Taryn Toomey believes that exercise must engage both the body and the mind. After building a career in the fashion industry, Toomey eventually found herself on a mission to find a higher purpose and seek happiness beyond the material. It was this desire to reconnect with herself that laid the foundation for The Class, a new kind of exercise course that challenges attendees to build both physical and mental strength.
Offered in Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, and The Hamptons, Toomey’s class has transformed the way that thousands see exercise; now, the health guru is looking to share her love of mind-body fitness with the world. With upcoming retreatments—multi-day getaways focused on meditation and renewal—in Manhattan, Malibu, Whistler, and the Dominican Republic, it is Toomey’s goal to help as many people as possible discover their best selves.
Where do you go when you feel out of alignment or scattered to find grounding? How does this place help you achieve that?
To my seat to meditate or to some form of movement. While they may seem like opposites, they both seem to bring all the pieces back together.
Where in the world do you feel most at peace?
Laughing and being cozy with my children.
Traveling can get hectic. Are there routines or rituals that you incorporate into your travels to help you stay centered?
If I’m traveling somewhere where there’s an ocean, I jump into it immediately once I arrive to balance the rhythms of my body with that environment. I also do the basics: drink tons of water, double down on meditation, sleep as much as I can, eat clean, grounding foods and go easy on myself.
What destination would you recommend to someone looking to tap into their spirituality?
For me, it was Sacred Valley in Peru. I have also heard a lot of belief in the power of Sedona.
How do you stay in shape when traveling?
Exercise! Haha. Actually, if I’m not leading a retreat, which has loads of movement built into the daily routines, I intentionally do not exercise. My job is very physical and I believe wholeheartedly in balancing that with a recovery period.
What’s your favorite hotel for wellness?
Playa Grande Beach Club. I am biased because that is home to our annual wellness program, The Retreatment Dominican Republic. It’s not exactly a wellness hotel, but it becomes one with the programming we curate so it happens to be my personal favorite.
What do you pack in your carry on to have with you on the plane?
Rx Bars, May Lindstrom’s The Blue Cocoon; Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Glow Drops; Lypo-Spheric Glutathione and Vitamin C packets; a cape of some sort; and activated charcoal supplements, to be used as needed.
What’s the one place in the world that inspires you most?
New York City.