Colleen Saidman Yee

Colleen’s introduction to yoga was at the urging of a roommate who convinced her to attend a class at a loft space in New York City. It was not long after that first class, that her worn out running shoes, her basketball and her boxing gloves became relics of the past. And in 1994, after enduring back surgery, Colleen’s commitment to her yoga practice deepened.

A graduate of Jivamukti’s Teacher Training program in 1998, she has been teaching ever since. Colleen has been featured in Vanity Fair, New York Times, USA today, New York Magazine, Oprah, Marie Claire, Allure, and has been on the cover of yoga journal, fit yoga and natural health. Colleen is featured in the PBS special called The Practical Power of Yoga. She has also been a guest on the Good Morning America Show. She is co-writing the masters class column for yoga journal for 2009. A consummate student, Colleen’s thirst for yoga knowledge is insatiable. Colleen has taught several teacher trainings, both 500 and 200 hour programs. Colleen holds a certification in Shiatsu and lived in Calcutta, India working with Mother Theresa at the Homes for the dying destitute.

Colleen owes tremendous gratitude for her studies of bhakti and vinyasa to David Life and Sharon Gannon. She studies with Richard Rosen and Richard Freeman as frequently as possible. She also offers thanks to the many other teachers with whom she has studied, as well as to her husband Rodney Yee, who remains her principal teacher.

Together with Rodney, she presents the Gaiam Yoga Studio as well as several popular Yoga DVDs. In recent years, they helped to create and now co-direct Urban Zen's Integrative Yoga Therapist Program, a world-wide initiative of Donna Karan. Colleen lives in Sag Harbor where she is the director of the famous Yoga Shanti yoga studio. She and Rodney are raising four wonderful teenagers, and are teaching Yoga Teacher Trainings and retreats worldwide.