Lilias Folan obit

Lilias Folan Dies: Longtime PBS Host & “First Lady Of Yoga” Was 90

 

She was not on the list.

Lilias Folan, sometimes described as “The First Lady Of Yoga” because of her nearly 30-year-run as host of PBS‘ weekday program Lilias, Yoga and You, died March 9 in an assisted-living facility outside Cincinnati. She was 90.

Here death was announced by family.

“Known to many as a trailblazer who brought yoga into American homes through her groundbreaking public television series Lilias, Yoga and You,” the family stated, “Lilias dedicated her life to helping others find strength, balance, and inner peace. Her warmth, wisdom, and gentle spirit made yoga accessible to millions and inspired generations of students and teachers.”

Folan began the instructional program on PBS’ Cincinnati station WCET in 1970, and the program soon proved popular enough to warrant national distribution. Lilias, Yoga and You ran on PBS stations across the country until 1999, often just prior to Sesame Street, bringing what had long been a rather esoteric practice into the mainstream.

Born Lilias Antoinette Moon in Boston on January 13, 1936, Folan attended Bennington College and later married transportation executive L. Robert Folan. After the births of sons Matthew and Michael in the early 1960s, Folan, suffering postpartum depression, joined a yoga class at a local Y.W.C.A. in Connecticut. The decision was life-changing.

When the family moved to Cincinnati in 1968, Folan became a yoga teacher, with one of her students, according to The New York Times, being the wife of a local kids show producer. The idea for what would become Lilias, Yoga and You was soon hatched.

In addition to that TV series, Folan authored four books: Lilias, Yoga and You (1972), Lilias, Yoga and Your Life (1981), Lilias! Yoga Gets Better With Age (2005), and Lilias! Yoga: Your Guide to Enhancing Body, Mind, and Spirit in Midlife and Beyond (2011).

Folan also made appearances on various talk shows, and can be seen briefly in 1979’s Being There as star Peter Sellers attempts to follow along with Folan’s TV show.

Folan is survived by sons Michael and Matthew; seven grandchildren; brother Harold Hamilton; and half sister Melinda Moon. A Celebration of Life will be held in Cincinnati on May 16.