Hello Good Friends,

“There are no rules in life,” Ms. Stiles said. “It’s a mind-set that limits people dramatically.”

It was January, 2011, and I had just opened Strala at 632 Broadway a few months earlier. Before our nice location, we were basically squatting at the old Crunch Gym abandoned building across the street. I was technically renting out the floor which had no access to bathrooms or proper heating or security. Before that location, I was giving classes at Mike’s old apartment in Gramercy in his living room.

A reporter from The Times emailed me, asking if she could write about me. Of course, was my answer thinking it was my turn for the tiny article that happened once a week at the back of the Sunday section. There was a column called Stretch that had interviewed everyone in town and I figured they had finally made it to me. Of course, come on over! Lizette Alvarez turned up and stayed for two weeks. She followed me around to Wool and the Gang where I picked up my knitting supplies for the winter. We ate lunch. She participated in many classes at Strala. She read my book, watched my DVDs, and looked over my shoulder as I responded to people’s questions on YouTube. I held out for two weeks before I let her come over to my apartment. It was like dating or getting audited, I couldn’t figure out which one I was in for.

After several days of tailing me, Lizette let me in on a secret. She wanted to help me. She thought what I was doing was good, useful, and needed in the world. She told me the column wasn’t for the back of the paper, it was for a cover story. I know understood she was a teacher, a mentor, and even more scary, a journalist. I knew she had a job to do, and this wasn’t a beauty Q&A for a magazine. What the heck was going to be in the article!

Rebel Yoga landed on my doorstep one snowy Sunday morning in January. Mike and I went out to grab some copies for friends and family before classes started up at the studio. In a few hours the on line version was the most shared and emailed article in the paper and it stayed there for weeks. Deepak emailed to congratulate me. I had a visit from an angel.

I’ve never been shy about standing up for what I believe in. This article stirred up a lot of dust, and I am happy it presented the possibility of yoga existing inside of us all, without a guru, without a foreign language, and without the necessity of visiting a country that we aren’t native to in order to be serious about the practice. I am happy it presented the possibility that everything we need is truly right inside of us all, waiting to discover it. If the answers really came from a guru, who told the guru and who told his guru and where does it end? I have my midwest straight edge hippy parents to thank for instilling me with common sense, and they won’t take credit for my rebellious attitude that drives me to never stop reminding you that you have what you need. When you practice yoga and you feel great, your teacher didn’t do that for you, your teacher is simply a guide. A good yoga guide shows you how to keep yourself safe while you take your own journey inward. A great yoga guide reminds you that you are doing it for yourself.

Thank you for choosing me as a guide. I can’t do what I do without you and I’m forever grateful. I promise to continue to guide you the best I can right to where all the answers are, inside of you.

You’re Turn! What Are You Rebelling Against?

What do you stand up for in your life?

How does standing up for what you believe in change your life? Would love to hear about it in the comments!

xo Tara

About Strala Yoga Training

Strala combines the movement and healing wisdom of tai chi with the form vocabularies of yoga, tai chi, qigong, and Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine, to help people release stress, move easily through challenge, and live radiantly inspiring lives.

It begins with a mindset, that says our best way to get where we’re going is to feel good along the way. It also works miracles for whole health, helping us to find ease in our bodies and minds, and create the right conditions both for healing and optimal performance.

In our Strala Yoga Training Courses, you learn to shape your destiny on every level that counts, from your psychology, chemistry and neurology, to your chromosomes and even gene expression. The unique set of skills you develop – for connecting with yourself and others, unblocking your energy, healing what needs healing and accomplishing challenge with ease – uncovers your ability to create the life you want, and be an inspiring leader to the people around you.

Who’s What’s and When’s of Strala Yoga Training