Hot Topic: Rodney Yee On Yoga

Only two sounds were audible at the American Hotel in Sag Harbor last Wednesday afternoon: the collective breath of approximately 50 women who sat in meditative silence and the soothing, yet authoritative voice of internationally-acclaimed yogi Rodney Yee, which gently commanded the women to get as centered as they could, mentally and physically.

The exercise, led by Mr. Yee, involved a technique called “body scan meditation,” which brings together the body and breath to focus on the mind—a life-giving practice which anyone can do, according to Mr. Yee.

One of the foremost yoga masters in the world, Mr. Yee and his wife, yogini Colleen Saidman, director of Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbor, were asked to kick off the inaugural talk in this year’s “Hot Topics” series, sponsored by The League of Women Voters of the Hamptons.

Dispelling fiction from fact when it comes to the practice of yoga was the main topic of the talk, which Mr. Yee interspersed with some of his own personal experiences, including a story about how yoga was so unknown when he began practicing 30 years ago that he would tell people he was a yoga teacher, and the typical response was “What flavor?”

He said that in the past, many Westerners had “crazy ideas” about the practice of yoga, such as that it is “related to contortionism, strange mental practices and is part of some sort of cult.” But in the last decade or so, people have embraced the practice and it has gained widespread popularity in America, he said.

“Yoga has finally, in some sense, come out of the closet,” said Mr. Yee.

Ms. Saidman, who is credited with creating a strong yoga community in the Hamptons, said that yoga is for everyone, regardless of sex, age or physical ability. She noted that the classes at Yoga Shanti represent a wide spectrum of practices and practitioners.

There are many branches of yoga: Ashtanga, Bikram, Hatha, Ananda, etc. And different disciplines meet varying needs for those who practice. Ashtanga, for example is a vigorously athletic practice, while Ananda focuses on gentle breathing and movement. But, regardless of the discipline, a person’s circulation, respiration and balance all benefit from yoga, Mr. Yee said, adding that the practice involves mind, body and breath, and provides the path to aging gracefully (which elicited a burst of applause from the women in the audience).

The body’s physical response to yoga is evident quickly, he reported, but the mind is also positively affected by the practice. One of the basic tenets of yoga, Mr. Yee went on to say, is “really finding the deepest part of yourself ... ‘Who am I’ is the quest, the single question of yoga. The more you understand that we are connected, the more you will be completely involved.”

Bringing the thread back to the gathered group of women, mostly members of the League of Women Voters, Mr. Yee said that yoga, which comes from the Sanskrit root “yuj,” meaning to yoke or bring together, “addresses the summary of the problems we have as individuals,” which in turn makes for a stronger whole.

“Yoga is about really finding your voice,” he said. Knowing our values, what we stand for, is the initiation of all politics in all communities.”

The next League of Women Voters “Hot Topics” talk is planned for March. For more information on the League, visit hamptons.ny.lwvnet.org. For more information on Mr. Yee or Ms. Saidman, visit yogashanti.com.