Knan Lee

Originally from Northern California, I moved to Ocala in 1975 to pursue a career in the racehorse industry. I fell in love with Ocala and worked as an exercise rider and assistant trainer riding racehorses professionally until 1990.
My Yoga Journey:

The summer of 1978, I discovered Hatha Yoga and attended teacher workshops in California under the late Yoga Master, Richard Hittleman’s tutelage. Although many predicted Yoga was a fad, I quickly became addicted to the myriad ways the stretches and breathing exercises impacted me, heart and soul. I immediately saw an improvement in my riding skills: my balance improved, my breathing, stamina and flexibility all improved; it seemed as if everything was positively impacted.

I began teaching Yoga in 1991. By the late 90’s I had transitioned to providing mental health and substance abuse counseling to youthful offenders at a correctional facility for adjudicated youth. One of the interventions I used with the boys was introducing them to a daily Yoga practice.

My personal Yoga practice and study continues to grow and has sustained me through health issues that challenged me during the beginning of the new millennium; one health issue required chemo treatment and another health issue was an accident, which required physical therapy. These episodes have provided me with the experiences and empathy that help make me a uniquely qualified trainer and teacher.

As I continue my personal journey in life, I believe I have evolved into a trainer and Yoga instructor cognizant of the issues of the mature body. I understand the issues of a ‘well-used’ frame, arthritis, disc disease and the other issues that come to us as we age. I also understand the individual who perhaps has been sedentary due to set backs from illness or injury, or now wishes to make a positive change and wants to get there at an intelligent pace.

My interest in personal fitness led me to return to school to add the certification of a Personal Fitness trainer to my Yoga knowledge. Additionally, seeing the need to meet my students’ fitness at every level of mobility and flexibility, I became certified to teach Chair Yoga with Lakshmi Voelker Chair Yoga*. I am a Yoga Alliance E-RYT-500 Hatha Yoga Teacher as well, and member of the International Association of Yoga Therapists.
In 2013 I enrolled in Pranakriya Teacher Training with Yoganand Michael Carroll and Marylsa Sullivan. Pranakriya method embraces both Hatha and Tantric Yoga traditions. I continue to attend workshops to enhance my teaching and my personal practice.