Tanya Smith wants everyone to experience the joy of combining yoga and nature.
Tanya is the founder of ‘Barefoot Yoga at the Farm’, which is held on Sundays throughout the warmer months at Killalea’s Regional Park in Shellharbour. Her classes start at 9am and run for about an hour.
Barefoot Yoga began for Tanya’s family and friends. Eight people attended her first class; six years on, there are hundreds of participants, with people coming from all over the Illawarra, the Southern Highlands and even Sydney.
Tanya believes practising yoga outdoors has many benefits, including a sense of grounding that helps to reduce stress and anxiety. Her classes are a sensory experience, with the sights, sounds and smells of nature enriching the yoga practice and helping practitioners to feel present and connected to their environment.
“In a world often dominated by concrete and screens, finding a place that reconnects us with nature can be a healing experience,” Tanya says.
The Farm at Killalea offers a scenic backdrop for the yoga classes. Tanya’s goal is to encourage physical and spiritual wellbeing and she has petitioned NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to allow her to keep the class running every year for the benefit of the community.
Tanya says people stay after the class and enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful surroundings. The Sunday class fosters a sense of community and the demand for this is evident in the growth in numbers.
Barefoot Yoga at the Farm is a gentle class that is suitable for everyone from beginners to seasoned yogi.
Tanya loves to see people who may not be comfortable walking into a studio yoga class enjoying the experience outdoors. She says there are all kinds of people participating – women and men of all ages, families and kids. If the kids don’t want to do yoga they have nature’s playground at their feet. It’s a great opportunity for families to enjoy a morning outdoors.
Tanya started her fitness journey as a teenager and has had a very successful career. She has taught overseas, presented health and fitness classes in the US and France, and held numerous management and coordination roles in the health industry.
When she moved to Shellharbour, Tanya founded TOA Online – www.toamoves.com – a platform offering yoga, Pilates, mobility and meditation classes, and mindset training. She is well known for teaching yoga within the Shellharbour area and at her own studio.
Most recently, Tanya has enjoyed helping women on the path to better health, running a 10-week program to help with breathwork, digestion, mobility and symptoms of menopause, such as insomnia.
Barefoot Yoga at the Farm
When: Sunday Mornings from 9am.
Cost: Gold coin donation.
More info: Barefoot Yoga at the Farm on Facebook.