Where breath becomes the beat: Karin Thyr Eriksson on yoga, stillness and storytelling
- NAME: Karin Thyr Eriksson
- AGE: 52
- OCCUPATION: Yoga teacher, songwriter and artist in the husband and wife Country Americana duo Thyra & Magnolia Road
- YOGA YEARS: Over 30 years…on and off, with a deeper, more consistent practice over the last decade
Why did you start yoga?
I was 20, living in Sweden, when yoga was still largely unheard of. I had just moved to Stockholm to study music, and one of my teachers introduced a few simple yoga movements and breathing exercises to help us centre before going on stage. I remember laughing — it felt like some kind of hippie thing and I was very sceptical.
But something stayed with me. As a hyper creative person (I later learned I have ADHD), those moments of breath and movement helped me focus and become less afraid of stillness. What started as a way to focus, stretch and recover from a physically demanding life gradually became something much deeper: a place where I could breathe again, listen inward, and reconnect to myself beyond performance and deadlines.
How has yoga changed your life?
Yoga taught me self-respect. It taught me kindness toward myself. And it continues to teach me, daily, that I am enough — without proving, pushing, or performing.
Favourite yoga haunts?
Quiet, honest spaces, wherever I can move and breathe without distraction. Studios, hotel rooms while touring, wooden floors, nature. Yoga travels well!
Best Yoga Moments?
In my forties, I practiced in Thailand with one of my teachers, Yot. I always wanted to leave when we got to savasana it was just not for me. Yot sat with me during savasana every single day with a hand on my shoulder. He forced me to be in that very uncomfortable space… but I was not alone. He was there with me until I could truly exhale and let go. That was my first real experience of stillness. I surrendered completely, and understood, for the first time, what letting go means both physically and emotionally.
Anything else
My teaching style is creative and flowing, shaped by both movement and music. Over time, I brought all that I learned from my teacher Sadie Nardini and the anatomy training I have into a style of yin yoga I call dynamic yin — a practice where softness and stillness is approached gradually, and where creativity and energy is allowed to move freely through the body. For me, yoga isn’t separate from life or art, it’s the place where they quietly come together.
Connect with Karin Thyr Erikssonon on Instagram @livingwellbykarin
@thyraofficial
Om Magazine
First published in November 2009, OM Yoga magazine has become the most popular yoga title in the UK. Available from all major supermarkets, independents and newsstands across the UK. Also available on all digital platforms.
