Why do you practice yoga?
Initially, it was all about dancing the edge and seeing progress in every practice. While there is still an edge to push and a physical sense of accomplishment there, my practice these days centers more around playfulness, expression through movement, and coming back to myself, my home base.
Three words to describe your life pre-yoga and three words to describe your life post-yoga.
Pre-yoga: sleepless, type-A, stubborn
Post-yoga: grateful, focused, impassioned
Why do you teach yoga?
That’s a loaded question and I suppose the answer has many layers. In brief, I want to motivate others to awaken, to come alive. A big portion of our lives is spent behind a desk, a computer, or a cell phone screen. If I can inspire even just one person to get up and do what feels good, what feels right, and what makes his or her heart beat faster and stronger, then I have done my job.
Tell us a little bit about your yoga teaching style.
I teach the way I want to be taught. My favorite classes to take are ones filled with laughter, lightness, and high spirits- so I try to create that environment in my own classes. I encourage giggles, tickling your neighbor in down dog, and trying new transitions and postures. Life is an adventure and our time on the mat should reflect that. I also have a strong focus on anatomy and the workings of the body. It’s hard to shake the thought patterns of a medical background, so I choose to use it as a strength.
Your motto is “Shine On.” Can you tell us a little bit about that and what it means to you?
Shine On is a simple motto and mantra to remind us all that we are so much more than we give ourselves credit for. We as individuals, but also as a group, have so much power and goodness to offer. While there’s more to it than what I can say in a few sentences, Shine On has focuses of empowerment, civil awareness and responsibility. It’s a constant reminder that we all have a light, but when we stand together, we shine even brighter.
You have a unique job working with one of the most prominent yoga teachers, Kathryn Budig. What is your role with Kathryn? And what does that look like?
It looks a lot like two monkeys on a playground. Kathryn is one of my best friends and I am so grateful for our relationship. We have such a great time together and we keep each other motivated and grounded. Aside from our friendship, my role on the business side is to handle her bookings and scheduling, organize events, negotiate contracts, and keep things running smoothly. It works well because those are all of the things I like to do anyway. I took on the job because we were spending so much time together and I have a knack for organization. It’s a good fit.
I would think one of the many advantages of working with Kathryn is that you get to see first-hand how a successful yoga teacher operates all the different aspects of the career/lifestyle. How has working with Kathryn improved your personal practice and teaching?
In my personal practice, just having a buddy to push me and show up to play, even when I’m feeling lazy, has made a huge difference. As far as teaching goes, I have enjoyed having the inspiration and sharing that aspect with my best friend. It’s always neat to have Kathryn in one of my classes, and she brings out the best in me as a teacher.
What is the number one take home lesson you have learned from Kathryn about being an inspirational yoga teacher?
Be yourself. It’s an interesting and popular yoga world out there and I see a lot of teachers struggling to find their own voices. Practice your skills and your trade as often as you can. Students won’t remember the punchy joke you told or if you remembered all of your sequence on both sides, but they will remember how the entire class made them feel and what message you delivered. Content is key.
Besides yoga, what else goes on in your life? Are you currently in school? What are you planning to do post-school? Rock climbing?
I teach regionally in the Southeast US, and locally at my home studio in Charleston, SC. This is my last semester at the University of Central Florida (I just moved, so I’m finishing up this semester online). I graduate in May. I’ve studied emergency medicine as a paramedic, and biology, psychology, religious studies, and anthropology in undergrad. Yeah! I just kept adding majors and minors until the academic advisor’s head finally spun around. I would be a student for life if I could. I am going to take some time to travel, teach, write, and self-study before heading back to graduate school or medical school to further pursue psychology. Eventually, I’d like to provide primary care and also integrate mental health, yoga, nutrition, and physical therapy all under the same roof. I still rock climb and love it, but I’ve also recently taken up sky diving and I plan on putting more time and energy into that sport for awhile.
What can attendees expect from you and Kathryn at the Northwest Yoga Conference?
Your abs will probably hurt, but not just from navasana. There will be lots of laughter and playfulness, and Kathryn is going to do what she does best: teach and make the seemingly-hard stuff very accessible. I’m there to help, demo, provide my own insight, and spread the love. This is going to be a blast and I’m getting really excited!
What are you looking forward to most at the Northwest Yoga Conference?
Meeting everyone! I am a people person for sure and I love getting to know new friends and connecting with people who I already know through social media. There’s a really great lineup at this year’s NWYC, so I am also hoping to get a chance to jump into some classes.
Why wait for the conference to connect with Taylor? You can connect with him online now:
Instagram: @tjhark
Facebook.com/hark.tj
www.taylorharkness.com