98-year-old Yoga Master Tao Porchon-Lynch Walks The Red Carpet

May 16 – 19, 2017 – You don’t retire over 90, you inspire. That’s the message in the documentary, If You’re Not In The Obit, Eat Breakfast, 98-year-old yoga master Tao Porchon-Lynch is in with superstars such as Carl Reiner (95), Betty White (95), Norman Lear (94), Dick Van Dyke (91), Tony Bennett (90), Mel Brooks (90), Kirk Douglas (100) and more. The film will air June 5th on HBO.

We had a whirlwind three and a half days in Los Angeles to attend the premiere on May 17th at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills where the Oscars are held. Tao was excited about walking the red carpet. It brought her back to her days as an actress under contract with MGM in the 1950s. She was in a range of films such as ShowBoat, The Last Time I Saw Paris, Sangaree, House of Wax and Jump Into Hell. Tao also had parts in TV shows such as The Bob Hope Show, I Married Joan, The Red Skelton Show, The Cisco Kid and Passport to Danger. Tao’s early representation was from the William Morris Agency.

This documentary didn’t touch upon Tao’s Hollywood past or her fearlessness during World War II helping Jews escape the Nazis as a French Resistance fighter. Yet, despite all of the big names in the film, The Hollywood Reporter stated:

One of the documentary’s most inspiring stories came from Tao Porchon-Lynch, 98, who is recognized as the oldest yoga teacher and dancer in the world. When she was 12 years old, Lynch marched alongside Gandhi and to this day continues to share the same peaceful mentality about herself and her life.

Tao’s presence and current vitality, without even knowledge of her full incredible backstory, inspires. During the reception after the screening, we had the usual line of people coming up to Tao to take pictures and get hugs. My cousin, Leon Isaac Kennedy, who attended the premiere with his wife Maureen, escorted Tao through the reception to greet people including the film’s producers Aimee Hyatt and George Shapiro. Aimee and George, with director Danny Gold, did an outstanding job on the film. It was both funny and inspiring — providing a kick in the butt to those who complain about age. After the screening, there was a hilarious discussion with Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, Mel Brooks and Norman Lear moderated by Tom Bergeron of Dancing With The Stars. The chemistry between them all was electric.

The day before the premiere, Tao reconnected with Suzanne Allen, a dear friend from the 1950s whom she had not seen for over three decades. 96-year-old Suzanne, who is also French (Tao is half-French, half Indian), was married to well-known architect William Allen. They are both mentioned in Tao’s award-winning autobiography, Dancing Light: The Spiritual Side of Being Through the Eyes of a Modern Yoga Master. The morning after the premiere we had breakfast at The Beverly Hills Hotel. Tao used to go there often for lunch and hold fundraising events there with The Charity Players. In her book, there is an iconic picture of her getting out of a car in front of the hotel in the early 1950s. We walked around the hotel grounds as Tao reminisced. She pointed out a picture of her dear friend Marlene Dietrich in one of the hotel’s displays.

During the trip, we stayed at a very charming hotel, The Chamberlain West Hollywood. Personally, I had two treats while in LA in addition to the premiere. First, I celebrated my birthday on May 16th with Tao and Joyce Pines who also traveled from New York. We ate at the hotel’s very chic restaurant. Second, I went to the Playboy Mansion with my cousin Leon for dinner and a movie on May 18th. We saw the movie No Reservations starring Catherine Zeta Jones. Leon has been friends with Hugh Hefner for decades and I had been to the mansion before. I remember the first time there when I was 18! It has changed since. Dinner and a movie is a tradition — though the gathering has become more about true friends and family versus large crowds. It was nice to see Hugh, who is 91, and meet his wife Crystal. I gave her a copy of Dancing Light with a special message from Tao. Out of respect for Hugh and Crystal’s privacy, I didn’t take any pictures. However, I did include for you a peak at the Playboy water bottle. 🙂

See pictures below. Click on each image to make it larger. You can Like and Share each image, as well as spread the light by sharing this link and these hashtags: #ThisIs98 #TaoExp #TaoPorchonLynch #IfYoureNotInTheObit