#VOZWOMAN | Taryn Toomey
Our latest #VOZwoman, Taryn Toomey, is a cult icon from coast to coast, bringing magic and ceremony into the high-intensity workout. After a career as a fashion industry exec with Ralph Lauren and Dior, Taryn trained as a yoga teacher, and later created The Class – a totally new genre of movement that combined her diverse experiences.
“After the birth of my first daughter I decided that my body needed a workout with more fire to it. I also couldn’t figure out why that thing still felt stuck,” she said in an interview with the Observer. The Class is designed to help people move through that thing—whatever negative emotions or limiting beliefs they’re holding on to. The Class is a blend of breathwork and meditation, coupled with the sculpting workout of a bootcamp style class, with elements borrowed from South American shamanic traditions. Devotees describe it as a tribal, cathartic experience.
We interviewed Taryn about her daily practice and self-care rituals, and what inspires her as a health-and-wellness entrepreneur.
What inspired you to start The Class?
The intensity of life! It was really an organic process, built slowly over a few years.
But when it first started it was after my career in fashion. I did yoga teacher training to deepen my own practice—I remember thinking I would study and then potentially go back to fashion. But I was led to stay the course to The Class by an unsettled feeling—a dull ache in the soul, if you will—that was hard to define. I kept moving, gathering and exploring. I taught the earliest days of The Class for two years before I even called it anything formal. I wanted the name to allow people to experience in whatever way they needed, without labels or expectations.
What would you say is the foundation or key for your success as an entrepreneur?
Presence and focus. One foot in front of the other—and to make sure the football moves down the field but 10 yards at a time. Also the ability to be willing to make a mistake, skin my knees and reroute the ship immediately.
You studied various healing modalities in Peru, a neighbor of our weavers in Chile. Tell us about this experience.
I LOVE Peru. There is a feeling of the old soul wisdom magic down there. I would do many different ceremonies with a variety of shamans and learned so much about creating sacred space. There are some basic things I do in The Class that is a nod to some of the things I picked up in ceremony. The Class is very ritualistic so people who have worked with the different modalities often say they can feel the same energy in class.
What are your daily habits and rituals, both those that support you and those you are hoping to improve?
Mediation, warm lemon water, Class, community, salt baths, love for my children. I hope to improve my sleep! I have sleep struggles—I have gathered that many do these days. I take melatonin and CBD at night but I always wake in the middle of the night and have to use my tools to calm myself back to sleep.
You have a keen sense of style in and out of the studio. What inspires your look, and what do you think about when putting together an outfit?
I love and elegant boho style—and in some ways I feel like I was born in the wrong decade—the 70’s resonate with me so much. I love unexpected things, for example—sometimes I will wear a bathing suit to teach or a really fancy but fluid dress to a midday lunch. And I like to accessorize—a head piece or several long necklaces layered over a slim bodysuit. I like to look finished but never overdone. Simple with a special touch.
Self-care practices are traditionally thought of as lifestyle and healthcare related choices that produce positive feelings and boost self-worth. Walk us through your dream self-care day.
Wake, meditate, long sweaty workout, a raw lunch, massage with salt soak, cryo, facial, shopping, dinner with close friends who make me laugh and let me laugh. I am a very silly gal at heart so laughter for me is a strong self-care session.
VOZ means voice, and we exist to celebrate the voices of extraordinary women worldwide. What does being a VOZ Woman mean to you?
I believe there is not one person better then another—and in that message we are able to stand next to one another and hold space for others to feel safe enough to let their true spirit shine through without feeling the need to manipulate or act in an inauthentic way. Empower one another—hold one another’s hand—be there for the falls and the rises—stable, steady and able.
Credits
Styled by Jose Miguel Dao
