Our lovely Tenders work hard at...well, working YOU hard. You see them in studio, pulse your butt off, leave and never really get the chance to know the lovely being who's helping you tone that tush.
Well - we'd like to introduce you to our Tender Team in more detail for you to get to know a bit more about the people behind the barre. So, without further ado let's meet Tahra; Tahra is one of our newer Tenders all the way up at the sunny Gold Coast Studio - Mermaid Waters...
Tell us a little about yourself.
As I sat in the car dealer's cafe the other day patiently waiting to sign the paper for my new car, the guy profusely apologised for making me wait for so long. I kindly said, "It's ok, no point getting worked up over it is there?" He looked at me and smiled, "you're a realist aren't you?" I don't think I'd ever looked at myself like that before. However, when I thought about it he was right. I definitely am the type of person that looks at the glass half full rather than half empty. I do my best to live for today, to let the past stay in the past and let the future be an untold story I'm yet to discover. I try not to sweat the small stuff and I live my life with a whole lot of love and integrity.
People often ask me why I am so driven and so positive and ask what made me become interested in the health and fitness industry. To be really honest with you, It was my own personal struggles that brought me to where I am today and shaped me into the person I am.
I spent most of my teen life and early twenties portraying to be happy, but the truth was I was far from it. Feeling empty, unhappy and in denial.
There came a time where I no longer could bare to live a life where I wasn't fully happy and confident. I had to make a choice, I could remain a victim to my own worst enemy - myself, or I could take action and face my inner demons.
So I turned to running, healthy eating and personal development. This was the chapter of my life where I also discovered Pilates and Barre. Soon enough I’d realised I'd fallen in love with what I was doing and wanted to share it with everyone and anyone. I had also found a new love and appreciation for myself. This brought me to the realisation that this is something I am very passionate about and I wanted to empower other women going through their own struggles. I am the type of person that likes to see the best in people.
What interested you in becoming a Barre Tender at Aleenta BARRE?
I had a dream, and I promise this is legitimate (lol). I'd dreamt of working in a beautiful boutique studio, where women would come together. I'd pictured it to be bright, clean and fresh. I imagined a place that finished each class with a mindful relaxation where I could plant some seeds, I'd even thought to serve fresh juices at the end. So when I saw this job pop up in front of me I thought this could be it?
When I sat down with Studio Partner Alicia and she explained the role, I thought I was in a dream. I just knew I needed to be a part of this company. When I did my Barre training with Co-Founder Claire in Adelaide, she said to me " It's like when we were creating this business and imagining what our Barre Tenders would be like, it was you".
I burst into tears. I honestly can say we were made for each other. Working for a company with so much genuine integrity is hard to come across these days, but somehow my stars aligned at the right time and the rest is history.
What is your background?
I started out in the health and fitness industry as a Personal Trainer and then moved on to become a Pilates Instructor, it was becoming clearly obvious to me that Barre was the next thing for me. Creating long lean muscle tone was so much more appealing to me than lifting big heavy weights in a smelly gym.
What are you enjoying most about teaching at Aleenta BARRE?
That's a good question but one that's hard to answer. Everything lol, definitely the community of women and seeing them get stronger and watching the confidence grow.
What do you do in your spare time?
In my spare time I lay low, I'm constantly on the move so when I have time off, it is generally spent with a book or watching youtube videos for personal growth. The beach and bed are my happy places.
Fave destination: My favourite country I have been to is Laos in South East Asia.
Fave food: Japanese
Fave barre exercise: For booty, Lazy pigeon. For arms, the good old Scarecrow sequences.
Fave barre class? Oh no I can't pick, I love them all for different reasons.
Best bit of advice you would give:
I think the best and most powerful thing I have learnt in life, is live life for yourself. Forget about what you think others think of you and live for you. When fear of change or the unknown arises, embrace it as an opportunity to really discover who you are and what you're capable of. Let go of your story, let go of being attached to a certain outcome and try to just accept that you're where you are because that's exactly where you need to be.
Living with this mindset has made life so much easier and more enjoyable for me. We are creatures of habit and control and the more we can let go of this, the more we can just be and enjoy this crazy gift of life.
I think as women in today's society we are conditioned to compare ourselves to the women next to us, which is crazy because we are all created with different gifts, different bodies, different minds and that's what makes each of us so valuable to the world. Admire - but don't compare. Let go of your story and just be you, dance to the beat of your own drum and the rhythm of life becomes so much sweeter.
Tahra x
