[Sports Seoul | Reporter Wi Su-jeong] Singer Lee Hyori candidly discussed the challenges and honest feelings that have come with running a yoga studio.
On May 10, her YouTube channel 'Ah Yoga (ah yoga)' posted a video titled “Not Hyori — Here’s What the Ananda Yoga Instructors Really Think.” In the clip, Lee said she has been running a studio in Seoul for about nine months and described day-to-day life with her students.
Lee said, “Since we opened, many people have consistently attended the early-morning classes,” adding that people work hard to sign up. She noted that while she has a clear sense of members’ physical conditions and training goals, morning classes still consist of more than 70 percent one-day trial students.
When asked whether overseeing that mix of students is difficult, she replied, “Yes, it’s not easy,” and added, “I think that, in itself, has become part of my practice.”
She also acknowledged the emotional strain of teaching. “It’s tough to ask students to hold difficult poses,” she said. “When I see them struggling, I want to let them come out of the pose right away.”
“I know from experience that pain can lead to growth,” she continued, “but it’s very hard to just leave them in pain.” She admitted, “I’ve told students to hold for three minutes and then, before two minutes were up, told them to come out more times than I can count.”
Lee explained why she began practicing yoga: “At first, I wanted to stop my shoulder from hurting and to be able to do impressive poses,” she said. “Now, more than anything, I feel that yoga has helped me keep my life steady and secure.”
She added, “I have so much energy that I don’t know where I would have put it if I hadn’t found yoga. Getting hooked on a healthy habit likely kept me from falling into other, less healthy addictions.”
Lee married musician Lee Sang-soon in 2013. After years living in Jeju, she moved back to Seoul last year and now runs a yoga studio in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun District. wsj0114@sportsseoul.com
