Known as the oldest yoga teacher in the West, Tao will leave a legacy of optimism and strength.
We asked yoga photographer Robert Sturman to reflect on his time with friend and yoga teacher Tao Porchon-Lynch, who passed away last week at the age of 101. Here is what Sturman had to say about this remarkable woman’s enduring spirit, embrace of aging, and the habits that kept her young at heart—like 93 years of asana practice and a glass of wine at lunch.
“Tao’s is a story that needs to be told to inspire human beings to not give up, to not say ‘I’m too old to start this,’ to be okay with getting older, and to be okay with dying.”
If you want the ultimate in comfort, style, and breathable fabric, you don’t need to look any further than boho harem yoga pants.
Best All-Around
Happy Trunks Harem Pants
Lasting Comfort. Go from yoga class to the coffee shop with these flowy, comfortable, stylish yoga pants.
What We Liked:
These pants are not only stylish but incredibly flattering. They have a smocked waist for tummy flattening, and the ankles are gathered, ensuring a proper fit no matter your pose. They look great for nearly any occasion and are comfortable enough to wear all day. Two large pockets on each side provide room for a cell phone, wallet, and keys. Each pair is made ethically in Thailand with Fair Trade regulations.
Match Any Outfit. Match any yoga top or everyday shirt with these yoga pants that come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.
What We Liked:
You’ll match any outfit you own with these comfortable yoga pants. They’re made of soft and breathable rayon and come with an elastic smocked waist to flatter your tummy. The ankles are elasticized, so pants will stay in place no matter what move or activity you’re doing. These are perfect for summer days, whether you’re going to the yoga studio or the beach. Buy it here.
Yoga in Style. Go to yoga class with maximum boho style with these bohemian-print flowy yoga pants.
What We Liked:
The print and design options for these pants are bohemian all the way, making these a perfect choice for a yoga class, the beach, or a festival. They’re ideal for …
Train with Variation. Challenge yourself and vary your yoga routine with an endless combination of yoga poses.
What We Liked:
With a combination of six yoga poses, this dice offers the opportunity for nearly limitless pose combos. This is a perfect training game for newbies or seasoned yoga masters. There are seated, standing, balancing, and twisting poses, among others. There are also meditation and relaxation opportunities that are perfect for mid-day break times at work. Buy it today.
Teach Your Kids Yoga. Help children up to 12 years old learn yoga poses through a fun interactive game that adults can play, too.
What We Liked:
This fun game is perfect for older children wanting to learn different yoga poses. It can be used indoors or outdoors and helps kids with moving, concentrating, and relaxing. Each set includes artistic illustrations, poems, dice, and an instruction booklet explaining four ways to play the game. This is a fun party game and also makes a great gift. Get it today.
Best Young Children’s Yoga Game
ThinkFun Yoga Dice Game for Boys and Girls Ages 6 and Up
Long-Lasting Massage Tool. It comes with a cover for conveniently storing the massage stick.
What We Liked:
This massage stick by Supremus Sports is very durable. The plastic used for the stick is sturdy and will last a long time. They also offer a 100 percent money-back guarantee, which is a nice bonus. Get it here.
Most Lightweight
Original Tiger Tail Massage Stick
Lightweight and Easy to Use. This massage stick comes in three lengths for you to pick which one will work best for you.
What We Liked:
The Original Tiger Tail Massage Stick is very lightweight, making it perfect to put in a gym bag or backpack. Instead of plastic, the roller is made of foam, which helps it stay lightweight (just three ounces). Pick yours up here.
Best Quality Roller Stick with Several Features. This roller stick comes in a single color with a cover for storing the massage stick.
What We Liked:
If you need a high-quality roller stick that will relieve pain, the Idson muscle roller stick has got you covered. It has nine plastic rollers on the stick itself to provide additional relief as you roll the stick, helping to massage sore areas and improve circulation. Get it now.
Thin, Lightweight Travel Yoga Mat. This eco-friendly travel yoga mat is almost six feet long yet folds to a compact size that’s portable and works well with hot yoga.
What We Liked:
This foldable travel yoga mat measures almost six feet long (70 inches long by 24 inches wide), ensuring that anyone can enjoy this mat. It is compact enough to fit inside a bag or backpack and weighs less than three pounds. It’s available in a variety of beautiful designs and colors made by a New York artist, which will bring an added sense of calm to your yoga practice. This mat is reversible with a tree rubber underside that offers exceptional grip and a microfiber top that is ideal for hot yoga. The mat comes with knee pads and a carrier. We liked that this beautiful yoga mat is notably long yet compact enough to fit into a bag and has a microfiber top that is ideal for hot yoga. Buy it here.
Superlite Foldable Yoga Travel Mat That’s Eco-Friendly. This biodegradable yoga mat folds easily to the size of a pair of jeans and fits conveniently into a carry-on or checked luggage bag.
What We Liked:
You can easily travel with this lightweight (about two pounds) yoga mat. It folds up to about the size of one pair of jeans and fits effortlessly into a carry-on bag, travel bag, or checked suitcase. This mat is 1.5 millimeters thick and 68 inches long by 24 inches wide, …
Just spray a bit in your damp or dry hair, scrunch it up a bit, finishing drying or air dry, and then you’re ready to head out the door looking more like “vacation you” and less like “average workday” you.
Spray Your Thick Mane. Many sea salt sprays are marketed toward those with thin hair, but this option works just as well on thick locks.
What We Liked:
Sea salt spray is often marketed to those with thin hair because sea salt spray adds texture and volume. However, sea salt spray is great for those with thick hair, too. If you want some texturized movement and waves, grab this spray. It’s from Osensia and definitely has your name on it. Not only is it created with thick hair in mind, but also it keeps your hair healthy. It’s silicone-, paragon-, and sulfate-free, and it’s filled with minerals to nourish your strands. Buy it here.
Best for Fine Hair
L’ange Hair Salt & Sea Texturizing Spray for Fuller Hair
Get Sexy, Voluminous Hair. Natural ingredients combine to create big volume in this formula. It brings a difference you (and others) will notice right away!
What We Liked:
This hair spray is formulated to give you a ton of volume and texture with an invigorating scent. It’s made with natural ingredients, including kelp, algae, sea salt and magnesium sulfate — all to better mimic that feel and that look you get after being at the ocean on those dreamy summer days. It’s available here.
Best Bulk Buy
Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray
One of the big misconceptions about low FODMAP life is that grains are completely off limits. Actually, it’s a general SIBO diet paranoia.
While there are some approaches that take most carbs off the table, the majority of people with IBS will be able to improve their symptoms big time with just a few small tweaks. When I was deep in the weeds of my SIBO healing (now two years ago!!) I basically lived on this simple blueberry overnight oats recipe.
It’s a tweaked version of this OG banana-maple overnight oats, which also happens to be low FODMAP. But I love adding the extra fruit compote on top. You can use any berries you like. So long as you’re below 30 raspberries in one servings, it’s A-okay. And for the record, that is a lot of raspberries! More than is in this entire recipe.
Usually the food I make for myself is so simple you don’t even need a recipe. And yet it’s this type of dish from my archives that are always the most popular. So in the spirit of filling in the gaps of my staples, I bring you this delicious mixed berry overnight oats recipe that you can make as part of your batch cooking and leave in the fridge to enjoy all week.
It’s fairly low on sugar compared to a lot of sweet breakfasts, so be mindful of that if you’re used to whatever cinnamon-apple concoction comes out of the pre-made packets.
If you’re looking for more low FODMAP breakfast recipes, you can check out this round-up with some of my favorite recipes from around the interwebs.
Yoga teacher Rina Deshpande offers another perspective on non-theft.
From your studies of the yama, you may already know that asteya means non-stealing, the idea of not taking things that aren’t yours. But how does it apply when others steal something, whether it’s a physical item or even your time and energy, from you? Here, teacher Rina Deshpande—who leads our new online course, The Culture & Practice of the Yama—shares how the meaning of asteya can empower you to establish boundaries in your life.
Want more? Join Rina Deshpande, Ed.M., MS.T., RYT-500—teacher, writer, artist, and poet—for her new six-week online course, The Culture & Practice of the Yama. Through lectures, holistic practices, reflections, and discussions on yoga’s roots and evolution, Rina will bring depth and nuance to your understanding of this rich philosophy, infusing your daily life, practice, and teaching with meaning. Learn more and sign up today!
