YOGI OF THE MONTH

February 2021 - Thyra Harris

What first brought you to yoga and how long have you been practicing?

Twelve years ago, I started Chair Yoga at the YMCA in Middlesex County. After a year or so, I felt strong enough to try Hatha Yoga and have enjoyed the teachers and the classmates ever since. The movement is something I’m still able to do even with arthritis and fibromyalgia. As a matter of fact, my rheumatologist recently told me I was her best patient and that, because of me, she’s also begun practicing yoga.

What is/are your intention(s) for your yoga practice?

My intentions are to challenge myself to stay as active as my body allows. When I was 81, I flew to the Aleutians Islands in Alaska and spent several days on airplanes, on small boats, on hikes in the wilderness—all the while keeping up with much younger people. To this I attribute yoga and the encouragement of my classmates cheering me on. Who knows where Susan will lead me after the pandemic? She has not backed off from teaching us challenging new poses or sequences. 

What is your favorite pose and why?

I love balance poses, especially standing knee lift to a side step, something we do fairly frequently in class. 

What is your favorite class at InsideOut Yoga?

Slow Flow and SBF Yoga.

How has the practice of yoga influenced your life?

Being around young people who are interested in yoga and life has exposed me to experiences that so many of my peers haven’t tried. Regularly going to yoga class has kept me healthy and laughing; going out for donuts or lunch after practice with my classmates is all part of the socialization. I feel like I’m an example to them that you don’t have to quit enjoying life just because you’re growing older.

What advice would you have for a beginning yoga student?

Wear comfortable clothes, listen to your body and give yourself time to grow into the movements. You have the rest of your life to share the treat of yoga with your body. Watch yourself stand taller and step higher and know you’re going to be able to relish all the joy that life around the Chesapeake Bay has to offer (which, I might add, is where I played as a child and dreamed of living as an adult).

What is your occupation?

Breeding and showing Pembroke Welsh Corgis (something I’ve done for years) and also having a vendor booth at Corgi Specialty Shows keeps me busy. I represent several artisans and have a website. Retail seems to be in my blood, as I have owned a tack shop and have worked in stores since I got my work permit at age 14. 

What activities do you enjoy?

My four Corgis keep me active. Yoga is my contact with the “real” world.