Tabay Atkins, California’s very own Yoga, and Reiki prodigy is on a mission! Tabay wishes to share the significance of a healthy and positivity-filled lifestyle. Yoga has changed his life in more ways than one, and those around him prove as a success story of his fundamental values. This amazing young adult has instructed Yoga to countless individuals and has accumulated almost 1000 hours of teacher training experience. Tabay serves as a role model and mentor to adults and children alike, and Jejune is here for it! If you are interested in Tabay’s humanitarian work, his journey to becoming a NIKE athlete, or his tips for healthy living, please continue reading below!

Where are you based?
I am based in Orange County, California.

When did you first find interest in living a healthy and fit lifestyle?
My first introduction to the healthy lifestyle that I live now, was when I was seven years old. My mom was diagnosed with cancer when I was six, and we knew nothing about yoga. When she beat cancer, she started practicing yoga for the first time. That was our first introduction to yoga. I saw how just two months of practicing yoga helped my mom heal and recover from the effects of chemotherapy and cancer. That is when I became interested in not just living a healthy and fit lifestyle, but also promoting it. Since then, I have been introduced and influenced by many other healing practices.

When were you first introduced to Yoga and Reiki Practices?
I was first introduced to yoga in 2012, after seeing how it helped my mom heal from cancer treatment. In 2013, I was introduced to Reiki. Then, in January 2022, I became a Reiki Master and now use it as another way to heal my students.

As a vegan Chef, what is your favorite meal to cook?
My favorite vegan meal is a traditional Persian meal of celery stew and rice. The celery stew is called Khoresht Karafs and is similar to Ghormeh Sabzi (another Persian vegetable stew). The rice is cooked in a way where the layer of rice that was in contact with the pot has become crispy. This is called Tahdig and is loved by all! It is usually made by using oil on the bottom of the pot, but I do mine oil-free.

For those unfamiliar or new to veganism, what is some advice for those who don’t know where to start?
If you are unfamiliar with veganism, it is really simple. You don’t have to stop eating what you love. You just have to replace it with a vegan version. How do you do that? There are many ways you can eat what you love when being vegan. You can go to one of the many vegan restaurants and eat there, you can find vegan alternatives from any grocery store so you can make your own food, or you can make your own vegan alternatives (highly recommended) by search from the millions of vegan content creators, myself included.

Why do you feel it is important to be plant-based?
I feel it is important to be plant-based for many reasons. For our health, for moral reasons, and for the environment. I want people to be healthy. That is why I started doing what I do. I am certified in plant-based nutrition and have done lots of research. I have found the plant-based diet to be the best way to prevent and reverse disease and lead to an overall healthy and well life. When I was seven, I wanted to make a difference in the world, so I chose yoga. The teachings of yoga are strongly rooted in ahimsa, non-violence. That is where the moral aspect comes in. Being vegan is morally good for the animals for obvious reasons, but also represents non-violence to yourself, because you are only consuming foods that heal you, rather than harm you. The non-violence also ties into the environmental benefits of veganism. All of the water use, deforestation, and carbon emissions that are caused by animal agriculture are quite alarming. Veganism is probably the best and most reasonable way to fight climate change.

Are you still the youngest certified Yoga Teacher in the U.S?
Yes, I still am. I became 200-hour certified in vinyasa yoga when I just was ten years old. Now, I am 16 years old and I’m 500-hour vinyasa certified, and have almost 1000 hours of teacher training experience.

How does your age play a factor in what you do? Do you feel like it’s an advantage? Has it ever been a disadvantage?
My age does play a role in what I do. Being younger than what is typical in my profession gives me the advantage to be mature enough to be good at what I do, while being young enough to relate to the younger generation. It hasn’t proved to be a disadvantage yet, because we now live in a world where the younger generation has a voice and a platform to be the change we so desperately need in this world. It is no longer unusual for a kid to be doing what most would imagine only adults doing. Never has the expression, “age is just a number” been so true.

How has yoga changed your life? Why is it so important to you?
Yoga has changed my life, because without it, my mom might not have been here today. It not only allowed her to recover and heal from the devastating effects of cancer treatment, but also led us to this wonderful lifestyle we now live today. I am always grateful for being introduced to yoga, especially at such a young age. It has brought me great health in my life, and has allowed me to share this health with others.

You caught the attention of Nike! What were the emotions? How do you aim to amplify your message through their brand?
When Nike wanted me to be a Nike athlete, I was very excited! It was also very encouraging for me, because when people and brands that are really big, like Nike, want me to work with them and share my knowledge on their platform, I know I am doing a good job. I aim to amplify my message of health and wellness through their brand by teaching their audience the practice of yoga. I will be teaching the physical practice of yoga, philosophy, health and wellness tips, and more all through the umbrella of yoga.

It's said the Kardashians sought you out as a teacher. What was it like working with them?
It was great, just like it was teaching any of my other clients. I see everyone as equals.

Your mission is to empower others (especially young people) that they can make a difference in the world. What difference are you hoping to see?
I am hoping to see a difference in how we relate to the world around us. There is so much disrespect in the world right now, so I am trying to help bring more respect, and empower others to do the same. We must be more respectful to ourselves, everyone around us, every living being, and the planet we call home.

How can young people such as yourself better create change?
I believe that the kids and teens of this younger generation are the ones to inspire the most change. The reason for this is because the younger you are, the less conditioned you are to this world. I can tell you with no uncertainty, that we are doing things the wrong way in this world. The longer you have been living, the more normal it becomes for you and the more conditioned you become. When you are newer to this world, you can easily make objective observations on humanity’s way of life. Since the windows of perception are relatively clear, the young people are making a difference in the world just by sharing the obvious truth that the more conditioned people of the world have, unintentionally might I add, lost sight of. With that being said, all we have to do as young people is share what we know needs to be heard. It might be challenging because it probably doesn’t want to be heard, but it is so important that it is said.

Do you feel like social media is a valuable platform to spread your message?
I do feel like social media is a valuable platform for sharing my message, because everyone is using it! It is quite a large platform, which gives me the potential to reach a lot of people.

You have seen the first hand effects of maintaining positivity when witnessing your mother’s struggle with Cancer, have you witnessed other success stories like those? Why is positive thinking so important?
Having a positive attitude really helped my mom when she was going through cancer. There were many times where she was feeling stressed, worried, or sad, but putting positivity out there really made a difference. My Ameh (which means aunt in Persian. I am referring to my grandpa’s sister) had cancer. She stayed positive and had the love and support of her family around her, and beat cancer! It is so helpful to have a support team.

There is a debate going on right now about toxic positivity. What are your thoughts on that?
My thoughts on toxic positivity are simple. There are situations that are positive, and there are situations that are negative. Positive is positive and negative is negative. That doesn’t mean positive is good and negative is bad. “Good” and “bad” are just illusions of perception. Just as it is unhealthy to be negative in positive situations, it is unhealthy to be positive in negative situations. When positivity is used as an escape from real emotions, it is no longer healthy. All emotions that are felt in their natural way are valid and healthy. It is how we deal with those emotions that alters its healthiness. If we see emotions as natural visitors that are not “good” or “bad”, you can deal with them properly and just experience them as they come and go. Don’t hold onto any emotions (like positivity in this case), and don’t push any emotions away. Don’t use unhealthy habits to suppress natural emotions. We must also remember that nothing is just one thing. There is always something to be positive about. Looking at the positive is great, unless it is used as a way to block the other valid emotions.

Beautifully, much of the money you make goes back to cancer patients, is that a full circle moment for you? Not only are you successful in your craft, but you can also help those in a situation that you have witnessed first hand?
Donating and giving back is very important to me. I became a yoga teacher so I can help create a healthier world. This all started after seeing my mom’s recovery from cancer. I give back by donating my time (I teach weekly yoga classes to cancer patients for free) and money to cancer patients. It is another way to be more successful in accomplishing my mission.

Not only are you an advocate for human lives, but you also do your part for the earth! What is your mission as an advocate for deforestation and climate change?
My mission is to keep this a healthy and safe planet for my generation, the future generations, and all living creatures that deserve a habitable planet just as much as we do. I am doing my part by living a sustainable lifestyle and by encouraging others to do the same.

What would you like to see more people do to help take care of themselves and/or the environment?
I would like people to understand the impact a meat-based diet has on the environment and our health. Animal agriculture causes 15% of global man-made emissions, 27% of our water footprint, and the destruction of more than 200,000 acres of rainforest every day. It is the leading cause of deforestation, using 83% of the world’s farmland, and the leading causes of water pollution. Such a simple change of what you eat can make a huge impact for our environment. Going vegan can save 1 million liters of water per person per year. The health benefits are numerous, as well. Being plant-based helps prevent and reverse some of America’s top killers, like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. These are not just a bunch of made up numbers and words, these are the facts. I have been and will continue to share these facts in the hopes of a much needed change.

Do you have any upcoming projects we should have on our radar?
I do have quite the exciting project. My mom and I are opening a vegan food truck! The name is Tabay’s Mindful Kitchen. This is a great opportunity for me to inspire people to go vegan without giving any lectures. I will let the food speak for itself, because the food we are making is a prime example that you will not miss out on any flavors when switching to a plant-based diet.

How have you been staying positive during the pandemic? Are you back to normal?
Like I said in a previous answer, nothing is just one thing. Although the pandemic has been generally a negative situation, I have seen a lot of positive in it as well. The pandemic has allowed us to connect digitally like never before. I have been able to teach people from around the world, who wouldn’t be able to take my classes otherwise. Normal is unreliable. When we have the capacity to adapt to change, we will thrive in the most turbulent of times and stay grounded. Change is inevitable. Let’s not resist it, let’s embrace it. The current normal that I am living now has seen more time with family, which has been a wonderful experience after a period of time where we were physically apart.

What is your motto in life?
My values will remain constant and uninfluenced by public opinion.

Please follow the platforms below to learn more about Tabay:
Instagram: @TabayAtkins @TabaysMindfulKitchen
Facebook: @TabayAtkins
Website: tabayatkins.com

Remaining Constant with Tabay Atkins