Tattooed yogi poses for the camera

SPARTA — Beads of sweat dripped down the faces, backs, arms and every limb possible of the students practicing hot yoga in Sparta. While some struggled with poses such as Ardha Sarvangasana, Hallie Hawkins — a Sparta native and the instructor for the class — effortlessly flowed from Downward Dog to Plank to Cobra and back into Child Pose without breaking a sweat.

This tattooed clad yogi has been practicing yoga for five years now in locations in Sparta, Newton and Wantage, but has been a fitness instructor much longer. She was a professional pole dancer for 11 and a half years.

Tattooed Yoga ProjectTaking her talent into the spotlight, Hawkins was recently asked to be the subject of photographer's donation based community driven photography project called the Tattooed Yoga Project.

"This project is not about how many tattoos you have, how long you’ve been practicing yoga, or even if you teach yoga," Longo stated on his web site www.joelongophotography.com. "This project is about UNION: The joining together of two ancient traditions in a celebration of life, love, and art."

Hawkins was asked to join the project with a few of her friends in June and was stoked to be a part of it.

"(Longo) is the sole starter of the entire shebang," Hawkins said. "He put together this just to unite two different traditions together. Yoga and Tattoos."

On June 20, Hawkins went to Montclair for the photo shoot where Longo asked the yogis to get into poses anywhere and everywhere.

"I stayed for two full shoots — each were two to three hours each," Hawkins said. "It was a full day of getting into weird positions at the park to Church Street. Up and down the street."

Hawkins chose a few poses to showcase including Crow, Standing Yogi and Eight Angle Pose (Astavakrasana).

"It was different," Hawkins said of the experience. "I am not used to being in front of the camera. Being the focal point— I am usually the one behind the scenes. For me it was a completely different animal."

Along with choosing her poses, Hawkins went a step further by getting some accessories.

"I ended up getting two wigs and Henna tattoos on my hands and feet," Hawkins said. "I really went balls to the wall. I just went all out and had fun with it."

TattoosThe photo shoot also showcased Hawkins' many, many tattoos. Her first was a Celtic Sun that was inked on her chest when she was 18 years old.

"Me and four other people got it done in honor of a friend passing away of HIV," Hawkins said. "He was back lashed and wasn’t allowed in school, back when no one knew about HIV. Then I went crazy. At age 32, I went really sick. I spent seven years to find the right artist who would do my art and be in tune with me."

Once she found her artist, Hawkins got two quarter sleeves on both arms.

"My tattoos are more personal," Hawkins said. "My sleeves are portraits inspired by looking at myself and everything I went though over the years. My tattoos are like wearing my heart on my sleeve."