Living Softly - by Tara Stiles (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For readers of Burnout and Rest Is Resistance, comes a blueprint for moving from a life of burnout and physical breakdown to one of ease and grace in any given moment and learning to harmonize with the environment, rather than pushing through an agenda.

Many of us believe that to accomplish our goals, we need to experience constant stress and struggle. If we want to climb the corporate ladder, we need to work 70-hour weeks. If we want to be good parents, we need to forgo sleep and our own mental health. The list goes on. It's time to cut ties with the "No-Pain-No-Gain" cultural narrative that is so deeply ingrained in us. And according to thought leader Tara Stiles, we can not only overcome this perpetual state of burnout, but actually be able to accomplish more with less tension, by living softly.

In Living Softly, Stiles shares her framework for distributing your energy in a way that will allow you to live your life with calmness and ease. Rooted in the ancient healing arts of tai chi and shiatsu, Tara shows us how we can achieve our goals without destroying our wellbeing, and how we can move through conflict and challenging emotions with grace and awareness while avoiding the push-harder, do-more mentality that hurts our bodies and our spirits. Living softly means using the exact amount of energy needed in any situation--no more, no less.

Living Softly helps us recognize the imbalances in our bodies and minds that move through all of us physically, mentally, and emotionally. Softening means becoming moveable so you can be moved by your breath, your ideas, and others, while noticing how you feel and responding with care. In doing so, you'll learn to achieve your full potential while feeling connected to yourself along the way.

Review Quotes

"We're in the middle of a wellbeing revolution, and Tara has been quietly leading it for years. Living Softly offers a timely, science-aligned, deeply human approach to living with less stress, more resilience, and greater joy." --Colleen Wachob, co-founder, MindBodyGreen

"Living Softly is a toolbox of techniques for readers to use at work or at home to help restore the body and reset the mind. Author Tara Stiles shares difficult moments in her life and how she dealt with this adversity. In doing so, she reminds us that each day is an opportunity to enjoy the things we love, open doors for others, form strong relationships, and establish the right boundaries. She proves that small changes in our daily lives can make a big difference. This is the perfect book for anyone seeking more balance, energy, and joy."--Janet Skeslien Charles, New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Library

"Living Softly is medicine for the woman holding it all together: career, family, and the endless to-do list, all managed through a clenched jaw and deep exhaustion. Tara Stiles offers the correction I will now prescribe: softness. Release the tension that isn't helping and spend exactly the effort a moment requires. What a relief."--Ellen Vora, MD, author of Season of the Witch

"Living Softly is Atomic Habits for women and everyone else who's tired of pushing through life."--Ann Garvin, Ph.D, , USA Today BestSelling Author, Bummer Camp

"Living Softly is a powerful reminder that the more we let go of force, the more we open ourselves to peace, purpose, and true strength."--Gabrielle Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Universe Has Your Back

"For too long we've been taught that force is the price of success -- grind, grip, override the body to get ahead. Living Softly invites us into a smarter, sexier, infinitely more pleasurable way to live. Tara Stiles has written the permission slip so many of us have been starving for -- go on, honey. Put it down. Take a Softness Break. You will find new ways to rise."--Regena Thomashauer, founder of Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts, author of NYTimes bestseller 'Pussy: A Reclamation'

"In times when pushing and striving leave us burnt out, we need a different strategy. In Living Softly, Tara Stiles reminds us of the importance of balancing our lives with mindful moments and recalibrating to a gentler setting. Her years of expertise creating and living this practice are evident in this essential guide to staying connected in a fast-paced world."--Ophira Edut, co-founder, The AstroTwins

"Less tension. More vitality. Living Softly offers a practical path to the kind of wellbeing that lasts."--Frank Lipman, MD, longevity and functional medicine pioneer, author, and educator

"Tara Stiles beautifully challenges the belief that success requires constant striving. Living Softly is a compassionate, practical guide to building resilience, honoring yourself, and accomplishing more with less stress. It is permission to pause in an 'always on' world!"--Terri Cole, psychotherapist, author of Boundary Boss, Too Much, and Father Wound

"Tara Stiles reminds us that true wellbeing isn't something we earn through struggle. Living Softly offers a compassionate, practical path to releasing tension, reconnecting with yourself, and creating meaningful change that lasts."--Jessica Ortner, New York Times bestselling author and co-founder of The Tapping Solution

"Tara Stiles shows what so many of us miss: softness is a form of strength, and when we stop pushing and start listening to and being with our bodies, healing begins. It's the truth that I've spent my career learning and teaching others. Living Softly is the medicine we all need."--Avanti Kumar-Singh, MD, bestselling author of The Longevity Formula

"The era of 'No Pain, No Gain' is over. Living Softly belongs on everyone's bookshelf." --Robin Berzin, MD, founder of Parsley Health

"The peace we hope to see in the world begins with how we care for ourselves and one another. Living Softly is a timely invitation to practice both."--Arndrea Waters King, co-author of What is My Legacy and co-founder, Realize the Dream movement

"There is so much noise telling us to push harder, be tougher, and keep proving ourselves. Living Softly is the reminder we didn't know we needed. Tara shows us that softness is not weakness but one of the bravest ways we can meet ourselves and each other. This isn't just a book you'll read once and place on a shelf. It's a way of living you'll return to again and again, finding yourself a little more grounded, a little more compassionate, and a little more at home in your own heart each time."--Jennifer Pastiloff, bestselling author of On Being Human and Proof Of Life

"We don't have to earn rest or prove our worth through push, force, and struggle. Living Softly shows us that choosing softness is one of the strongest things we can do."--Tia Mowry, actor, entrepreneur, and bestselling author of Whole New You

"We've been told the strongest path is the hardest one. Tara Stiles gently, convincingly proves it's the softest. I finished this book breathing easier."--Anjali Kumar, author of Stalking God: My Unorthodox Search for Something to Believe In

"When we mature along life's path, we discover that softness is our superpower. For decades, Tara has been leading the way through her gentle conscious yoga practices and grounded mindful living methods. Tara Stiles is a true middle path teacher whose wisdom stands the test of time. Living Softly guides you home with a presence and practice that will endure throughout your life."--Julie Piatt, spiritual guide of Water Tiger, songstress of "Manger"

About the Author

Tara Stiles is a wellbeing expert, celebrated author, and founder of Strala Yoga, which is practiced in more than 100 countries. The Strala approach combines yoga, tai chi, and Traditional Chinese and Japanese Medicine to help people release stress, heal, let go of negative habits, and move more easily through everyday challenges. Tara's books, which have been translated and published in multiple languages, include Strala Yoga, Make Your Own Rules Diet, Yoga Cures, and Slim Calm Sexy Yoga. She has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, InStyle, Esquire, and Shape. She lives in rural Illinois.