Embrace the storm.
Meet Me
Hi I’m Tara. Welcome to Gnarly Bison.
I’ve been a yoga instructor for two decades. I can’t believe I’m able to say that! It’s an honor, but also quite humbling. And wow what a journey I’ve been on to make it to this point in my life. I’ve been on many adventures, traveling to 14 countries, 2 of which I lived in, having the privilege of seeing how other countries live, love, and approach health & wellness. Over the years, I’ve integrated Pilates, barre, body-weight-centric classes, personal training, and wellness coaching into my practice. My love of the mind-body connection came young when I was dealing with extreme anxiety. Our bodies, minds, and hearts are capable of so much; sometimes we just need to get out of our own way. I went to school for Sports Management at Eastern CT State University, where my love of health and fitness grew. I have a deep passion for movement. It's incredible what our bodies can achieve when we move them mindfully and with purpose. This passion eventually led me to develop Mindful Movement Sessions (MMS).
I’ve experienced so much joy but have also dealt with many struggles and losses. The amazing thing is that there has been so much love and beauty within it all...
Why Gnarly Bison?
Our primary focus at Gnarly Bison is health and wellness. It’s a sweet, messy blend of mind-body movement, and the craziness of life. Being an entrepreneur, while also being a mother, wife, friend, daughter, sister... and doing so with integrity and grace.
It all began with the word Gnarly. I've always loved that word. When I went to college in Australia there was this old tree. It was the widest, most powerful tree I had ever seen. It seemed ancient and full of wisdom. It was, by definition, gnarly and I loved it. It's limbs were like that of a wise, aged person's joints, gnarled by the years of living passionately and joyfully. Years back, I had a severe ankle fracture and surgery that left me with some scars... some gnarly scars. Whenever I look at them the word gnarly always comes to mind. I was told I probably wouldn't be able to teach or do yoga again, let alone many activities that required me to stand for long periods of time. During this time of my life, I taught yoga and worked in a restaurant to provide for myself, so that was a pretty intense thing to hear. Even so, it brought out a fight in me and I wasn't going to give in. I would be the one to determine what I could and couldn't do, and I chose to "embrace the storm". Gnarly, to me, can mean rough, literally gnarled and mangled, but also beautiful, wild, and free. It’s a sweet combination of it all.
As far as the bison part…