Cyndi Lee is a teacher of mindful yoga, a combination of

Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...

practice and

yoga as exercise Yoga as exercise is a physical activity consisting mainly of asana, postures, often connected by vinyasa, flowing sequences, sometimes accompanied by pranayama, breathing exercises, and frequently ending with savasana, relaxation lying down or ...

. She has an international reputation and is the author of several books on her approach.

Biography

Early life

Cyndi Lee was born in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

; her father was a

protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

minister; her mother was a tailor and

ceramicist Ceramic art is art made from ceramic materials, including clay. It may take forms including artistic pottery, including tableware, tiles, figurines and other sculpture. As one of the plastic arts, ceramic art is one of the visual arts. Whil ...

. She was educated at Chapman College, California, starting in 1971. She gained her MFA at

University of California, Irvine The University of California, Irvine (UCI or UC Irvine) is a public land-grant research university in Irvine, California. One of the ten campuses of the University of California system, UCI offers 87 undergraduate degrees and 129 graduate and p ...

, with a thesis on "Women, Spirituality and Indian Dance". She won an Art History Fellowship to the

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...

in New York and started to teach yoga around 1980 in

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, working also as a

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

music video A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing devi ...

Career

Lee states that her "root guru" was the Tibetan master Gelek Rimpoche, from the late 1980s. She began teaching meditation by 1990. She founded the OM yoga centre in New York City in 1998, closing it in 2012. She trained as a lay

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

chaplain under Roshi Joan Halifax at

Upaya Zen Center Upaya Institute and Zen Center is a center for residential Zen practice located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and founded by Joan Halifax Roshi. The center focuses on integration of Zen practice with social action, with traditional cultivation of wisdo ...

in 2013, and was ordained in 2018. She runs teacher training courses in

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm ...

and

restorative yoga Restorative Yoga is the practice of asanas, each held for longer than in conventional yoga as exercise classes, often with the support of props such as folded blankets, to relax the body, reduce stress, and often to prepare for pranayama. Practi ...

. She runs workshops and trainings across America including at Kripalu, and in Europe at venues such as London's Triyoga. She has published five books on yoga and Buddhism, and writes for magazines including ''

Yoga Journal ''Yoga Journal'' is a website and digital journal, formerly a print magazine, on yoga as exercise founded in California in 1975 with the goal of combining the essence of traditional yoga with scientific understanding. It has produced live events ...

'', where she began its "Vinyasa/Home Practice" column, ''

Real Simple ''Real Simple'' is an American monthly magazine published by Dotdash Meredith. The magazine features articles and information related to homemaking, childcare, cooking, and emotional well-being. The magazine is distinguished by its clean, unclut ...

'', and '' Lion's Roar''.

Reception

The yoga and meditation teacher and author

Anne Cushman Anne Cushman (born c. 1964) is a teacher of yoga as exercise and meditation, an author on the intersection of those topics long thought to be distinct but now widely called Mindful Yoga, and a novelist. Her novel ''Enlightenment for Idiots'' was n ...

, reviewing ''Yoga Body, Buddha Mind'' for '' Tricycle: The Buddhist Review'', writes that Lee's book was the most readable of the three mindful yoga works she was reviewing. Cushman states that "Lee is well known as both an inspiring teacher and a good storyteller, and has a wide following from her books, retreats, and Om Yoga in a Box practice kits." Kathleen Kraft, interviewing Lee for ''

Yoga International The Himalayan Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy is an international non-profit organization, which promotes yoga and holistic health through yoga retreats, residential programs, health products and services, media publications including ' ...

'', writes that Lee had been a featured teacher on the site, and was "not afraid to reinvent herself". She describes Lee as an "influential and soulful yoga teacher". Nirmala Nataraj, in ''Yogi Times'', calls Lee's combination of Hatha Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism "a unique way to explore yoga's discipline". Susanna Smith, reviewing ''OM Yoga in a Box'' for VideoFitness.com, found the package of audio and practical materials an excellent deal, containing "very doable" exercises with "much less woo woo than ''Yoga Chants'' by

Shiva Rea Shiva Rea (born 1967) is a teacher of Vinyasa flow yoga and yoga trance dance. She is the founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga. She is one of the best-known yoga teachers in America, and around the world. Life Shiva Rea was born in Hermosa Beach, Cali ...

Works

Books

* 2003 ''OM at home'' (

Chronicle Books Chronicle Books is a San Francisco-based American publisher of books for adults and children. The company was established in 1967 by Phelps Dewey, an executive with Chronicle Publishing Company, then-publisher of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' ...

) * 2004 ''OM yoga today'' (

) * 2013 ''May I Be Happy: A Memoir of Love, Yoga, and Changing My Mind'' ( Plume Books) * 2014 ''Yoga Body, Buddha Mind'' (

Riverhead Books Riverhead Books is an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) founded in 1994 by Susan Petersen Kennedy. Writers published by Riverhead include Ali Sethi, Marlon James, Junot Díaz, George Saunders, Khaled Hosseini, Nick Hornby, Anne Lamott, Carlo Rove ...

) * 2017 (with Ruthie Fraser) ''Stack your bones'' (The Experiment) * 2019 (with Sage Rountree and Alexandra Desiato) ''Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses'' (

North Atlantic Books North Atlantic Books is a non-profit, independent publisher based in Berkeley, California, United States. Distributed by Penguin Random House Publisher Services, North Atlantic Books is a mission-driven social justice-oriented publisher. Founded ...

)

Self-instruction

* 2003 ''OM Yoga in a Box'' (instructional CD, music CD, yoga strap, incense and holder, tea candle, set of asana flash cards) (

Hay House Hay House is a publisher founded in 1984 by author Louise Hay, who is known for her books on New Thought. Hay House has its headquarters in Carlsbad, California, and is (as of 2018) run by Reid Tracy. Hay House descr ...

, )

References

External links

*
Lee interviews

Matthew Remski Matthew S. Remski (born 1971) is a yoga practitioner and author who has written on the connection between yoga and conspiracy theories. His work has been informed by his past experience as a cult member. Remski was instrumental in exposing inapprop ...

on yoga's abuse crisis
Lee on Yoga Alliance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Cyndi 1950s births Mindfulness (Buddhism) Living people Mindful Yoga American yoga teachers