Tara Jade
Tara’s journey into yoga began after more than a decade as a dancer, where she used movement to express herself while also grappling with insecurities. Her introduction to yoga came through Bikram, a highly structured and intense practice that aligned with her need for discipline. Despite the physical and mental challenges, she was drawn to the rigor of Bikram yoga and committed to deepening her practice.
My Story
My background in yoga began as a dancer. For over 10 years, I practiced movement and rhythm to express myself and grow as a performer but also to shrink myself, and feed my worst insecurities. After years of strict training, it’s no surprise my first yoga practice was traditional Bikram yoga. The rules (as if yoga has rules) were set in stone, unwavering, unrelenting, almost masochistic. There was no “express” 60 minute version of this class or a lower temperature. Heck, my first studio would hardly let you leave the room if you were overwhelmed. It was rigid and unforgiving and anything less would have been too “woo woo” for me to commit and keep coming back.
​
I was hooked and wanted to dig deeper into my practice. By this point, I had found a studio closer to my home with both flow (Vinyasa) and hot (26&2) styles of yoga. In 2019, after years dedicated to hot yoga, I committed to learning how to teach Vinyasa. Yoga Teacher Training was transformative. Through this training, I discovered my core belief in the power of Community. I learned so much about poses and teaching but the true value was learning how to tap inward, journal, meditate, and “do the work” through yoga (not just the poses). This is where I met Heather (See Life as a Muse).
Throughout this time, I worked as an Engineer in research and development. I chose to become an engineer out of fear of poverty, not love of science. I feared becoming a burden to my community. I am learning to run toward my aspirations rather than away from my deepest fears. I love to learn and that’s what kept me going for so long in research, but I believe my gift for solving problems, seeking new perspectives, and teaching others can be applied toward my community not just as a physical yoga practice but a mental and spiritual journey. I bring my background in science to my perspectives in teaching yoga, meditation, and all things “woo woo”.
​
I have been diagnosed with cPTSD (complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It manifests in many different ways including severe anxiety and depression, however, I do believe in the power of healing. The “disorder” of PTSD is the symptom of trauma, the maladaptive behaviors that kept us safe before are now harmful to ourselves and our relationships. The saying “hurt people hurt people” is only half of the story. The corollary is, “healed people heal people” and that is my intention, my divine career, to heal my community.