I have always viewed yoga as "moving meditation"
and I am drawn to teachers like Cyndi Lee, who beautifully weave
Buddhist concepts of meditation into their asana practice. Cyndi
Lee is the creator of the "Om Yoga in a Box" yoga series.
I talked with Cyndi recently to learn more about how yoga has been
instrumental in her own life.
What brought you to yoga and how long have you been practicing/teaching?
I took my first yoga class in college in 1972. It was very early
in the morning and very easy for me - mostly stretching with savasana
between every pose. I tried not to fall asleep.
I moved to New York City in 1978 and got a job teaching yoga at
the Apple Health Club which is no longer there. I used Richard Hittleman's
book as a guide and worked together with my girlfriend, who also
taught yoga at that health club, to learn more yoga from other books.
We explored different asanas and pranayama, cleansing diets, and
then shared what we figured out with our students.
What lead you to becoming a Buddhist and how does that
influence your yoga practice/teachings?
I had explored all kinds of Eastern teachings in college. I went
to college in Southern California in the early '70s when it was
easy to take classes like Hinduism in Art. The whole class would
go together on silent retreats in the Joshua Tree Desert. My master's
thesis was on Spirituality, Women and Dance.
My interest in Buddhism grew stronger around the late '80s when
I discovered that several of my friends were practitioners. I went
to the teachings of the Dalai Lama and then my friends guided me
to books and various teachers. Finally, I met Gelek Rinpoche and
began to study with him regularly.
After 15 years as a professional dancer I began to dance less and
evolve into full time yoga teaching. I found that what I had learned
in dharma talks and studies just naturally came out of my mouth
when I was teaching yoga. The mind approach or view of Buddhism,
which recognizes our own suffering, and then gives us choices of
how to proceed, was just naturally a good way to work with our bodies
in yoga.
Buddhism didn't just influence my teaching, but influenced everything
for me. Beyond influence, it is my way of viewing the world and
working with everything around me. It is a very helpful map for
negotiating life. This message is shared with my students during
my classes.
Tell me a bit about Om Yoga Center in NYC...
I began OM Yoga Center in 1998 on a shoestring budget. I raised
money from my students and friends and kept my fingers crossed.
In the first class there were two people - both my best girl friends.
I didn't sleep that night. But it picked up in about three weeks
and has been going ever since.
I wanted to start my own yoga school because I hadn't found the
place for me anywhere else. There are zillions of yoga studios in
NYC now, but back then there weren't very many. I had taught at
Jivamukti but it was strongly Hindu based and although I certainly
respect that tradition, it was not the direction I was going. I
was teaching at gyms and other yoga studios and noticed that the
same people were showing up at all my classes. So I rented space
at the Shambhala Center to see if anybody would come. It worked
out well, I added more classes and then decided to try to find my
own place where I could offer the blend of yoga that has evolved
for me naturally.
Tell me about your blend of yoga...
This blend is a mix of
1) Vinyasa flow: I like the juiciness, fun and energy of flowing
movement. I like how you feel the wind on your skin and how you
are encouraged not to hold onto anything but are constantly reminded
of how all things change and are impermanent.
2) Precise alignment: When we can find correct alignment, it creates
a physical container of equanimity to support equanimity of mind
and heart. It is the best way to prevent injury and get the most
benefit from the practice.
3) Buddhist mindfulness meditation: The mindfulness practice is
the foundation for all the physical work. It is what brings the
body and mind together and really makes it a complete practice.
Watching our mind while working our body helps us to recognize habits
of aggression or any kind of mental broken record.
What are some challenges you face in your own yoga practice?
Physical, mental, spiritual...?
Time management. Somehow my studio got quite large and it takes
a lot of time and effort to run. I like the challenge of figuring
out how to deal with banks, landlords, city regulations, payroll,
in a good way. Sometimes the bottom line and the heart don't seem
to be on the same page, but there is always a way. That takes time.
Quick business decisions from a standard business point of view
is not the way I want to support my wise and kind teachers, my wonderful
administrative staff, my adorable front desk staff, or the warm
sangha we have all created together. So I have a lot of meetings,
creative think sessions, and I wish I could practice more and go
on a retreat. Running a business and teaching are forms of practice
for me, too, though, as is being married.
How do you describe the benefits of yoga to someone new, coming
for the very first time?
Yoga gives you tools for creating harmony and balance in your life!
Sandy Gross is the owner of Evolution Yoga, a new state-of-the-art,
eco-friendly yoga studio in Beachwood. Evolution Yoga features 25
classes per week, workshops, a retail boutique, teacher-training
program and hosts many workshops with internationally known yoga
teachers. Vist her website at www.evolutionyogastudio.com.
Visit Cyndi Lee's website at www.omyoga.com
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