Q&A with Tara Stiles

We caught up with yoga legend Tara Stiles to talk dance, yoga and having more fun! Read on for our Q&A with Tara Stiles.

How did you get into yoga?

I started meditating when I was a kid in the woods in Illinois where I grew up. Yoga was introduced to me for the first time in a class in the ballet program I was in when I was a teen. It’s something I’ve felt connected to since my earliest memories.

Where did the idea for Strala come from?

The more I got into yoga, the more I saw the divide and all the people that didn’t practice. I started making videos and sharing classes with friends and more and more people. I needed a name for the first studio and came up with Strala. It’s a Swedish word that means to radiate light. The meaning was synchronicity. I thought I had invented a word combining strength, balance, and awareness. The class is fun and people consistently say they feel free in the class to move how it feels good and to be themselves. The concept is about the breath body connection, reminder to feel, and natural movement during simple and challenging moments alike. I created a concept that was simple and natural, but not existing in the industry and offerings of yoga. It’s the opposite of rigid, tense, and restrictive.

What do you think makes an awesome workout or yoga class?

The experience of freedom within a structure and opportunity for a challenge.

You started out as a dancer, is this something that influences your yoga practice?

Natural movement allows people to get further with less effort. Dance understands this concept very well. The concept of easy going movement influences me and the Strala classes. Yoga in this period of time often gets stuck on dissection. I’m not interested in teaching people about their elbows or an evolution of Hindu philosophy, but more interested in guiding people to connect with how they feel and move naturally so they can build strength and a healthy range of motion.

What’s your favourite thing about working in the health and fitness industry?

The potential of healing the world.

What else do you do to stay healthy and in shape?

Take the stairs.

What made you decided to bring out a recipe book?

Food is the most important element of our health. How we relate to how we feel about food was missing from the conversation. The concept of following how you feel to become sensitised is the contribution to eating well and self-care that I can help with.

What’s your favourite healthy dish?

Oh wow so many. I love a good veggie soup with coconut milk.

Who’s your fitness role model/inspo?

The people at strala.

What are your goals for 2015?

Have more fun. Feel connected to myself and those around me. Help people have more fun!