“Tara is a therapist who you want to know.  She gets results and will illuminate areas of your body that no therapist has ever even touched.  Furthermore her ability to go deep with a gentle approach is so important to me!  After my first session I realized that deep work is so healing and necessary when done properly! If you’re looking to heal and love your body on a deep level, visit Tara!” ~ Joseph Krafft

An Interview with Tara Findlay
Questions by Katrina Ariel

Tara, with the expertise you have cultivated, what do you feel is your grand vision and purpose?

My purpose is to use my enthusiasm, passion and playfulness to inspire others, empowering them to evolve into highly aware, connected beings! It is my desire is to cultivate the ability to think outside the box; to bring Shradda – faith through experience – into my workshops, retreats and healing sessions.

Can you tell me about some of the most valued and empowering educational experiences you’ve had in your training?

I am so grateful for all my teachers; Natalie Rao, Ann Sleeper, Claudia Schrivener, John Barnes, Jordan and Martin Kirk, John Friend, Dessiree Rumbaugh, Noah Maze, to the Warrior Sage Community, and to my students and clients who provide a constant source of learning and growth.

These teachers and more have helped me to know myself on a very intimate level, as well as provided the groundwork for my Massage and Yoga education. I feel blessed to be able to marry the principles of alignment from Anusara Yoga® with my own structural alignment techniques in Massage. Together I am empowered to truly see all aspects of my clients and students, from the energetic, to the physical.

What kind of experience have you gained in your career?

I have been in the Massage Community for over a decade now, and have had the pleasure of working with such a broad spectrum of people including elite athletes in Whistler and Fernie, The Canadian Alpine Ski Team, sports hobbyists, those passionate about their jobs, and the Special needs community. I have worked with short term and long term Neurological patients, those living with MS, HIV, AIDS and Cancer. Each group has taught me so much about myself, about massage, and about life. Over the years I’ve cultivated a therapeutic approach to enhance body alignment, and work with the energetic and physical aspects of our bodies.

People describe part of your approach as “playful, inventive, and fun”. What influences this aspect of what you offer?

I know I learn better and retain more information when my teacher is passionate about a given subject. When you infuse education with laughter and your own amusement, I think you create the best atmosphere for learning. “Amuse Yourself,” says philosophy Professor Douglas Brooks. When I have fun while teaching a workshop, I find my students become engaged in the experience. My approach is inventive, because it’s always evolving, always improving. If a technique is not working, it gets examined, and either dropped or transformed into a different approach.

What do you look for in a quality training?

Since I am primarily a kinesthetic learner, I love experiential learning. I love being shown HOW as I learn. I love it when my teachers can explain WHY, when they can “chit-ananda” it – when they can make it completely relevant. I respect teachers who use all the learning approaches (auditory, kinesthetic and visual) and teach to what they see. I love it when my teachers “wax-anecdotal”. I love metaphor, mythology and story. It allows us to be every character, and to learn from a wider perspective. I use these same approaches in my own trainings, since they work so well for me when I’m a student.

What makes the workshops and retreats you offer unique?

We are all unique individuals! My retreats are infused with my own authenticity. I teach to what I see, reading the group as a whole as well as reading each individual. This way, instead of a pre-fabricated session, my retreats are tailored. This can lead to spontaneous creativity!

You’ve recently begun doing long distance consultations. Can you describe the benefits of this?

Due to my knowledge and deep understanding of the shoulder complex, Massage Therapists find it useful for me to consult with them their treatment approach, as well as consult with their clients on how to increase the awareness of their alignment in daily activity.

If you could make sure each person leaves your treatments or trainings with one nugget of wisdom, what would that be?

Ultimately, I want my clients and students to feel better about themselves after any session. I want everyone to become empowered through their own alignment. We all have the choice to heal, and to choose our healing approach. Our attitude towards our healing is quintessential in our prognosis. If something is not working for you, search until you find it. Get a second, third, fourth opinion. Look and ask questions until you find someone capable of truly listening to your needs.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama says “Whatever the problem, the solutions is more awareness.” My teacher Claudia Schrivener once said to us in Massage Therapy School “All you need to do to become a great Therapist is to learn everything there is to know about anatomy, and then use your intuition.” I want my student to feel capable of cultivating this in themselves. I will know my success when one of my students takes my teachings, makes them their own, and evolves them into something greater. This is the ultimate compliment.

You can learn more about this remarkable woman at TaraFindlay.com