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REEBOK YOGA PARTNER Q&A – TARA STILES

Q: How long have you been doing yoga and what is your background?

A: I was lucky and got introduced to the formal practice of yoga when I was a teenager. My life has taken me from country hippie girl to a ballet dancer to Model. When studying ballet, yoga was part of our weekly schedule for relaxation and reducing soreness - I really got into practicing yoga and wanted to learn more!

What really sparked my passion for Yoga was a combination of two things; Autobiography of a Yogi written by, Paramhansa Yogananda and when I visited the Self Realization Fellowship in California when I was 18. It was enough to grab my interest and leave me the freedom to explore many styles and practices of yoga.

Now, through my Yoga, I am collaborating with Reebok which has taken me on a new journey. The partnership has allowed me to express my creativity and give back to the Yoga community through the knowledge I have applied to the Reebok Yoga collection.

Q: What does yoga mean to you?

A: I firmly believe that regular yoga practice has transformative and healing powers as well as many positive physical benefits. It allows you to become not only radiant, healthy and toned but more compassionate towards yourself and others. The movements of yoga make you more open, flexible and focused so it really does have holistic benefits.

The biggest lesson I have learnt from practicing yoga is that you’re the only one holding yourself back or propelling yourself into your goals, passions and dreams. When we care for our inner world, our outer world reflects that care, and it provides us with a solid foundation, both mentally and physically, from which to grow.

Q: What are the key benefits of yoga?

A: Yoga is great for both physical and mental reasons - not only is it a great form of exercise in the morning, it’s good at any time throughout the day. The movements of yoga will carve out a long, lean, strong and confident body as well as resting your mind back to a natural state that is calm, focused and sharp - the result is an easy, calm, capable you!

Practicing yoga helps you re-build and reinvigorate yourself from the inside out. It teaches us to be at ease in our bodies and minds, helping to relieve tension, it gets your creative juices flowing when you have a mental block and it provides a total workout which stimulates muscles in every area of your body.

Q: What does a typical yoga session look like?

A: I don’t think there is such a thing as a ‘typical yoga session’, there are so many different styles that it’s up to you to find a style of Yoga that fits your needs.

Reebok’s rebellious take on yoga definitely bends the rules of traditional yoga practice. It focuses on the physical and social benefits of yoga practice, not the spiritual or philosophical. The yoga workouts are therefore really energetic, whereas I think that traditionally people associate yoga with relaxation. Reebok have created something that is accessible to others who want something different from yoga other than meditation and chanting. The only rules you need to think about are the ones you choose to make for yourself!

I think that taking yoga out of traditional environments and making it more fun and fresh really helps educate people that yoga doesn’t have to mean hours of dedicated practice every day. I love to introduce little unexpected twists to spice things up, like inviting some of my DJ friends down to my classes; I try to bring fun into everything I teach.

Q: What type of woman is Reebok looking to engage with through yoga?

A: Anybody can do Yoga and reap its rewards! You don’t need to be able to tie yourself into a pretzel or spend a year in silent devotion to gain all the amazing benefits of the practice. It can make you healthier, stronger, more open, flexible and focused. It can help with strengthening your skills for other sports and during life or it can be your only sport if you choose as it is fun and holistic. 

Q: Why is the FW13 collection great for yoga?

A: I’ve always been a girl who is much more at home in comfortable and fun clothing than in fancy yoga gear, so practicality, comfort and a style that makes me smile are the most important elements for me. There is a lot of yoga wear out there at the moment that is missing those key elements.

Together with Reebok, I have created a collection that is really unexpected and fun, whilst maintaining comfort and practicality for the yoga routine- you really don’t want to take it off!

The whole collection is not constricting like other brands, it really reflects what women want and need from a yoga session. We thought a lot about how these pieces are an extension of you. We wanted to create clothes than you feel and look good in at any time of the day or night; clothes that you don’t need an excuse to put on.

Q: What are your favourite pieces from the FW13 collection?

A: I do love my Reebok Striped Cashmere Sweater. The material is super soft and flattering. I also love the Stringed Relax Pants, they come in so many cool colors which can be matched with a nice comfy tee.

The whole collection definitely reflects my relaxed approach to yoga, especially with the unexpected bold colours which are versatile.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to when you exercise?

A: I like to play a real mix of music during my yoga sessions, everything from Cat Stevens to The XX. I’ve actually done a yoga playlist for Reebok on Spotify so people can listen to my favourite yoga tracks - it’s called Tara Stiles’ Rebel Yoga FitList.

Q: What does Reebok’s ‘Live With Fire’ philosophy mean to you?

A: It suggests to me that you should live your life with passion, purpose and intent. Living life in the moment and inspiring others to pursue their passions is definitely the philosophy behind Reebok’s “Live With Fire”. The feeling when you can’t wait to attack your day and to step outside our comfort zones should fuel our passion in our day to day lives. People that Live With Fire are social and will participate, celebrate and reflect their own achievements with others.

Q: Do you have any tips for keeping healthy?

A: Yoga is a powerful way to detox your entire body. Yoga postures help to heal the body by opening and twisting, sending the breath to the required area. Breathing is the key to cleansing your system and supplying fresh oxygen and nutrients to the area of the body that you are opening, so be sure to really "tune-in" to your breathing when you are doing these yoga postures.

Nutrition is also a really important part of my life, and should in my opinion be to everyone’s lifestyle. It enhances all elements of general fitness and wellbeing. I’ve learnt over the years what my body reacts best to and I now mainly eat plant based food because that’s what agrees with me. When I began practicing yoga I naturally began to exchange potato chips for carrots and hummus - it’s a side effect of all those down dogs. Watch out! You may just get more radiant than you are ready for!

Q: Why do you think that it is important to have a varied fitness regime?

A: Having a varied fitness regime can help you tone and generally feel happier and healthier. To reach your fitness and health goals, the key is to keep your body guessing, and never allow your workouts to become easy. Accomplish this by changing up your exercise regimen and vary what form of exercise you do – push your body out of its comfort zone, forcing it to become fitter to keep up with new challenges.

Q: How does yoga benefit you when you do other types of exercise?

A: Yoga is hugely beneficial when combined with other sports – it supplements your training and combats issues that may arise from other forms of sport. It can also help strengthen your skills for other sports.

Reebok has a varied approach to women’s fitness and this is shown in Reebok Yoga, which bends the rules by taking yoga out of traditional environments and conventions making it fun, fresh athletic and accessible to everyone.

Q: What are your top beauty tips?

A: Drink plenty of water and get lots of rest. Drinking water keeps your skin cleansed and hydrated, encouraging clear, fresh skin. By drinking water you flush out toxins and eliminate the dirt that clogs the pours of your skin, giving you a healthy glow. Also, always get lots of sleep!

Q: What are the must-have items in your workout wardrobe?

A: Style has always been important to me. When I was a kid my mom was a huge inspiration to me.  She made a lot of her own dresses and outfits and they're amazing. I used to play around with mixing pieces from my older brother's closet and my Mom's 70’s collection.  

I believe that style is an expression of who you are and expressing myself in many ways has always been a huge part of my life. I really love that I have been able to bring some of that style and expression to the Reebok Yoga collection, especially in the colors I have chosen for the super comfy Reebok Yoga Relax Pant and MYOY Striped Long Bra Top. What’s great is you can mix and match the colors - they all seem to work well together! I wear them out everywhere – even out of the studio.

Q: What are your essential workout accessories?

A: Definitely my water bottle and a snack to eat straight after a yoga session! I love to make my own trail nut mix with unsalted, raw nuts and my favourite dried fruit – it’s so good!

Q: Do you have any pre-training tips that you do when you have to prepare for a big competition or training session?

A: Physical preparation for yoga is as important as mental preparation. The right physical preparation for yoga will help you decrease the risk of injury, and help you get the most benefits out of yoga practice. When possible try to take at least an eight to ten minute walk before any yoga class. If you practice yoga at a gym, try to use the treadmill before a class. If that is not possible try take a walk to the gym or near the yoga studio - there are no excuses!

Q: What are your biggest achievements in life or through fitness?

A: I've met, worked with and become friends with a lot of my heroes and that feels pretty amazing - they have impacted and influenced my teaching hugely.

Deepak Chopra is the holistic health and New Age guru as well as the most famous of America's alternative medicine practitioners. Having the opportunity to work with him was an honor. Deepak has taught me that when you make a choice, you change the future - I learnt the true art of relaxation and meditation which has helped me understand the importance of practicing yoga to remove stress.

Working with Jane Fonda taught me that whatever age you are, you can still stay radiant. She is a true example of beauty and a real role model to mature women that yoga is accessible to people who might be scared of it or think it might be too esoteric.

But my biggest accomplishment so far is making my family proud of my work and my desire to help and inspire people.

Q: What foods can you not live without?

A: Greens, veggies, quinoa, tea, almond milk… oh and hummus!

Q: What does your typical diet consist of on a daily basis?

A: I love plant based mac & cheese - it’s healthy and delicious at the same time. One thing I love about this dish, besides that it is fun and easy to make, all the ingredients are so clean and fresh - you can mix out the pasta with all kinds of fun substitutes to keep this recipe fresh in your house. A tip is to try and keep all your ingredients clean and fresh.

Q: Do you have any guilty pleasure foods?

A: I do love a good coffee and I definitely have a sweet tooth!

Q: Who are your favourite workout partners?

A: I love to begin the day with a group yoga session early in the morning at Strala. It’s really sociable and a great way to spend time with friends. I also love inviting my DJ friends to my studio to spice things up; I try to bring fun into everything I teach. By taking yoga out of traditional environments and making it more fun and fresh really helps educate people that yoga doesn’t have to mean hours of dedicated practice every day.

Q: What fuels your passion for fitness and yoga?

A: Changing the rules like I have done with yoga! I like to ignite the “Fire” within me to push myself further and not to allow myself to feel completely satisfied.

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