AAPI Heritage Month: Teacher Q&A

This Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, CorePower Yoga is dedicated to uplifting and amplifying voices within the AAPI community. As a part of this mission, our CEO Niki Leondakis sat down to chat with Chicago-based CorePower teacher and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council member Helen Lee about how she came to teaching yoga, her influences and her hopes for the future of CorePower and our DEIC.

CorePower Yoga teachers are creating an inclusive space for students across the country to learn and practice yoga. I take any chance I can to speak with our teachers directly and create opportunities for us all to listen, learn and share experiences.

Helen Lee has been practicing yoga for over 20 years and is now sharing her passion so that others can experience the benefits of this powerful practice. I was grateful for the opportunity to learn more about her and her unique story. - Niki

Niki: Helen, thank you for sitting down with me - virtually. I really appreciate it! I’m excited to get to know more about you and your story. You said you’ve been practicing yoga for about 20 years - what was the turning point in your yoga practice that made you want to teach?

Helen Lee: I was introduced to yoga when I was in Hawaii [for undergrad] in 1999. After I graduated and got back home, I didn't know what to do with a dance and theater degree. I was performing and things but I needed something else. I wanted something that felt more nourishing to me and I noticed that I was starting to take more yoga classes than dance classes, and in yoga classes, it was more about me and my mat rather than moving across the room and people staring at you [like in dance classes]. And at the studio that I was practicing, I saw that there was a teacher training program coming up, and I was like, ‘Okay, well, maybe I'll try this.’ I didn't really know if I wanted to teach or not, but once I got into the program and started teaching, I realized that I wanted to share the gifts of yoga and what it has done for me with other people. I felt that that was really important.

Niki: We hear that from other teachers as well. Yoga made such a difference in their life and they have a desire to share it with others. It’s such a service and a gift to people.

Helen Lee: Yes, yoga gave me more confidence in all other things I do.

Niki: As a yoga teacher, how do you foster an inclusive environment for your students?

Helen Lee: I think a lot of it has to do with inclusive language. I’m learning and figuring it out with everybody else and I will make mistakes like anyone else, because we’re human. I grew up in Chicago, and I was made fun of a lot, and did experience some racism, so I didn’t know what [an inclusive environment] felt like. Of course I want to foster that for my students, but don’t necessarily know how to answer that question. I think I would be to just be transparent, and continue to work on my language. We’re going to work through this together, and if anything comes up, I’m available. I think an openness in my heart, generosity and kindness are always important.

Niki: That probably resonates for a lot of us. Really trying to be thoughtful and intentional in our choice of language. It’s a work in progress - a journey - and we’re all in it together. We’re always evolving and growing. If you think about your younger self, what advice would you give her?

Helen Lee: In the past year and a half, or so, well under a year, I’ve lost three family members. In that experience, you know, I’m realizing the importance of the people around me. The importance of relationships and spending time with my friends and my family. I really wish I could have spent more time with these three people. Even though I saw them on a yearly basis, I just wish we had a little bit more.

Niki: That’s beautiful. So as your younger self, you wish you’d spent more time with the people you loved. It’s a good reminder for all of us. Is there someone in the AAPI community, whether you know them or not, who inspires you?

Helen Lee: My dad is a big influence and someone I look up to. He had such a struggle growing up. He made his journey over to America on his own. When he tells me his story, it's amazing that in his early 20s he came by himself with not a lot of money. His story and his perseverance and his determination to make something of himself. He's been really diligent about always providing a home for us and being financially stable. He didn't make millions of dollars or anything, but he definitely always provided us with education and food on the table, a roof over our heads.

Niki: I come from an immigrant family myself. My father immigrated from Greece. He worked so hard to provide, you know? Five kids and a roof over their heads, food on the table. His whole existence was providing for us and creating the best life he could. Why do you think it’s important for us to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month?

Helen Lee: I think it's really important to have these [heritage] months to educate people as we move forward, because we didn't have these kinds of months growing up. [It’s important] for our younger generation to celebrate themselves. Racism and insecurity and fears and worries, is never completely going to go away. But we can educate. And as we move forward, [we can] diminish some of that. And at least feel proud in our own skin. When we see more people that look like ourselves, then it's like, ‘okay, it's okay to be who I am or where my ancestors came from.’ I think for me, I only started to appreciate that once I got to Hawaii, because I didn't realize there were so many Asian Americans there. I arrived and was surprised therer were so many people that look like me. Being there for five years, I started to feel more comfortable in my skin, so then I was able to come back home and feel more confident in my voice.

Niki: I love this, Helen, and I agree. I think these months enable us to focus and educate people about different backgrounds and populations of people and all they bring that adds to the richness of this country. Speaking of the richness that diversity brings, what is your wish for CorePower as it relates to diversity, equity and inclusion? Helen Lee: During the pandemic, when everything was closed, I was stuck in Japan. I was away for nine months, and that was the longest time I'd hadn't taught yoga. So I wasn't sure what I wanted to do once I got back, but then I started to see that CorePower was making these changes. I saw the DE&I Committee and was more excited to return. And I have to say, I'm so proud of being on this committee. I think it's so important, and I hope that it continues to evolve and that we could see more teachers of different colors, shapes, sizes and ages. It's slowly starting to happen— it's not going to happen overnight. It's definitely always going to be a step-by-step process, and I appreciate how CorePower is moving in that direction and embracing all of us. I'm honored to be a part of this evolution of yoga. Yoga is so healing and to have that alongside all the trials and tribulations of the world right now, all the problems that are happening — we’re bringing this sense of healing and transformation not only to one area of the world, but to all of it. I'm really proud of that.