BENGALURU: Tao Porchon-Lynch turned a social media celebrity for her dancing skills. The nonagenarian, who was in Bengaluru for International Yoga Day, believes it is yoga, which keeps her energy levels up. The 98-year-old’s ability to perform complex Sarvangasana and Padahastasana could give one fitness goals to reach.
After the demonstration was over, she was far from tired. She took time off for a quick chat even as youngsters jostled their way to click pictures with her.
“Inside me, I feel the energy flow. Yoga is the breath of life. If you are not breathing right, you are not in touch with your soul,” says Porchon-Lynch as she demonstrates that one must not lean while sitting. She adds that even if she forgets to have a few meals, her energy levels do not drop.
She says that it is yoga, which helps her dance even at this age. “Even when I dance, I keep breathing using yoga techniques.”
With just a few hours of sleep and no food, Porchon-Lynch says she doesn’t feel drained of energy.
“I begin my day with yoga and then teach a few students. I later practise dance.”
Her father who was from France had settled in Coimbatore. She traces her roots to India with her mother hailing from Bihar. Not only did she participate with Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle but also has a special place for the country in her heart.
“I bring all my students to India to learn the real yoga,” she adds. She is all set to perform a ball dance in Mumbai next week with Sandip Soparrkar.
This nonagenarian is also looking forward to celebrating her 100th birthday in India.
She learnt yoga in Karnataka
Porchon-Lynch came to Karnataka after she was offered a job to teach yoga at Hollywood. She perfected yoga under the mentorship of K Pattabhi Jois and B K S Iyengar. She was only 17 when she came to the state. She then kept on shuttling between the two countries, managing her learning and profession. She struggled against several odds to master yoga. “Many people told me that yoga was only for men. I called them snobs and went on to become a teacher.”