
June 10, 2012- 93-Year Young Instructor Tao Porchon-Lynch Observing my Backward Bend
What a thrill! Five days ago I had the opportunity to learn some yoga tips and techniques from master teacher and 93-year young Tao Porchon-Lynch! Tao has been traveling the country during the past few weeks and was recently featured on CNN.
How many opportunities does anyone have to receive instruction in yoga or anything else from a vibrant 93-year young person who continues to teach and practice yoga even with a hip replacement and pin in her leg! Ms. Lynch covered many poses and shared many of her ideas and experiences over the 3 1/2 hour class - she gave us a bonus 30 minutes!
Some of the principal tenets of Ms. Lynch's philosophy included:
1) Everyone's body is different- not everyone is capable of doing poses exactly the same way however,
2) Some people do poses incorrectly which can lead to pain or injury - Ms. Lynch showed one area yoga instructor how to do the Triangle yoga pose by lifting the muscles above the knees to avoid knee strain and pain;
3) When doing yoga, work your body from the inside out to avoid injury - "everything comes from the inside;"
4) Incorrect, shallow breathing will literally wear your lungs out - Ms. Lynch told the story of a friend who failed to breathe deeply enough and she "wore her lungs out" and died earlier than she might have otherwise. Imagine that your lungs are like an accordian (contracting and expanding widely) when you inhale and exhale;
5) We are all comprised of the same elements as the earth and we can draw energy from the earth- especially through yoga;
6) The Creator is inside us and yoga helps us open the door to the Creator;
7) Renewal is possible everywhere and don't be scared about death- enjoy life now!
8) We are all one with everything in the universe.
Throughout the afternoon session, Ms. Lynch was so friendly, gracious, warm, and patient in showing us how to execute poses correctly. I have had trouble doing the downward dog - even though it doens't as if it would be that difficult. However, whenever I put my head down, I become discombobulated and I can't easily get into this pose. Ms. Lynch showed me how to place my head and how to move up my legs to get into the inverted V position.
The only fault I found with the class was not with Ms. Lynch's instruction, but more the lack of clear details from the yoga studio. Because I still have some klutzy bones in my body, several times I had to scramble to keep up with the sequences of the flow poses. Also, I wasn't certain if the clas was designed for intermediate or advanced yoga students. It wasn't Ms. Lynch's fault. I believe the yoga studio should have added a line or two in its program descrption to indicate that the class level. I don't think it would have been suited to beginners - at all - except to soak up Ms. Lynch's presence!
Ms. Lynch shared with us her joy of nature and birds in particular, and her experiences with renowned yoga instructor Iyengar and celebrities/famed musicians like Duke Ellington. She beamed throughout the class and her gentle demeanor and sweetness melted everyone's heart - at least that was my perception!
What I most appreciated about Ms. Lynch was her indefatigable attitude. After her hip replacement and installation of a pin in her knee area, she refused to passively accept her physician's warning that she might never be able to dance again as energetically as she had done in the past or still be able to do advanced yoga psoes.
She proved her physician was wrong. As she told the class participants point blank, she has no intention of ever retiring. Love that attitude! Instead, she plans to "dance her way to the next planet." What a different, and even mre beautiful world it would be if everyone implemented her "defy conventional wisdom" and "question authority" attitude! She is a yogi to emulate! I intend to keep her teachings in my mind as I practice my daily yoga at home.
Laura Venecia Rodriguez, the beginners' at home yoga coach
