ICY LEE
The door to yoga opened for Icy when she was 11 or 12 years old. At that time, she was passionate about ballet, but her body was weak and frail. Every time she practiced, she felt physically inadequate, out of breath and unable to keep up. Following a spontaneous intuition, she went to the library to search for and read books about yoga and breathing techniques, including B.K.S. Iyengar's "Light on Yoga." Due to limited space at home, she began her yoga journey on her own, practicing on her bed.
She never expected that this yoga journey would continue to this day, and in 2009, she established Yogaśālā. Starting with herself as the only instructor, she has now trained more than ten instructors who share her passion for Iyengar yoga. They provide yoga classes primarily in Cantonese for the local community, which has always been her original intention in establishing the school.
In the final chapter, "Teachers and Teaching," of B.K.S. Iyengar's book "The Tree of Yoga," he mentions: 'Yoga teachers must be strong and positive in their approach. They must be affirmative to create confidence in pupils and negative within themselves so that they can reflect critically on their own practice and attitudes. Teachers must always be learning. They will learn from their pupils and must have the humility to tell them they are still learning their art.' This chapter has always been her guiding light in teaching yoga.
Before opening her school, Icy had years of experience teaching dance, fitness, and Pilates, which equipped her with a keen eye for observing & understanding body movements and functions. However, it was through practicing Iyengar Yoga that she was able to address her overtraining injuries that she had acquired from her dance and fitness pursuits. This personal experience with Iyengar Yoga sparked a profound faith in its transformative nature, which encompasses the art, science, and philosophy of connecting the body, breath, and mind. All these motivated her to share this practice with a wider audience.
Her teaching style is both meticulous and flexible, allowing students to understand their own bodies while guiding them to reflect on the relationship between their daily lives and their yoga practice.
Icy is one of the few Iyengar Yoga assessors in Southeast Asia. She is invited to teach and share her passion and experience in Iyengar yoga practice in various parts of Southeast Asia every year.