We were lucky to catch up with Tara Martell recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Tara, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
As a young girl I wanted to be a schoolteacher, a writer and I wanted to help people I loved to learn, I would set my dolls up or make my friends or sister play school for hours with me as the teacher. I won school awards for poetry, and I volunteered as domestic violence shelters, I read to the kids waiting for their parents and I rocked babies who were born to crack addiction. I had my daughter early in life and as I began college, I also began motherhood. In college I took yoga as an elective I really thought it was weird, but I also remember loving it. When I was 26, I was in a bad car accident that rerouted my life. I was suffering from severe anxiety all sorts of physical complications and I saw a yoga sign in my little neighborhood. I started going to the meditation and restorative classes, healing myself. I felt years of trauma leaving me as I learned the postures and learned to breathe. Within 3 months I signed up to become a yoga teacher, I was so jazzed at my own ability to heal through this practice I had to know more. I had no intention to teach I was really shy actually. Then as I was mid- way into my training, a teacher didn’t show up to teach and I taught the class. I will never forget how I wanted to run out of the room when I said warrior 1 and everyone went into the pose, I was like who am I to do this. Through courage i kept going, kept growing, kept learning, and I have been teaching for 17 years, I am a published writer with articles on Yoga Journal and I wrote a teacher training program that has been used for almost a decade. I have a podcast that to share wisdom and remind people life is a gift. My purpose came full circle when I stepped into my quest for better health, peace of mind, use of my skills and a life I could love every day.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am really excited about this next year ahead professionally and personally. As a yoga teacher I am enjoying teaching more than I ever have in my career. I am midway through our studios first teacher training program and its been a great joy. My focus is using my creativity and passion for new adventures. To kick it off I am starting a full moon yoga series next month.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Through a dedicated daily yoga, breathwork and mediation practice I learned self-discipline and how to take personal responsibility for my life. In the yogic tradition svad-yaya is self-study, self-inquiry. Its learning from within how its effecting everything without and then taking the right action to have betterment in your life. If we can approach ourselves with grace, compassion we can start to really keep it simple. Be in inquiry not self-condemnation or judgement, smarter not harder, use your wisdom, experience and trust the flow of life. Take the steps to create a safe foundation so you just trust that you are going to make a good choice for your life.
Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
First of all I love to read and there are many many books that have inspired my life with great measure. And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street by Dr Suess is by far the most basic and valuable I have a copy on my coffee table at all times. We can easily forget how imaginative and wonderful life can really be. We can tend to think the truth of our life is not enough as it is we think it should be this big show and so much more than just our day. A horse and wagon can become anything we can imagine it to be.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tt_1love/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-martell-44168b4a
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@gypsyloveyoga
Image Credits
Photographer Jon Glasmann
