We Can Do Hard Things, with Softness
Hope you are feeling well and taking good care. I have lots of goodness to announce and share, including our 7 Days to Handstand Challenge, Berlin, London and Turks weekends coming up this fall, a new 200+Hour training in the spring of 2026, and our daily practice on the strala app, but I've been also feeling the desire to share and connect a bit more about life lately.
It's been a wild and chaotic adventure in the last years, but somehow, through the softness of our practice and 2x a week weights routines, I feel steady, strong, open, stable, and energetic enough to do all I need to do and have juice left over to feel gratitude and joy. The events all listed out are piles enough to pajama party dish for endless nights, but in my nervous system, I'm at the beach, observing the waves take a big inhale and gather strength and a long exhale and rush into shore. I'm amazed at our practice and so grateful for you to share experiences, chat about life, and learn from each other. We can do hard things, with softness.
Ok, the tea. It's like a country song.
I've shared what's happening with us with a few friends in different ways, and the simplest way to explain with everyone's dignity where it belongs is, my mom needs help and needs me there. I thought she and her mom (yes I'm so lucky to have my grandma still alive at 95) would be happy to kick it together like the golden girls, but it turns out even grandmas and great grandmas need some time and space to themselves.
We moved from NYC to rural Illinois during the pandemic to take care of my dad and to wait out whatever the 2020s were headed to be for us, so grateful for our online community to keep us sane and soft and strong every day, no matter what. It was wonderful and heartbreaking to be there with my dad during that time, but I was so grateful for all the moments with him, to help with his caregiving, and to support my mom. Toward the end of my dad's life he whispered to me that he was proud of me and it was fine by him if I went back east and back into my life. NY is my home since I left home as a kid. It's where Mike and I met and started strala. It's where I stomped around and met so many people I love. So we went "back" but this time outside the city a bit, where there was a nice school for Daisy, and a quiet place for us. Life continued nicely for strala online, travel for strala workshops and retreats and events, and Daisy of course made friends with lots of horses, art projects and kids. She has been such a worldly kid with friends in so many countries, thanks to so many of you, since she was born. I love our community so much. It's corny to say this is family to me, but you really are, and I'm so grateful for you.
The synchronicities and nudges start to pour in. Strala friends in Berlin observe Daisy's global interest and special spark she has and suggest Oxofrd, a British paper based world school we can do with her from anywhere. We meet Saffi who is 17 and just graduated and is invited to Oxford college after her gap year. Her mom Sara and her came for Strala training and Daisy hits it off with Saffi and they just chat away. Another Strala friend in this group, Alexandra tells me she does the same program with her kiddos in Switzerland. Daisy ends up testing in and she starts this month. Now we are free to be wherever we all choose.
A few weeks ago we walk into gymnastics in rural Illinois. Daisy has been begging to go and is self teaching herself all kinds of flips and splits. The owner feels familiar to Mike and me. He feels like Ken Van Sickle, Mike's tai chi friend and upstairs neighbor in NYC. We get to talking and he recognizes the tai chi softness in us. Wild. Turns out he trained with Ken as well in NYC, but in the 70s. Daisy loves the place and goes 2x a week when we are in town. There are a million more synchronicities that have been guiding me toward the right places at the right times, for the current chapters. We were at a restaurant on a drive back east this week to get some of Daisy's toys and some yoga clothes for me, (necessities) and I mentioned I hope grandma (my mom) lives a long time so we all can enjoy her. The lights flickered to a brown out for the whole place, just then, right on cue. That's my sign for my dad to check in. He worked in electricity so that's kind of a fun sign for him, right.
So, life is chapters and the pages keep turning. It's up to us the story we write, the people we take care of, and the goodness we create.
Some of the best feeling connection I've experienced has been taking care of my family. It's a challenge to be a caregiver but it's a pleasure and an honor as well that I wouldn't trade for a #1 New York Times Bestselling book, although I would be so psyched if Living Softly made it to that list. Lets circle back in Jan 2027 when it comes out and thank you in advance for reading and sharing. All the experiences are important. A book launch, a parent needing help, a child learning maths, a room full of happy Strala friends, the feeling and goal is making a good connection, and that always starts within.
I rant further about all of this on the pod and share a useful Softness Break that has been helping me loads.
And the Strala continues! I'm so grateful to get to see so many of you coming up this fall. Join us in Berlin, London and Turks!
Berlin Strala 20+Hour Intensive October 4 &5
London Strala 20+Hour Intensive October 11&12
Your dream yoga beach vacation is ready! We are thrilled to partner with Wymara resort (and grateful for our fantastic discount on rooms) We are reimagining a yoga retreat to give you a nice, juicy yoga workshop and practice in the morning and afternoon with a tai chi practice mid day (if you like) and leaving lots of space for pool, beach and meals on your own or with the group. If you'd like to stay at Wymara before or after our time together, just reply to this email and we can connect you with the hotel to extend our discount as well!
Dream yoga vacation at Wymara in Turks & Caicos October 31 - Nov 2
love,
Tara