At age 94, Tao Porchon-Lynch has been practicing yoga for seven decades. And with the release of her new instructional DVD, “Yoga with Tao,” she’s proving that she’s not ready to give up her downward dogs just yet.
When asked why she loves yoga so much, Porchon-Lynch said, “I think it's the joy of living – to feel that when you are in touch with this wonderful power that's inside of you, nothing's impossible.”
In the 1940s and 1950s, Porchon-Lynch was an actress, performing in Europe, India and Hollywood. Though initially skeptical about yoga, she eventually tried it and soon became hooked. Porchon-Lynch went on to practice with renowned yogis like B.K.S. Iyengar, founder of Iyengar Yoga, and Shri K. Pattabhi Jois, the yoga teacher credited with developing Ashtanga Yoga.
Eventually, Porchon-Lynch became a yoga teacher herself – and still teaches multiple classes each week.
“When (students) think they can't do something, and they suddenly realize that they can – that this is something not out of the limit – the expression on their face is very special,” Porchon-Lynch said. “It's a big smile (that) comes on their face, and I feel that you can't give me a diamond worth more than that.”
Porchon-Lynch attributes her good health and longevity to a combination of yoga and dancing – which she still does competitively.
When asked if she has advice to share with others, Porchon-Lynch said, “Don't procrastinate. That's one thing. If you want to do something, remember that one minute after midnight, it's already today.”
And just as important: be fearless.
“Don't get up in the morning thinking of, ‘Well, do I go to the doctors or is this alright…did I take my medicine?’ No, no,” Porchon-Lynch said. “When you get up in the morning, first of all, think without fear.”
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