Conversations with Hakim Tafari

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hakim Tafari.

Hi Hakim, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Ipswich, Suffolk, UK. After high school, I went to art school. At 18, I left the UK for the US, and more than three decades later, I’m still here.

A serious injury in the mid-’90s changed everything. It forced me to slow down and rebuild my relationship with my body from the ground up. That led me into mindful movement, martial arts, herbal medicine, nutrition, and eventually the Dharma.I’m deeply devoted to my Buddhist practice, rooted in Theravada Insight Buddhism, with years of Taoist study behind me. I’ve trained in Eastern bodywork and martial arts, but the internal arts, especially Yang-style Tai Chi and Baqua Zhang are where I feel most at home. I went vegan in Austin in 1996, completed my yoga teacher training in 2008, and have spent my life learning how to bring awareness into the body.

Every Sunday, I teach in the park for my community. I also share this work in schools, retreats, boardrooms, and with anyone looking to slow down, breathe, move, and reconnect.

Running has been another great teacher. I’ve run marathons and taken part in The Speed Project from LA to Vegas. Running strips things back, you meet your mind, your fear, your resistance, and your ability to stay present.

Music has always been in my blood: Jamaican sound system culture, pirate radio, and my father’s vinyl collection. I was deep in the Austin music industry in the mid-’90s and helped build and develop certain musical genres within the SXSW world. Today, music remains part of my life through my DJ residency at dublab.

Modeling found me in my 40s, leading to work with Nike, Lacoste, The North Face, Adidas, and Google. But family is my center, my three daughters, stepson, and my partner, Melinda. Everything I do flows from that, trying to live with less ego, more presence, and compassion for every being.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Leaving Ipswich at 18 and coming to the US was a big move. I had to find my feet, build a life, and work things out as I went. Being Black and from the UK has brought its own set of challenges, but it has also given me access to different people, places, and ways of seeing the world.

The injury I had in the mid-’90s was a real turning point. It forced me to change my diet, rethink how I trained, and pay proper attention to my body. That’s when I went deeper into nutrition, bodywork, martial arts, and mindful movement. It wasn’t about trying to become someone else, it was about learning how to look after myself properly.

I’ve also seen death first hand. I’ve lost people, and I’ve watched close friends lose battles with things that were bigger than them. That does a number on your psyche. I don’t need to go into all of it, but those experiences have shaped how I see life, love, and compassion. They’ve made me less interested in surface-level things and more interested in being present, staying connected, and treating people with care.
This life takes some serious work.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What I’m most proud of is being able to teach Qi Gong, Tai Chi, and Dharma in community—especially within the Global Majority and seeing what happens when people are given space to come back to themselves.
You see the shoulders drop, the breath change, the light come back into someone’s face.
There is real joy in that. I just get to watch the beauty of people changing their lives: healing in their own way, at their own pace, and then wanting to take that feeling home ,to their partners, their children, their friends, and their wider community. That ripple effect means everything to me. The practice is never just about the person standing in front of me; it is about what becomes possible when they remember they already have something powerful inside them.
This is priceless.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
Autobiography of Malcolm X – Alex Haley
The Tao Te Ching – Lao Tzu
Dharma Seed App
Siddhartha – Herman Hesse
Ten Percent Happier – Podcast
One life to live – Podcast
There are no secrets – Wolfe Lowenthal
Dipa Ma – Amy Schmidt
Bell Hooks – All about Love
The Forest Path – Podcast
Buddhas Brain – Rick Hanson Phd

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hakstao.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hakstao
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hakim-davy-tafari-a338bb42/
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/hakim-tafari