May 22, 2008 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

Stop the presses: ‘You gotta dive off the cliff’
Criminal court reporter seeks peace in yoga studio
by LOUISE E. WRIGHT

Conroy, a former court reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News, just can’t resist writing on her laptop out of habit. (Photos by Louise Wright)

It’s a long way from the Criminal Justice Center to the yoga studio, but Theresa Conroy made the trek. A criminal court reporter for more than 20 years, Conroy, 45, recently decided to devote herself full-time to a yoga career. This month, she opens Yoga on the Ridge, Roxborough’s first exclusively yoga studio.

Conroy grew up in Manayunk, moved to Roxborough as a teen and, except for a brief residence in Fishtown early in her marriage, has lived there ever since. Her husband is beer enthusiast and reporter Don Russell, a.k.a. Joe Sixpack, whom she met while working at the Philadelphia Daily News.

From an early age, Conroy knew she wanted to be a journalist. While still a junior at Temple University, she signed on as a stringer for the Philadelphia Inquirer and spent the next few years covering Bucks County courts. Conroy’s family background easily explains her fascination with crime: her father, Michael J. Conroy Jr., sat on the Municipal Court bench and, at the time of his death, was the most senior judge in Philadelphia. “Being his daughter helped me a lot,” Conroy admits, “probably more than I give him credit for.”

Unable to find a job when a three-year stint with Philadelphia Magazine ended, Conroy did criminal defense work for a private investigator. Shortly afterwards, she joined the staff of the Philadelphia Daily News, where she remained for 12 years. During the last half of her tenure, she covered the criminal courts.

“It was the best beat I ever had,” she enthuses. “The courts serve as venues for the most horrible and poignant dramas in the city, and I had a front row seat.” Writing for the Daily News gave Conroy, a self-proclaimed “tabloid gal,” the opportunity to “let loose” with those dramas. She describes her coverage of the Ira Einhorn case as “the best stories of my life.” Now serving a life sentence for the murder of Holly Maddux, Einhorn jumped bail after his arraignment and fled to Europe, where he lived for 16 years. Extradition proved difficult, and the Daily News sent Conroy to France twice, in 1997 and 2002, to report on the proceedings.

Conroy also mentions with pride her work on the Lex Street Massacre, which included covering the murders both on the scene and in the courts. It was she who broke the story that the homicide detectives had arrested the wrong four men.

For her “front row seat,” however, Conroy paid a high price. Along with the drama and the excitement came the unpleasant testimony, gory details and disturbing images that comprise the evidence in a murder or rape trial. She describes viewing autopsy photographs of murdered babies and interviewing the mothers of those babies as the worst part of the job. “I saw a lot of murdered babies,” she says quietly.

High-pressured though it was, Conroy’s job at the Daily News had no influence on her decision to practice yoga. She characterizes herself as a typical hard-boiled reporter: overweight, “with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of Jameson’s in the other.” After giving up smoking in 2000, Conroy turned into “a nervous wreck.” One day she got hold of a yoga tape for beginners. After doing it once, she realized: “If I do this every day, I’ll never smoke again.” Soon, she began taking classes at Manayunk’s Yoga on Main, where she also trained once she decided to become a yoga teacher.

“Yoga had such a dramatic impact on me,” she explains, “that I wanted to share it.” Overweight when she quit smoking, Conroy gained a few more pounds before going to Weight Watchers and dropping three dress sizes. As a result of slimming down, she had a “confused body image,” which yoga helped her deal with. Also thanks to yoga, Conroy “completely overcame” a general anxiety disorder for which she used to take medication.

Almost immediately on completing her training, Conroy began teaching part-time at Yoga Schelter in East Falls. In January, 2007, she left the Daily News to work at the studio full-time. Long before, Conroy had become disillusioned with journalism. After 27 years as a reporter, she felt “disappointed, heartbroken and let down by the profession.” Journalism in general — not just at the Daily News — had changed. Hollywood scandals, celebrity updates and people-watching replaced “great stories” or reduced them to a few column inches.

As Conroy lost interest in her profession, she also lost the edge needed to write the kind of copy she excelled at. No matter how upsetting the evidence, a good criminal reporter has to recognize its potential. She has to be able to watch the drama unfolding before her and say to herself, “Wow! This is going to make a great story.” Without that kind of detachment, Conroy reveals, the work becomes “demoralizing.”

Although ready to leave journalism, Conroy admits she felt “very scared” when the time came to act. As she drove home from the Daily News on her last day, however, she experienced a physical sense of relief. “It was as if I’d been carrying the victims of all the trials I’d ever covered on my back,” she recalls, “and I could literally feel them sliding off.” Her advice to those considering a career change? Ultimately, “you gotta dive off the cliff.” 

Less than a year after taking the plunge, Conroy began thinking of opening her own studio. On Tuesday, May 13, she taught her first class at Yoga on the Ridge. Conroy will add classes throughout the month, implementing the full schedule as of June 1.

The studio’s name reflects not only Conroy’s Roxborough roots but also her down-to-earth approach to yoga. She strives to demystify yoga and present it as “simple, straightforward and meaningful to everyday life.” It is a means of physical healing as well as stress release.

A converted garage once used to repair Vespas, the studio retains touches of its industrial past. Large windows allow for plenty of light; dramatic archways add a Moroccan vibe, and old cobalt-blue fire doors contrast with the creamy vanilla walls, some of which still reveal the original cinder block. For the most part, Conroy plans to leave the walls bare, both to accommodate those yoga postures that require wall support and to provide a backdrop for the works of local artists, whom she hopes to feature on a rotating basis. Bamboo — beautiful, sustainable and cheaper than hardwood — covers the cement floors. A small landscaped area outside will offer a quiet spot for reflection.

Practitioners who have taken classes with Conroy elsewhere can count on the same heartfelt and genuine touch they’ve come to appreciate and the same great music. “I spend way too much time perfecting my play lists,” Conroy laughs. Not only will Yoga on the Ridge welcome students of all levels, but it will also cater to those with special needs. In conjunction with the Parkinson’s Council, Conroy will develop a class for those suffering from the disease. She worked privately with one Parkinson’s patient, whose neurologist saw so much improvement that he put Conroy in touch with the council.

In August of this year, Conroy will receive her certification as a yoga therapist from Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy in Bristol, Vermont. She explains that a yoga therapist “has an expertise in using the postures, breath work and philosophy of yoga to respond to specific physical or emotional problems.” Using a one-on-one approach, the therapist addresses a patient’s specific needs. For instance, in working with someone who had suffered a severe back injury, Conroy would identify yoga postures to alleviate the pain and strengthen the back muscles.

As with her decision to become a yoga teacher, Conroy took this next step in her career because of how much yoga has helped her.