{"id":4111,"date":"2014-09-26T09:54:25","date_gmt":"2014-09-26T09:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hauteliving.com\/haute-beauty\/?p=4111"},"modified":"2025-03-25T01:54:49","modified_gmt":"2025-03-25T05:54:49","slug":"yoga-rebel-tara-stiles-embraces-her-moniker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hauteliving.com\/hautebeauty\/4111\/yoga-rebel-tara-stiles-embraces-her-moniker\/","title":{"rendered":"Yoga Rebel Tara Stiles Embraces Her Moniker"},"content":{"rendered":"

Photo Credit: Courtesy of W San Francisco<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You've mastered downward dog and goddess but don't know a crane from a firefly. You're intimidated by those whose flexibility makes them seem like a freak of nature. Don't worry. When it comes to yoga, just feel good, says Tara Stiles<\/a>, nicknamed the yoga rebel.\u00a0Haute Living<\/em>\u00a0sat down with Stiles at the W San Francisco<\/a>, which recently celebrated the opening of its futuristic fitness center and concept designed in collaboration with Stiles with an oh-so-cool party in its haute new event space and impressive terrace.<\/p>\n

Stiles, an internationally renowned yoga guru and founder and owner of Strala, a high-energy movement system designed to \u201cignite freedom,\u201d partnered with W Hotels earlier this year to launch the non-traditional fitness concept that comprises curated in-room workouts, exotic packages at glamorous W Retreats, and an updated and renamed gym space. She put on yoga retreats at W Hotels in Bali and Vieques. You'll find her at the W Maldives in December.<\/p>\n

HL: What\u2019s the most common misconception about yoga?<\/p>\n

TS: I think the most common misconception is about flexibility. People say, \u201cOh, I can\u2019t.\u201d Or they see a pose and they immediately exclude themselves and say, \"I can\u2019t do that.\u201d But my mission and the W's mission with this project has always been to give the message that anybody can do it. It\u2019s about feeling good and allowing yourself to move, however feels good for you, and just knowing that you\u2019re going to feel better. And when you feel better, everything in your life is going to be better.\u00a0That\u2019s the great thing about yoga. Once you can do one thing, there\u2019s always something else to do. Then you realize the goal is simply to feel good and the poses and the movements are just something to do while you\u2019re getting your circulation going, your blood flowing, and your energy level up. All of the insides start to work better and you just feel good.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Tara Stiles, founder and owner of Starla Yoga<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo Credit: Courtesy of W San Francisco<\/span><\/p>\n

HL: Tell me how you're encouraging hotel guests to do yoga in their rooms with postcards and videos.<\/p>\n

TS: We\u00a0created a video program that has yoga routines mimicking the cards. (There are) yoga routines for jetlag, speaking to the traveler, an energy boost, and getting ready for the night out\u2014or it could be interpreted for getting rid of your anxiety before you go into a business meeting, and then a detox for the morning. All of the movements are really simple. They\u2019re really designed that anybody can do them. The detox routine is right from bed in the morning, so you don\u2019t even need to roll out a yoga mat or change your clothes.<\/p>\n

HL: Tell me about your clothing line with Reebok.<\/p>\n

TS: That\u2019s going really well and it\u2019s really fun. It\u2019s all very cozy and comfy and nontraditional [laughs] yoga apparel. A lot of the shirts say things like \u201cWho made the rules?\u201d and \u201cMake your own yoga.\u201d The Spring\/Summer \u201915 (that is) coming out is all pineapple prints and really fun sort of retreat feel.<\/p>\n

HL: That's why you're the yoga rebel! What is this yoga rebel thing?<\/p>\n

TS: It\u2019s very revolutionary to what a traditional idea of yoga is and more speaking to the fact that it is okay to do it everywhere. It is something that is designed to make you feel good and you can make it however you want to make it. It doesn\u2019t matter what the pose looks like and all that\u2014just as long as you\u2019re feeling good. That\u2019s the concept.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"tara<\/a>
Tara Stiles<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo Credit: Courtesy of W San Francisco<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

HL: What is the most unusual place you\u2019ve done yoga? Didn\u2019t the W put you in a clear box and drive you around Manhattan?<\/p>\n

T: You saw that? [laughs]\u00a0 (It was a box) designed like a W room. That probably was the most unusual place because I saw a lot of people I knew\u2014friends and family\u2014 and strangers. But it was really inclusive. People saw it and would strike a pose. Garbage men were like, \u201cOh, I can do that!\u201d [laughs] I felt like the yoga Pope for a day. It was great.<\/p>\n

\"FIT,<\/a>
FIT, at the W San Francisco, is the brand's new prototype gym.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Photo Credit: Courtesy of W San Francisco<\/span><\/p>\n

For those W San Francisco guests who prefer to work out in a gym, check out FIT. What was once a room\u00a0with a glass roof, swimming pool that was rarely used and Jacuzzi is now an\u00a0energy-charged fitness space boasting state-of-the-art equipment for cardio, strength training, Pilates and more.<\/p>\n

Leave it to the W, which epitomizes cool hotel bars, to create a futuristic gym that feels like a bar when you enter. The room is infused with natural light from a dramatic skylight ceiling and the epicenter is a central seating structure and self-serve bar area with rings of color-changing light fixtures. Vibrant wall murals celebrate male and female forms against unique backdrops, while pulsating tunes designed to propel guests into workout mode will have you looking around for the deejay.<\/p>\n

This forward-thinking gym is the new prototype for W Hotels so expect to see more of them as you travel.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Like Haute Living San Francisco? Join our <\/span>Facebook page<\/a> or follow us on Twitter <\/span>@HauteLivingMag<\/a>. Want Haute Living San Francisco delivered to your inbox once a week? <\/span>Sign up<\/a> for our newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tara Stiles, known as the Yoga Rebel, challenges traditional yoga norms with her accessible and free-spirited approach. Embracing individuality and wellness, she has built a global movement, inspiring people to practice yoga on their own terms. Explore her journey, philosophy, and impact on modern fitness.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":107,"featured_media":4113,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[943],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4111","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellness"],"yoast_head":"\nYoga Rebel Tara Stiles: Embracing Her Bold Fitness Journey<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Meet Tara Stiles, the Yoga Rebel redefining wellness with her unconventional approach. 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