Rodney Yee

Rodney Yee

Rodney Yee is a celebrated yoga teacher who began his practice in 1980 and has become a key figure in the American yoga landscape. Known for his ability to merge the physical and philosophical aspects of yoga, Rodney aims to reveal the natural beauty of the spirit through movement. Alongside his wife, Colleen Saidman Yee, he developed the Gaia Yoga Studio, which focuses on making yoga accessible for home practice.

Rodney’s teaching style is heavily influenced by his personal practice and intuition, as well as his deep exploration of Iyengar Yoga. He built a strong foundation in Iyengar Yoga under the guidance of renowned teachers, including Donald Moyer. This tradition’s emphasis on alignment, sequencing, and timing continues to shape his approach, making his classes accessible and profound for practitioners of all levels.

Throughout his career, Rodney has been dedicated to expanding the reach of yoga beyond the studio. He has created numerous video titles, narrated mediation audio recordings, and written two books, allowing people to experience his teachings. globally. As a co-chair of the Urban Zen Health and Wellness Initiative, Rodney also works to bring the healing benefits of yoga and holistic practices into hospitals and other care settings.

Education

Rodney Yee studied Philosophy and Physical Therapy at U.C. Davis and U.C. Berkeley. He learned from influential teachers, including Donald Moyer, Manouso Manos, and Ramanand Patel.

Career

Rodney was a ballet dancer with the Oakland Ballet Company and Matsuyama Dance Company of Tokyo. He co-founded Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, CA, in 1987. He developed Gaia Yoga Studio with his wife, Colleen, and partnered with Donna Karan to establish UZIT LLC (Urban Zen Integrative Therapy), blending Yoga, Reiki, Essential Oils, and Meditation. He is a co-chair of the Urban Zen Health and Wellness Initiative, a foundation promoting yoga and holistic therapies in hospitals nationwide.

Publications

Rodney has authored books like "Yoga, The Poetry of the Body" (2002) and "Moving Toward Balance" (2004). He appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Live with Kelly and Mark, CNN, and PBS. Rodney has starred in instructional videos, such as "Gaiam: Rodney Yee Yoga for Energy and Stress Relief" and "Living Yoga: Abs Yoga for Beginners." He was featured on the cover of Yoga Journal and appeared in the 2007 documentary "Yoga, Inc."

Featured Appearances and Yoga Courses

  • Ashtanga
  • Fusion
  • Hatha
  • Restorative
  • Therapeutic
  • Vinyasa
  • Beginner Yoga
  • Tutorials
  • Yoga Talks
  • Chair Yoga
  • Level 1
  • Level 1-2
  • Level 2
  • Level 2-3
  • Level 3
  • 15 Minutes
  • 30 Minutes
  • 45 Minutes
  • 60 Minutes
  • 5 Minutes
  • 10 Minutes
  • 20 Minutes
  • 75 Minutes
  • Yoga at Work
  • Morning
  • Arm Balances
  • Yoga for Sports
  • Backbends
  • Core
  • Detox
  • Digestion
  • Energy
  • Hips
  • Inversions
  • Low Back
  • Shoulders
  • Evening
  • Relaxation
  • Spine
  • Stress Relief
  • Twists
  • Weight Loss
  • Wrists
  • Pranayama
  • Flexibility
  • Balance
  • Concentration
  • Neck
  • All-Around
  • Strength
  • Vitality
  • Upper Body
  • Lower Body
  • Immunity
  • Emotional Wellness
Clear all
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  • Ashtanga
  • Fusion
  • Hatha
  • Restorative
  • Therapeutic
  • Vinyasa
  • Beginner Yoga
  • Tutorials
  • Yoga Talks
  • Chair Yoga
  • Level 1
  • Level 1-2
  • Level 2
  • Level 2-3
  • Level 3
  • 15 Minutes
  • 30 Minutes
  • 45 Minutes
  • 60 Minutes
  • 5 Minutes
  • 10 Minutes
  • 20 Minutes
  • 75 Minutes
  • Yoga at Work
  • Morning
  • Arm Balances
  • Yoga for Sports
  • Backbends
  • Core
  • Detox
  • Digestion
  • Energy
  • Hips
  • Inversions
  • Low Back
  • Shoulders
  • Evening
  • Relaxation
  • Spine
  • Stress Relief
  • Twists
  • Weight Loss
  • Wrists
  • Pranayama
  • Flexibility
  • Balance
  • Concentration
  • Neck
  • All-Around
  • Strength
  • Vitality
  • Upper Body
  • Lower Body
  • Immunity
  • Emotional Wellness

155 classes found

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      Yoga Foundations
      Explore prep poses for inversions and arm balances to increase your agility and flexibility. Learn to enjoy challenges as you re-orient your body and mind.
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          Yoga Foundations
          Refine your practice by learning the healthy and safe way to prepare for more challenging poses. Break poses down and discover patterns so that even seemingly difficult poses become more approachable.
          Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
          Colleen shares her strong conviction that yoga can help each and every one of the 7.2 billion people on the planet.
          Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
          Rodney and Colleen return to their earlier conversation: “What is yoga?”
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              Yoga Foundations
              A flow to stimulate the organs, intestines, and spine to create heat and encourage purification. Explore a variety of twists and forward folds.
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                  Yoga Foundations
                  Cultivate patience and relaxation with an exploration of closed twists and forward bends. Shift your reflection inward by exploring standing and seated poses taught with many accessible variations.
                  Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
                  Colleen Saidman shares how yoga helped her learn to love her body after years of being insecure about her appearance. Watch this Yoga Talk to find out more.
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                      Yoga Foundations
                      Refine your understanding of the architecture and movement of the physical body by focusing on subtle aspects of closed twists and forward bends.
                      Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
                      Why do we bow and say Namaste during a yoga class? Rodney and Colleen discuss the various meanings of the word used to share a heart connection with fellow yogis.
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                          Yoga Foundations
                          Focus on refining twists and backbends to help make them feel effortless and safe. Move methodically with attention to alignment in seated and standing postures.
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                              Yoga Foundations
                              Learn to lengthen and ground to create space in the spine. A spacious spine allows ease in twists and backbends. Follow Colleen for modified variations.
                              Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
                              Rodney and Colleen explain that yoga encompasses poses, breathing and meditation.
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                                  Yoga Foundations
                                  Explore twists and bends to give extra attention to the places where you might feel stuck. Wring out slow-moving energy with twists and open your mind with backbends.
                                  Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
                                  Colleen and Rodney dive deep into the words you hear often in yoga class: breath and prana.
                                  Yoga Talks with Rodney & Colleen
                                  Rodney asks Colleen to describe the importance of alignment, and their conversation explores how focusing on the nuances of the pose offers freedom. When you find alignment,
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                                      Yoga Foundations
                                      Standing poses are the foundation for your practice. This grounding and strengthening practice focuses on the legs and feet and by holding the poses for longer periods of time you will develop a sensitivity to your personal body architecture.