had known that alignment is more valuable than scale.

Also, permit yourself to change. Reinvention isn’t failure, it’s wisdom. You don’t have to get it all right the first time. You’ll learn as you go, and every “mistake” will shape your clarity.

Find a mentor you trust. Working with business mentors, life coaches, and soul leaders has helped me make quantum leaps in both my personal and professional life. It was worth every penny. And don’t just invest in coaches and leaders for your business, invest in your own well-being, too. Your nervous system, your energy, your joy, these are the foundation of everything you build.

And finally, rest is not a reward. It’s part of the work. If you’re doing heart-led, healing-centered work, your energy is your most precious resource. Protect it fiercely.

Pricing:

• Online Yoga Academy for $25 a month
• Yoga Retreats & Getaways ranging from $325-$3,300
• Yoga Semesters and Events ranging from $20-$250

Contact Info:

• Website: https://freetobeyogamassage.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/freetobe_yoga_massage/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/freetobeyogamassage
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@freetobeyogamassage