Making sense of the madness w/ milo harris
On March Madness + Yoga studio Challenges
written by Veronica Townsend
Milo posing in front of the March Madness challenge bracket with their head inserted upward through a basketball hoop, the net dangling from their glasses frame.
A few months ago, TAOU Studio held a month-long March Madness challenge. Each week, students were randomly paired head-to-head with another student. Whoever attended more classes that week advanced to the next round. We started the challenge with 64 participants and many tough competitors. By the end of the five weeks, only 1 would be left standing.
Milo Harris (they/them) is a mental health therapist living in the Forest Hill neighborhood with their boxer husky mix (try saying that five times fast) named Hank — aka “Hanky Panky”, “Hunky”, “Honk”, etc.
Milo was introduced to TAOU through a friend back in November, and soon afterwards became a member. Outside of the challenge, they attend a solid 3-5 classes per week. But we watched them truly rise to the occasion for March Madness: Milo won the championship with a whopping total of 56 classes taken during that five-week period — up to 4 classes in a single day on multiple occasions.
I've come to understand Milo as a deeply contemplative person, curious about the people around them — and by extension, often finding themself thoughtfully reflecting on their own experiences. I had the pleasure of sitting down with Milo one Sunday morning at Janet’s Bakery to hear about what it was like to spend so much time at TAOU studio during the challenge.
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Throughout the month of March, Milo took 19 different classes with 17 different teachers. They highlighted their appreciation for the wide variety of classes and teaching styles offered at TAOU, which aided in their ability to show up at different energy levels throughout each day and each week:
“Each class offered something different. I did all kinds of stuff, I did any and all that I could - especially towards the end when it started getting really competitive. I think the only class I haven't been able to take is the ballet class.”
They didn’t just stick to the main schedule, either:
“I surprised myself and took one of the chair affair [pop-up] dance classes with Becky. I’d never done anything like that before, so I was kinda nervous, but Becky and the other participants made it so fun and low pressure. Now I’ve got some chair moves if the need ever arises, as I’m sure it will. Life is long.”
And they got to experience new flavors of the class styles they know and love:
“It was really cool to see the different teachers’ rhythms, how they design the class and how they speak. Someone I don’t get to take a lot of classes with because of my schedule is Jo, but I was able to take one of her [Yin + Yang] classes during the competition and I was really into it - how well the moves flowed into one another.”
(A side note: Milo is a self-proclaimed fanboy of Andre Wilson and took 13 of his classes that month — we all have our favorites.)
We spoke about what else made it possible for them to show up so dedicatedly during that month. They explained that their flexible work schedule provided random intervals between clients, allowing for the opportunity to attend class(es) throughout the day:
“The timing was so serendipitous, I started my new job and [more demanding] work schedule in April, which would have otherwise precluded me from being able to go as hard as I did.”
Milo picked up on something during the second week of the challenge while paired up against another TAOU member, David Necessary. Both competitors brought the heat that week, and ended up tied at 18 classes! A free-throw challenge in the lobby broke the tie, advancing Milo to the next round.
They recalled what it felt like to embrace their competitive nature:
“I was able to release this part of me that likes competition and is more tenacious. This is something I kinda knew about myself but further discovered. I found I have a deeper well of self-motivation and drive than I previously thought. I was going hard, I was locked in, I couldn’t stop.”
Of course Milo could stop — but they didn’t want to (thank goodness for a well-timed sound bath or Myo-Yin class).
Inevitably, their physical and energetic capacities ebbed and flowed throughout the month:
“After that second week, I started feeling it a little bit haha. Then I kinda got used to it, which was surprising. But by the last day, my shoulder was sore... I was tired.”
We agreed that 56 classes per month is probably not a sustainable model of engagement and I am happy to report that Milo was able to find some balance and regain their footing:
“April ended up being a lighter month. Now in May, I would say I'm probably averaging about the same as I was before.”
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When we introduce a novel approach to a given activity or routine, an opportunity to see things from a new perspective naturally presents itself.
“There’s an energy that gets sparked when you step outside of a typical pattern and introduce something new.”
I expressed my curiosity about what kinds of developments came to the surface for Milo. They spoke of two domains, separate but intertwined.
At first, there were the obvious, externally observable markers of growth:
“I was going to all of the classes, getting physical exercise, stretching. I was feeling myself getting stronger, building endurance, there was no doubt about that.”
Sensing improvements in physical strength and flexibility can feel incredibly empowering on its own — but it didn’t end there for Milo:
“Underneath that, there was a deepened sense of self — a sort of clarity of what I am capable of. I was getting in touch somatically with how my physical body moved and my breath, which I found really powerful and impactful. Yes it’s about being more in your body, and therefore better understanding how to move it to ‘do the thing’ - but it’s also about letting go of control in a way.”
When we pause to take a closer look, a beautiful analogy reveals itself. How we show up to our yoga/fitness/dance practice(s) can be a reflection of how we show up in other areas of our lives — how we relate to initiative, perseverance, rest, recovery, and every other flavor of participation.
“It’s been a good reminder that I can keep surprising myself. That I can keep ‘re-meeting’ myself as things grow and come into the playing field.”
However, this journey that Milo underwent was not in isolation. Playful competition, words of encouragement, and hours upon hours of time were shared with the students, teachers, and staff at TAOU. Milo brought up an impactful idea: that the price of community is inconvenience — and that this is by and large a small price to pay for the support that we gain through our participation.
“I gave up a lot of time to show up for myself in this competition, and in doing so I got to know the people I was up against and the teachers and the other staff. By the end of it I was like ‘Oh my god, so many people know my name’. It’s exciting, the connective aspect of it and the physical aspect of it.”
Whether you see Milo at one of our TAOU locations, walking their dog in the park, biking around town, or out on the dancefloor, I highly recommend introducing yourself.
Milo posing back-to-back with co-competitor and second place winner of the March Madness challenge, Kyle H.
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This wasn't the first TAOU challenge, and it won't be the last — but it’s clear that the March Madness challenge was one of the more interactive challenges TAOU has held thus far. The level of engagement among everyone involved was inspiring to witness. We might come to realize that opportunities to embody practices of attunement, resilience, and mutual support start cropping up everywhere once we put ourselves in an open position to receive.
It’s moments like these that exemplify TAOU’s #1 goal: to create community. And it’s just plain FUN!
As we move into a new season, we’re carrying that same spirit forward with the TAOU Summer Challenge / Summer Bucket List
Starting with the Summer Solstice June 21 and running through August 17, this challenge is an invitation to slow down, get curious, try something new, and fully experience the season we’re in.
Are you going to join us?
