Yoga Class with Tao Porchon-Lynch

"Breath is the power behind all things...I breathe in and know that good things will happen." Tao Porchon-Lynch

I rolled my mat out on the hardwood floor in the middle of the room. I had arrived 30 minutes early for a special guest class with Tao Porchon-Lynch at a yoga studio I had never been to. A month ago I saw a flyer announcing the visit of the world's oldest yoga teacher at the end of August in Overland Park, Kansas and I knew I just had to be there. At 97-years-old, she radiated wisdom, love, and more life experience than I ever thought possible. Just look at the picture of her embracing me above. That was taken at the end of the class at 9 PM, after she had been up since 3 AM to catch her plane from NYC to Kansas City. And yet, there she was, so happy to take a picture with me, acting as though she and I were besties and that she had just awaken from a refreshing nap. It was truly an honor to be in her presence.

"When I wake up in the morning, I know that it's going to be the best day of my life. I never think about what I cannot do."

At 97-years-old, yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch demonstrates a downward facing dog variation during class. I am on the left with the blue mat.

The funny thing is that when I rolled out my mat, I did not know where the front of the class was going to be, given that I had never been to that studio. I suppose I picked the coveted spot, since I was a mere 3 feet away from her, front and center.

"I don't believe in age. I believe in Energy."

During the 2 hour class, she taught us how to revitalize, renew, and heal our bodies through her one-of-a-kind asanas (poses), vinyasas, and knowledge of energy. My favorite part was when she showed us her love of ballroom dance as she led us through her unique "Argentine tango flow." A major take-away for me that night was that I need to dance to my own music. Here was a master who had walked with Ghandi, helped Jews escape the Nazis, and acted in Hollywood. But she didn't live a boastful or cookie-cutter life. She gleaned truths from her experiences and shared them forth with anyone who would listen. She took her love for ballroom dance and tied it in with yoga. She taught us that each life is unique and we just need to grab a hold to the energy within us to do wonderful things.

"Tomorrow never comes. Don't procrastinate."

The two-and-a-half hours I spent in the presence of this master was priceless. She didn't put a cap on age or the ability to do something. She lives in the present, making the best of each fleeting moment, creating memories and changing lives. She taught us that yoga was more than the asanas on the mat. Yoga also meant connecting with nature, stopping to watch the flock of geese as they migrate across the sky, or the strong and sturdy tree as the wind ripples through it's branches. And so it is with life. Let us not be in such a rush that we forget to notice what really matters.

Namaste

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