Cyndi Lee began teaching meditation 30 years ago with the blessing of her root guru, the great Tibetan master, Gelek Rimpoche. In 2018 she was ordained as a Buddhist Chaplain, under the guidance of Roshi Joan Halifax of Upaya Zen Center.
Cyndi is also the first female Western yoga teacher to fully integrate yoga asana and Tibetan Buddhism in her practice and teaching. From 1998-2012, she founded and ran the renowned OM yoga Center, a yoga studio and dharma center. One of the most influential teachers in the U.S., Cyndi has trained thousands of meditators and yogis worldwide.
OM yoga Center was the first NYC studio to offer Buddhist meditation classes. Cyndi’s favorite student was her dad, Allan Lee, who took meditation training at the age of 75.
Cyndi is the author of six books including the classic yoga text: Yoga Body Buddha Mind and her newest book, Long Life Yoga: Essential Practices for Longevity, Well-Being, and Joy at Any Age. Other books are the The New York Times critically acclaimed May I Be Happy: A Memoir of Love, Yoga, and Changing My Mind and OM yoga: A Guide to Daily Practice.
Cyndi is a regular contributor to Yoga Journal, Lion’s Roar, Real Simple, and has written for Yoga International, Tricycle, and Natural Health. Recent articles include “My Slow Fashion Practice is Yoga, Too” (YJ), and “The Practice of Self-Caring” (LR).
Cyndi has found that teaching meditation online is wonderful! It turns out that it is completely possible to experience genuine connection and community this way, and we get to people we might never meet any other way.
These relationships have developed into Lifting the Gaze, a regular sangha/community that meets 3x monthly. Cyndi also holds an annual in-person retreat every year
Cyndi and her husband live in a casita in Santa Fe, NM. When she is not writing, meditating, practicing yoga, or walking around the block, she loves to knit, sew and read. She is a member of the Friends of the Library Board, and produces the Santa Fe Story Lab. She hopes everyone joins their local library and opposes book banning.
