Trafficking in Good Vibes

Her "couch yoga" video has received more than 250,000 hits on YouTube. She tweets everything from lines of 13th-century poetry to one of her favorite catchphrase updates "It's time to make the yoga" (the latter usually tweeted while she's en route to an early-morning session as the yoga instructor for healthy-living icon Deepak Chopra). If there's anybody who can put the "yo" in "yoga," it's Tara Stiles. The former model turned yoga blogger, instructor, studio owner, DVD star, and contributor to Women's Health is one of the most hip--and magnetic--proponents of yoga to come along in decades.

Now Tara adds "author" to her list of yoga roles--and, with it, another means of making yoga accessible to everyone. As she writes in her new book, Slim Calm Sexy Yoga, "if you let it, yoga can change your life." Whether you start with five minutes a day of focused breathing, or dive into any of the 15-minute routines in Tara's book, there's a good chance that after you've spent some time on the mat you'll notice you feel different--probably better. You may even want to get hooked on that feeling.

Women's Health intern Alex Duron interviewed Tara, took a class at her studio, Strala Yoga, and came away with an understanding of a key yoga equation: Practice produces strength, strength produces confidence, and confidence produces sexiness. Read their exchange:

Ideally, what do you want students to take away from their yoga practice?
Someone first has to have a desire to be healthy, both physically and mentally. Maybe they come to yoga to de-stress or get a workout, but with regular practice, the full spectrum of benefits starts to seep in automatically. I want people to get hooked on feeling great. That happens with consistency, and the upside is there is no limit to how great you can feel from the inside out. Yoga, when practiced authentically, is the real-deal system for lifelong health, abundant energy, and heightened creativity. I want people to want that for themselves enough to practice and keep practicing.

Do you have a personal mantra? Something that keeps you going, even on days when you don't feel slim, calm, and sexy
Just breathe. I tell people at Strala that everything in class is optional, all they have to do is breathe. It's my way of taking the pressure off that we all have layered on ourselves. Expectation and anxiety dissolve when we focus our attention on the breath instead of following our thoughts around endlessly. The kicker is we actually become much more capable when we back off physically and mentally. “Just breathe” puts me right where I need to be, here and now.

What are your three favorite songs of the moment to listen to while doing yoga?
Eddie Vedder, "Just Breathe"; Velvet Underground, "Pale Blue Eyes"; and Eddie Vedder, "Hard Sun" (from Into the Wild).

What do you think is the biggest challenge yoga practitioners encounter? What's the best way to overcome it?
Wandering into a class that isn't a good fit and never trying yoga again. There are so many philosophies, techniques, and styles of yoga that it's difficult to find a good fit on the first try. I talk to people who haven't tried yoga in years after being put off or intimidated. Finding a teacher or studio is like shopping for a home. It may take a while, but when you are in the right place, you'll know it.

What inspires you these days?
I'm super-inspired lately by generations of awesome people staying healthy. I've had the pleasure of spending some time with Tao Porchon Lynch, who is 92 years young and super-energetic, and teaches yoga every day! I'm doing some work with Jane Fonda, who is in her seventies now and such an inspiration to never stop being active. On the younger generation front, Strala's recent group of teacher trainees have really inspired me with their boundless energy and enthusiasm. They are the future of yoga!

If you had to choose, what do you think is the most important thing readers can learn from your book?
Yoga is simple. It's available to everyone, and it's as moldable as a lump of clay. Fifteen minutes a day can make a huge impact on your life. The routines and tips in the book are simple and straightforward, whether you're looking to pump up your creativity, gain physical strength, improve mental clarity, or boost your intimate relationships. The routines help with all of life's challenges.

Is there anything you would add to your book? Any new "Take It from Tara" tips?
I think a good thing to remember is you should "Take It from Yourself." Everything you need to know is right there already in you. It's useful to learn and practice with others, but you'll learn the most from paying attention to yourself. We all need that reminder.