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

Daytona Beach Yoga

January 21st, 2015

Yoga instructor Tara leads private oceanside yoga sessions, where yogis set up their yoga mats or beach towels right on the sand. Yoga on your favorite part of the beach. Groupon savings now. Choose from Four Options $35 for one private one-hour beach yoga lesson ($75 value) $99 for three private one-hour beach yoga lessons ($225 value) $179 for five private one-hour beach yoga lessons ($375 value) $49 for one private one-hour couples beach yoga lesson ($125 value) TaraFit You don’t have to lose your sense of humor to feel centered. At least not according to Tara Okhovatian. She’s a yoga…[continue]

Y Yoga – Ormond, FL

January 16th, 2014

The Ormond Beach YMCA asked me to teach an intermediate yoga class so, starting January 2014, we meet Thursdays at 4 pm. In this Intermediate Yoga class there will be emphasis on alignment, more advanced poses and deeper stretch asanas. That means can expect me for me to walk around and be more attentive to your alignment when you are holding yoga poses and even some hands on guidance to help you find the challenge. The more advanced yoga poses means variations that will test your strength and balance. The deeper asanas will help you reach new limits on flexibility…[continue]

Beach Yoga Daytona

December 10th, 2013

Announcing a brand new Beach Yoga class in Daytona Beach is being added to the TaraFit™ calendar this week! Come join me Wednesday for 6 a.m. yoga on the beach. Beginners to yoga and Experienced yogis are welcome to attend. We will meet at 6 a.m. at Sunsplash Park and then walk down to the shore to practice yoga right on the beach!!! Bring your own yoga mat, beach towel and or straw mat and water. Wear comfortable yoga attire and dress in layers incase it gets chilly. This is December in Florida so we might as well make the…[continue]

Free Yoga Love

November 20th, 2013

Let go of your preconceived, limiting ideas and come experience the love of yoga with  TaraFit™.  TaraFit™ offers private studio, yoga to you and corporate yoga lessons in Daytona Beach Shores, Ponce Inlet, Ormond, Port Orange and surrounding areas to make it even easier for you to find your breath and mind your body. Affordable package deals are available to fit any budget. Do you ever feel : Stressed out over money? Insecure about your body image? Worried about things that haven’t happened? With yoga you can learn ways to train our thoughts to tap into abundance. Yoga skills also strengthen…[continue]

Finding Appiness with Yoga & Belly Dance

August 15th, 2013

We are in the latter part of the summer here in Daytona Beach Florida and private yoga lessons are still available. Beach yoga lessons are a perfect way to start or end the day. I’m also available for private and semi private corporate yoga lessons. Contact me to schedule your yoga lesson for yoga on the beach, yoga in your office or yoga in the studio. There are also group yoga classes available in Ormond Beach and belly dance in Daytona Beach and Ormond Beach, Florida. The summer is wrapping up and I’m excited to have launched a TaraFit™ mobile…[continue]

Strike a Yoga Pose, Beauties in Belly Dance Costumes

June 27th, 2013

ATTENTION: Belly Dancers, Yoga Instructors, Fitness Models, and all around lovely ladies in Ormond Beach, Port Orange, Daytona Beach Shores, Daytona Beach, South Daytona, Holly Hill. How would you like to have some professional quality photos of you in your favorite belly dance costume? Maybe you have a difficult yoga pose you’d like to capture and share digitally.Think how your name will grow once you publicize your hidden talent.   FloridaModelingNetwork.com is the social networking site you want to join to increase the visibility of your belly dance costumes and yoga skills. This site is not limited to belly dancers and…[continue]

From Belly Dance Costumes to Star Trek Costumes

June 12th, 2013

Startup Weekend

Miss TaraFit™ was the only aspiring Belly Dancer / Yoga Instructor from Daytona Beach at Startup Weekend in Tampa this past weekend. There were other yogi’s attending the event but I’m not sure any of them were pursuing a professional career as a yoga master. I’m also not quite sure if there were any belly dancing ladies there either. There was one gentleman also from the Daytona Beach area who shared a background in Psychology with me. Most everyone else I met though had some sort of computer technical or business background. With so much diversity it was incredible how…[continue]

Tribe called TaraFit™

May 1st, 2013

TaraFit

“What does tribe mean to you?” Alice Bracegirdle founder of Bellyfit® asks this question in the Tribal Bellyfit® Crew instructor video.  Bracegirdle also asks, “Do you belong to a tribe?”  Initially it struck me as strange, but given today’s multi-ethnic world of racial conflict it seems to be quite an appropriate question to consider.  Bellyfit® uses  movements inspired by “American” Tribal belly dance as well as Middle Eastern, Indian, African and Asian cultures for the cardio-dance portion of the workout. Bellyfit® is the world’s leading holistic fitness system for women. I am a member of the Bellyfit® CREW “tribe” and  offer…[continue]

Yoga = Yummers !!!

April 8th, 2013

Have you ever thought that there were too many yoga studios in our community? I am not sure how anyone can say that! It’s great that yoga studios are everywhere in Daytona Beach, Ormond and Port Orange! Like the new Platinum Yoga Studio in Ormond Beach that my friends Katie Beck & Travis Lightfoot are getting started. Last week they had their grand opening and I’ve heard it’s been a great start! People everywhere need to be doing yoga!!! I understand that as a professional yoga instructor, I am biased but I will expand on my point. Finally yoga is…[continue]

Breathe Here Now

April 2nd, 2013

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to take part in a radical form of healing offered at IHH Yoga Loft in Daytona Beach, Florida. This jem of healing modality offered at my yoga Daytona Beach “home” is called Transformational Breathing®. Yogis know that Pranayama is one of the five principles of Yoga and one of the 8 limbs of Ashtanga yoga. In Sanskrit Pranayama is broken down like this: “Prana” is “life force/energy”, “Yama” is “discipline”, and Ayama “extension” Pranayama is the yogic control of breath. This is beneficial to health, steadies the body and is highly conducive to…[continue]

I’ve Got the Remedy!

March 28th, 2013

People often ask me how my Daytona Beach yoga classes compare to other yoga Daytona Beach classes. Some common questions that I hear from my followers are: “Do you teach Hot Yoga?” OR “I have taken Bikram in Port Orange, is TaraFit’s yoga class like that?” It is a little tricky to explain to a complete yoga novice but with this blog post, I would like to shed some light to this ideas of what TaraFit’s yoga class is like. First off, I get stagnant when it comes to labeling my All-Levels Yoga class with anything more frilly than the…[continue]

Living In A Material World

March 6th, 2013

International Health & Healing Loft

Would you like to practice yoga in Daytona Beach on a regular basis but believe that you cannot afford it? On the contrary I ask how can you not, afford yoga? Yoga is easy to leave a space to budget for and with IHH Yoga Loft finding a space for Daytona Beach yoga just got easier. International Health and Healing Yoga loft in Daytona Beach is a donation based studio.What does donation based yoga studio mean? In short, it is a pay-what-you-want place for yoga. The suggested donation is a sliding scale of $6-$12 per class. Yoga Loft does not…[continue]

Embracing Change

January 7th, 2013

Well there is good news and there is bad news for the new year for Ormond Beach Yoga and Yoga in Daytona Beach. The good news is that you can come and practice yoga with me at Daytona Yoga, 10 am on Wednesdays starting this week! The bad news is that will only be for the rest of the month. In February Daytona Yoga and Wellness Center located at 820 South Atlantic Avenue will be closing their doors permanently. New developers who bought the beachfront property across the street are also investing in the Daytona Yoga building. From what I…[continue]

Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all that you’ve got.

January 3rd, 2013

Happy 2013 to all you peaceful warriors!! I hope that you are envisioning new ways to evolve yourself personally and making our world a better place. My resolution for this year is to be true to myself. What does that even mean? Simply put – being who I am! My goal is to pull back all the layers of expectations to help me honestly get in touch with what really makes me tick. I know I will be able to enrich others by being my genuine self. I am also hopeful to empower others in doing the same in their…[continue]

RAW Protein – No whey!!! – Yes way!!!!

October 12th, 2012

One of my absolute favorite must have products by garden of life is the RAW Protein. Every morning I start my day out with one for breakfast. Not everyone is as big of a fan on the unflavored version as I am. The unflavored tastes fine to me with just ice and water. Sometimes I’ll add a banana and almond milk to the mix. For those who are more concerned about the taste of their protein powder, Garden of Life now offers RAW protein in chocolate and vanilla. These are absolutely delicious and taste more like a milk shake when…[continue]

BellyFit® Classes at Bethune Cookman University

September 25th, 2012

When Brionna Benjamin of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority first contacted me in August to bring the TaraFit™ Daytona Beach yoga and belly dance classes to Bethune Cookman University, I was completely thrilled. Brionna wanted to bring something fun and different to the student activities for fitness. She said Zumba in Daytona Beach was very popular but wanted something different. That was my opinion too when local fitness directors encouraged me to get Zumba certified. In April 2012, I decided to follow my heart and mind in a direction closer to my belly dance and yoga roots. I made a…[continue]

Yoga Power Teacher Training Enrichment Study

September 6th, 2012

Have you been wanting to become a certified Daytona Beach yoga instructor? Now is the time to seek out your desire! My dream of becoming a yoga teacher came true last October when I graduated from Shanti Enrichment Power Yoga training. The Shanti Enrichment was lead by Julies Scmidt and supported by several knowledgeable local trainers. I found the extensive training program to be enlightening in aiding on my true purpose. Julies has organized her team to offer this empowering study once again. I recommend this program to aspiring yogis interested in deepening their knowledge of the practice. Power*Purpose*Peace The Yoga Power Training began…[continue]

RAW Meal – Shake it up!

August 27th, 2012

RAW Meal

As a Daytona Beach Yoga teacher – I like to keep a healthy diet plan. Nutrition is a vital asset to furthering your skills in yoga. I have studied and researched many different nutritional supplements. Almost all of them have some sort of fillers or additives that can be unhealthy in the long run. Fortunately – I came across Garden of Life based out of West Palm Beach, Florida. They have a number of organic all natural vegan products that I love. Not only have I noticed results since I’ve started taking Garden of Life products, other people are noticing…[continue]

Yippie Yoga at YCD!!!

June 28th, 2012

Beginning this Saturday I will be taking over 10 days of yoga classes in Ormond Beach at Yoga Circle and Dance while Laura Ashland, owner, is out of town! I wrote a blog post last week about how much I enjoyed substituting at her studio for her at the beginning of the month and that I’d love to do it again. Now that time is approaching! If, you haven’t already synced it up to your Google calendar to mine: Please view my schedule here. I plan to take over all the classes I can that don’t conflict with my current…[continue]

Beach Yoga

June 17th, 2012

Beach Yoga

Beach yoga has become increasingly fashionable in coastal towns across the United States. The same is true in our world’s most famous beach where a demand for Daytona Beach yoga is on the rise. Sunrise and sunset yoga classes are now being offered in the month of June through Heavenly Fitness in Daytona Beach Shores. I am teaching the sunset yoga classes on Monday nights. We meet at Heavenly Fitness at 7 pm and walk over to Dahlia Park together as a group. The lesson will start at 7:15 pm and last until 8:15 pm. In that hour I’ll help…[continue]

Yoga Circle and Dance

June 17th, 2012

ycd

If you haven’t viewed my website lately, no worries. I have been so busy traveling and working on new ventures that I haven’t had a chance to write any updates. You might notice that this is my first blog entry since April. I have managed to update my schedule every month. If you use google calendar you can sync my schedule with yours to follow of all my classes. A fabulous friend of mine uses her Iphone’s calendar to keep tabs on where and when I’m teaching. Last week I had the opportunity to take residency at one of the…[continue]

Oh Canada!

April 10th, 2012

I’m so very excited and proud to announce that I am enrolled to get Bellyfit Certified!!! Bellyfit is a program intended for women to boost their confidence and achieve the figure of their dreams. This program was rated on the top list of fitness trends in 2011 by Dietsinreview.com. Bellyfit combines several fitness elements together, from a meditation warm-up and cardio to intense steps of belly dancing and bhangra (African dance). It’s about Movement, Music, Community and Culture. Movement Bellyfit is the holistic fitness experience for women that blends the power and wisdom of ancient cultures, with the research, technology…[continue]

Perfect weight – Vitamin Code

April 3rd, 2012

gardenoflife

Wonderful news- I am now a Garden of Life distributor!! This means I get Garden of Life products at wholesale cost. I placed my first order almost two weeks ago and have been trying out some different goods. My favorite purchase from the order has been Vitamin Code – Perfect weight. This is a multi vitamin that is especially designed for weight loss and weight management. Here is what Garden of Life has to say about the product: In developing Vitamin Code Perfect Weight Formula, Garden of Life® paid particular attention to the needs of individuals working to attain and maintain…[continue]

Knee Deep in Yoga Substitution

March 15th, 2012

One of my favorite yoga instructors, Kim Latford, has been out of town on business and I have been covering her 11 am Friday class at Anytime Fitness. Last week after this gentle yoga class two of her regular students came to me with yoga questions. I guided them into the poses differently then they’d been practicing so I decided to do some research to further expand my Knowledge on the issue. Both of the ladies were experienced yogi’s so it was a real treat to have them in my class. I especially appreciated the conductive criticism and direct questions…[continue]

Club Bellydance Review

March 9th, 2012

Hire a Daytona Belly Dancer

Tuesday night I had the opportunity to watch The Belly Dance Superstars live in action at the Eastmonte Civic Center in Orlando. What a delightful treat it was!! After the show I was absolutely mesmerized. I was actually so speechless that it has taken me 2 days to write my review of the performance. The first half of the show included performances by Orlando Belly Dance. The opening act had no other then Yana Maxwell, my belly dance instructor, front stage and center setting the mood. She is always so incredible to watch that none of her students would ever…[continue]

Yoga on the Go

March 3rd, 2012

My yoga student, whom I have been teaching for the last few months is traveling abroad. Since he will be away and we will be unable to practice together, he asked me to design a flow for him to practice while he is away. This is the same client who has issues with his shoulder and elbow, so we typically avoid pressure on the arms. This means no plank or downward dog anything that would hurt his wrists. He also gets shin splints so we focus more on the stretching the legs. Typically we hold the poses for about 20…[continue]

Ban the Shoulder Stand

February 23rd, 2012

lotus yoga sunrise

National Public Radio host John Dankosky interviews William Broad about his book The Science of Yoga: The Risks and the Rewards. In the1960s a yoga boom took place in the United States and an array of different styles of yoga have since transformed into popularity today. These two gentlemen discuss several rumors and debunk the myths of this culture with yoga practicing callers. Conversely they explain the effects of yoga on the body and mind. The Risks Yoga can be dangerous for people with pre-existing injuries. It is important for people to be honest with their instructor if they have…[continue]

Super Bowl

February 7th, 2012

Is it any wonder that The Giants won the Super Bowl?!? They have been practicing yoga all season!! As soon as the team walked on the field you could notice their sense of calm connectedness.  Even though the Patriots were ahead at half time it was obvious who had the upper hand! If you are a football player who would like to learn some yoga moves check out this article for hip opening poses. http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ycn-10800149 I absolutely loved the halftime show staring Madonna!!! Most of the songs that she presented where from the good ol’ days of The Immaculate Collection…[continue]

Back Pain

January 24th, 2012

Daytona Beach Yoga Sunset

So, one of my students in my Daytona belly dance classes informed me that she suffers from Cervical Radiculopathy. Cervical Radiculopathy (a pinched nerve) is irritation or compression of one or more nerve roots. It can sometimes be very painful. It limits the range of motion and the ability to perform certain poses and belly dancing sequences. As a yogi  in Daytona Beach – I feel that yoga is a great tool (for lack of a better word)  to help with the pain and injuries of the back. It can help to relieve back pain, neck pain and improves back…[continue]

New Student: Flexibility

January 18th, 2012

Ormond Yoga Fitness Exercises

I was recently contacted by a potential student for some one-on-one private yoga lessons in Ormond Beach. He explained that he had some minor injuries and thought yoga could help. He has practiced before but, like most people – had very little experience. I told him I was up for the challenge and that my classes would help. Throughout my studies as a yoga instructor in Ormond Beach, I have found it to be useful to explore my students capabilities and limitations. I like to be able to cater to my students needs through well thought out lessons. I’m not…[continue]

Hey Yoga Girl…

December 11th, 2011

Daytona Yogi Pose

In the last few months I have made several changes in my life. Graduating from  Daytona Beach yoga teacher training has motivated me to put my heart and soul into pursuing a career in the fitness industry. Working on mind body exercises for strength, balance, and flexibility has become my number one priority. Conditioning myself for endurance and concentrating on the ability to carrying out a vision to sustain myself for the future. I’ve been observing my thought patterns and thinking positively to help empower me. Not only as just a dancer or an athlete but most importantly an artist….[continue]

Label Me a Hipstar

November 29th, 2011

Hire a Daytona Belly Dancer

With the holidays upon us it is easy to fall into the temptation of consumerism. The message to empty our savings account for fresh merchandise isn’t very subliminal anymore .. it’s plain obvious! We are being bombarded with an idea of purchasing products to satisfy our human needs. Are they really needs or simply wants? I don’t recall any technological gadgets being listed on Maslow’s Hierarchy. Still some shopaholics might insist that a spending spree will in-fact boost our economy. This is the idea I will entertain. Black Friday is when holiday shoppers go to their favorite mega store and…[continue]