Get to know...
yogini soul Tahl Rinsky
Creating a space where all paths of Yoga were welcomed, honoured and explored – that was the dream of Tahl Rinsky and her fellow yogini soul Bess Prescott when opening the gates of Creature Yoga in the heart of Byron Bay in 2015. Besides having an incredible variety of classes (think everything from vinyasa to yin!), Creature Yoga hosts some of the industry's most accomplished and renowned teachers for workshops and now even runs their very own teacher training programme.
With Tahl being the committed teacher and practitioner that she is, she’s an expert in living an admirably healthy, active lifestyle while juggling a fast growing business and a beautiful young family. We've been following Tahl for a while now, admiring her journey through yoga and life via her inspiring @trinskyyoga Instagram account, so we jumped at the chance to sit down with this wonderful woman to get her take on everything health, yoga, and of course sleep...
1. Born in NYC, raised in Israel and now calling the beautiful beaches of Byron Bay home – how did your passion for yoga influence this unique journey?
I moved to Byron Bay to be closer to my Teacher Dena Kingsberg. I dreamt of doing her teacher training when I arrived in Australia - it went for 3 months a year over 3 years so the only way I could participate being then a mother of a 18 month old child would be to live in Byron Bay.
2. When did you realise that opening Creature Yoga was something you wanted to focus on?
It was never a clear vision, one thing led to the next. I had a little awakening about 4 years ago when I realised that my passion of teaching yoga was dormant. As soon as I began teaching I started looking for options to open my own studio in Byron but could not find anything. It's not till I met Bess Prescott (whom I fell in love with from the very first site) who moved up from Sydney to open Farm Yoga that my dream became realised. I started off just working for her as a teacher but very quickly a deep bond formed between us and we joined forces to create Creature Yoga.
3. Juggling three youngsters and still living an amazingly healthy and active lifestyle –what are your secrets to staying on top of it all?
Just do what needs to be done, stay focused on the task, always remember to take time out for yourself. Exercise before you open the inbox, eat well and get enough quality sleep!
4. You live and breathe the teachings of yoga throughout every aspect of your life – what are your 5 favourite yoga poses and/or principles for when you practice?
All 5 would be: Focus on the breath. Be guided by the breath. Don’t compromise your breath. Listen to your breath. Find stillness in every pose.
5. We all know the feeling of experiencing muscle soreness after a good work out session… What are your top 5 recovery tips?
Epsom salt baths, myofascial release using balls, magnesium supplements and, of course, my new EPIC Juno mattress.
6. How important is sleep to you? Do you think you get enough?
Sleep is absolutely crucial for me to function properly, I try to get enough but sometimes I just have to make due with less. As a mother of 3 with 10 years of broken sleep under my belt, I’ve trained my body and mind to manage with less.
7. What does an average day look like for you? How does the quality of your sleep impact this?
The quality of my sleep is a make or break for my day. I’ve never been a good sleeper and my sleeping environment is crucial for a good sleep. My average day changes but usually I wake up, meditate, exercise, get kids ready and off to school, teach at Creature Yoga and take care of kids and home in different orders.
8. You created a beautiful community through your social channels. What are your best tips to resist the casual scroll before bedtime?
Turn your phone on airplane mode an hour before bed, keep it out of your bedroom and buy an alarm clock. And If that’s too hard to manage then you might need to admit there is a problem... ;)
9. Do you have a bedtime yoga or meditation routine? If yes, what makes you sleep best?
A good bed (absolutely loving my new Juno, I feel like I’m on a cloud), quality linen and a good pillow. Not eating too much sugar at night and having a lavender Epsom salt bath or hot shower just before bed.
10. Creature Yoga was a success from the very beginning – what is most important to you when it comes to teaching yoga and hosting teachers from all over the world?
Staying open minded to all teaching styles and practices, remembering we're just looking for love and community so we can heal and embrace this life and our full potential.
