Inspirational Elders: 90 Year Old Yoga Master

New Zealand, home to the beautiful background scenes in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, is also home to 90-year-old yoga instructor, Tania Dyett. A yoga instructor in Wellington for almost 40 years, Dyett was born in China to Russian parents and spent several years in what is now known as Indonesia before relocating to New Zealand with her family in 1946. Feeling like she didn’t do enough with her body, she became interested in yoga, eventually qualifying as a yoga instructor during her 20s.

In addition to a vegetarian diet and a healthy lifestyle, she believes in living life with a positive attitude. Although she had been admitted to a hospital after a fall and has since lost her sense of balance, the great-grandmother remains upbeat, telling  Stuff, ” When your health breaks down, it’s horrible . . . But I recuperated quite quickly with yoga. Because of this people say I am ‘quite wonderful’, but I am not. How you talk to yourself is important. You just have to be positive. If you tell yourself, ‘Oh God, I am tired and not feeling well’, you will feel bad.”

Maintaining her flexibility, though she now uses a chair instead of standing during some of the yoga exercises that require balance, the yoga master continues to hold classes every week. Truly an inspiration for people of all ages, Dyett says, “Yoga is wonderful. It’s a good and necessary thing to do, but it’s not just physical, it’s also mental . . . I hope I will never stop.”

We hope she never stops either!

Need some more inspiration, check out 96-year-old Tao Porchon Lynch, the world record holder for oldest yoga teacher.

If the time has come when your aging loved one is no longer able to live independently, please contact the knowledgeable staff at ElderLink to help you find elder care services or an assisted living facility within California that is customized for your family.