City Guide: Check Out How Yogi Tara Stiles Does New York

I got so lucky when my ballet teacher Rory Foster introduced me to yoga. I started by bringing it into my dance practice once a week. I still remember my first class, seeing the teacher sitting at the front of the room, calm, cross-legged, and radiating happiness. I knew I wanted that quality for myself.

These days, if you love wellness, NYC is your place. If you have a passion, you can live it out on these streets. I still believe that if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, and it's so incredible that now it is considered "cool" to be healthy along the way! Here's a taste of my New York.

NYC actually has a lot of lovely nature; you just have to step off your block sometimes to find it. These days, I live downtown in SoHo, and I love taking long walks along the West Side Highway or spending the day hiking around Central Park to get my heart pumping.

For yoga, I obviously spend a lot of time in my NoHo studio, Strala, when I'm in town. I also love visiting Eddie Stern's Brooklyn Yoga Club in Fort Greene. Eddie is incredibly experienced in traditional forms of the practice, and he always keeps it mega-fresh. You can hang out at his studio after class, read a book from his library, or ask him questions. Trust me, he'll have the answers!

When I first moved here, a vegetarian restaurant was known as a falafel joint! Nowadays, there are so many plant-based cafés that it can get overwhelming. I prefer eating foods close to nature over the trendy vegan spots, which can be less healthy. Spring Street Natural and Angelica Kitchen are a couple of favorite go-to spots. I live really close to Dean & Deluca, so I often go there to pick up a few fresh veggies and fruits.

I love checking in on the NY-based music duo Sofi Tukker when they come to town. Given my background in ballet, American Ballet Theater season at Lincoln Center is always a special time for me, and I watch Jessica Lang Dance when they're around too. San Gennaro in Little Italy is a fun celebration to walk through—it's a festival celebrating all things Italian culture.

In my opinion, Sam Berlind is the best shiatsu practitioner in the world. Hands down. I'm obsessed. Shiatsu, a form of Japanese massage, is a total body, mind, and soul reset—fancy spa robe and lemon oil not necessary.

Early morning walks around SoHo are something my partner Michael and I do to restore, plan, and clear the mind.