Bio | TaraFit™ – Fitness Through Yoga & the Art of Belly Dance

Tara Okhovatian

In 2011 Tara Okhovatian graduated from Yoga Power Teacher Training from The Shanti Enrichment Yoga Series. With her 200 hour Registered Yoga Teacher Certification, Tara has been trained in a multitude of different yoga styles. Her structured practicum focused on an infusion of yoga and belly dance with a concentration on exercises for the hips, abdominal and lower back.

Since graduation, Tara has been teaching yoga and belly dance at local gyms and studios in the Ormond and Daytona Beach area. Her classes offer a range of modified yoga, belly dance, and Pilates that tailor the needs of her students. Tara’s unique fusion of these three fitness styles will surely strengthen your mind and body and soul, while uplifting your spirit.

Tara first started practicing yoga at the Leach Center while attending Florida State University. After graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, she moved to West Palm Beach and continued her adventure in yoga incorporating Bikram’s style into her personal practice.

“I really loved the way my skin would glow. My friends and family all noticed the positive results my body was receiving from practicing yoga!”

Moving back to her hometown of Daytona Beach in 2008, Tara started exploring more avenues of yoga. She has taken classes at a myriad of community centers and studios. Tara began learning classical cabaret style belly dance and began performing with troupe Daytona Beach Belly Dance.

“I find belly dance to be a gracefully empowering form of feminine art expression.”

For the next couple of years – Tara immersed herself in dance lessons. She accompanied her instructor, Yana Maxwell at the Miami Bellydance Convention where she was exposed to diverse styles including Shai’abi, Tribal, and Bollywood. At MBC Tara had the opportunity to learn from renowned teachers including Mohamed El Hosseny, Ela Rogers, Aubre Hill, and Sherri Wheatley. Tara has taken lessons from Zoe Jakes of Beats Antique Tara even practiced ballet with Crystal Draper At Kenetic Expressions Dance Academy to prepare herself for a career in the arts.
Inspired by her mentor Debbie Kruck during the summer of 2010, Tara began to teach classes of her own. This resulted in the birth of: TaraFit™ – Fitness Through Yoga & the Art of Belly Dance.
In 2012 Tara decided to take her training to another level by getting trained and certified to teach Bellyfit. She is excited and honored to pioneer her hometown with the sharing the teachings of this system of holistic fitness to her students.