Meet Talia Arone

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Talia Arone . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Talia , first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

Truth be told I had to Google Imposter Syndrome to be honest- it’s not what I thought it meant. I always thought it meant mimicking other’s personalities, traits and opinions, which maybe it kind of is. I found a definition as, “Impostor syndrome is the idea that your success in life is only due to pure luck, accidental circumstances, or someone else’s mistake, and not due to your competence, talent, hard work or qualifications.”

For me, I can SEE when and where I have taken on this behavior in my life. Subconsciously. At a very early age, imposter syndrome was an easier way of being, especially if there’s chaos in your world. I think it coexists under the same roof as Coasting through life. Not rocking the boat. Shrinking. Self deprecating jokes. Inauthentic. Insecure. Best Supportive Actor energy. And it takes something to notice it and undo it. Every job and social circle in my life, I moved from some level of imposter syndrome. There were so many things I wanted to do; but internally, feeling undeserving of. In moments of triumph I’d feel the urge to play it small, question myself or feel guilty. I’m not psychologist but I can only assume somewhere along the line there was some “you are just not good enough” story that made a mark.

What was the self awareness moment where I recognized this behavior as limiting? I think teaching and practicing yoga- as cliche as that feels to write. But yes, my yoga practice. I think that’s when I saw the internal battle happening in real time and through my newfound spiritual awakenings, I knew deep down that this was an un-serving way of being. It wouldn’t work. I was on a new road of practicing letting go, forgiveness, acceptance and presence. I’d be a phony to live with that internal dialogue of self doubt. Whoa. Was I a phony? How do I undo this? Yoga and meditation? Check. Got sober? Check. Sought new teachings? Check. Joined programs, trainings and networks that practice self inquiry and personal growth? Check.

But those are all just concepts. Truly. They’re great, but it’s all just a bunch of concepts. There has to be that courageous pivot from concept to creation. Taking all that BIZ into action. Rubber meets the road kind of stuff. I could stand in front of a room and move people through an engaged yoga experience battling imposter syndrome and people would still have a lovely experience. However, for me- that felt like crap. Fake and a major disservice. I can’t live like that. How do I undo that comfortable way of showing up and moving through hard things?

So, these became the practices to begin to stand in my own power. Show up, always. I became the Queen of showing up. Even when I felt insecure and crawled in my skin, how up. Get out of the head, truly out of the head, get into the room, into the physical body. Be uncomfortable. Like, get wicked good at being uncomfortable. I practiced actual uncomfortable physical things (cue swimming in the Atlantic Ocean from November to May for years, daily) to quite literally leave me with JUST my breath and the POWER to control ONLY that so that other uncomfortable things seem silly in comparison. When I got real present to just the breath and what’s actually happening in that moment, everything else disappeared. The breath commanded my presence and that’s what I started to do in life, not just frigid waters. Did I say get out of the head? Of course I did. I’m saying it again. Oh! This is a good one, I remind myself daily that no one is better than me and I’m not better than anyone, ever. Give 100% no matter what. Even if I’m shaking. 100%. Do the damn thing. Sit at the damn table. Say no if you need to. Stop people pleasing. Stop looking in the rear view mirror. Be cool with making mistakes and moving on. But the teaching yoga – see that was the thing. Standing at the front of a room 6-7 days a week and having people love you and look to you, well, mostly, that can be a recipe for imposter syndrome soup. It’s a great practice of just BE-ing, I was a waitress for my entire adult life. I found Yoga in my late thirties and knew I could create something from that. I had that feeling. Purpose and passion combo pack. It’s a winning formula. I decided to run with it rather than hand it off to someone more deserving. Imposter syndrome will trigger my self doubt or the whole “not good enough” chatter. I had to break that cycle. Moving away from imposter syndrome looked like me quitting the restaurant life to teach yoga full time and taking a big risk knowing my worth. Or at least faking I knew my worth (let me tell you even faking you know your worth is a MOVE in the right direction.) I had a vision. I did it. I started teaching. Then it looked like me leaving the yoga studio a couple years later to open my own studio. The imposter syndrome showed up again, in the voice of “you can’t do that. You’re not good enough. You’ll make people mad. You’ll let people down.” Good thing I didn’t listen to that voice. The battle was real. I now own an incredible little yoga studio. I’ve organized a retreat to Panama March 2025. I’ve created a super cool community of people at the studio. Respectful, tenacious people that are LIVING. It’s amazing. Sure – imposter syndrome creeps in, especially if I feel judgment, scrutiny and fear, it always will, welcome to being human. But I NOTICE it. I find it helps in those moments to bring my attention to something inspiring and honest happening in REAL time – like my business. My family. My three kids. The people the show up to my business to practice yoga. The unlimited future I’ve created for myself. My hard work and deliberate actions. Then, all that poor self talk and low vibration mindset feels like; NOT MINE. Foreign, old and more and more out of sight and not mine to claim.

Thank God, because it’s actually really fun to live OUT HERE. On the playing field. Imposter syndrome can chill on the bench.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I own a Yoga Studio on Cape Cod, Hot Yoga East Dennis. I am a born and raised Cape Codder representing this powerful practice on the Mid Cape. It TAKES something to do this. That’s the whole foundation. It takes something. The room is hot and crowded. The physical practice commands your presence. It’s designed to both challenging and a total dreamboat of a time. Like life. That’s the energy at my studio. Challenging and a dreamboat of a time. Can you be with yourself using the elements, the mind and the physicalness as an access to new freedom and vitality? It’s simple and powerful. It’s steady and comfortable. It chips away at old debris like nothing else and opens up new possibilities in your life. I say this everyday: I teach 7 days a week, “we are so lucky we get to do this.”

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Don’t jump ahead, don’t look back. Continue to meet yourself in the present moment. As tempting as it is to relive old stories and worry about the future; continually practice being in the present moment.
2. Meditate. Really. Even when you don’t want to. Even if your brain is going bananas with commentary, sit in stillness everyday. Trust the process. Let it be restless. Let it just be. The answers live in meditation.
3. Say yes first then figure the rest out. It always works out and if it doesn’t; it wasn’t yours.

Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?

Definitely try to be more well rounded by investing time and effort on areas that feel like a struggle. Example, I am a strong power yoga teacher. It’s in my bones. The sequence, methodology, language, it flows through me.

Recently I decided to teach another style of yoga that is not fluid for me. It feels complex. I have to look at notes. NOTES. I cancelled it a few times before summoning the courage to just do the damn thing. I felt like a fish out of water. My words sound like I have marbles in my mouth.. My palms sweat. Are people going to critique me? Hate it? Do they think I suck? It’s my studio, this is embarrassing…

GOOD. I think it’s a gift to be humbled. To have to REMEMBER your strengths so you can move through the areas that are being feared. I stand at that room with levity and heart and I give 100%. If someone doesn’t like it, I’m okay with that too. Growth is amazing when you’re on a familiar path with a GPS – but it’s also pretty cool to get lost on purpose and have to remember your strengths to move through new territory and be okay with not being great.
My strengths are my humor. My ability to connect with people whole heartedly. My stamina. My voice. My intuition. If I remember those assets during an area of new discomfort, I’m good. I’m here for it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hotyogaeastdennis.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hotyoga_eastdennis?igsh=MXR4NWhvMHIzN2YzbA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552992235984&mibextid=kFxxJD