Eco Yogini Artivist

Rana Lee Araneta has been teaching yoga to humans ages 4-65 for 8 years. She began her training at Integral Yoga Institute in New York City, after falling in love with Sri Swami Satchidananda's refreshing and humorous teachings.   The next step was training under Circus Minimus, teaching Circus Yoga to children all over New York City, which complimented Rana’s past acrobatic training when she was the first female mascot for Syracuse University.  Post 911, with funds raised for the trauma created after 911, Rana co-created a yoga program for Greensphere Inc, and taught yoga to boys and girls in New York City's junior high schools.  She then founded the Green Circus, a non-profit multimedia environmental circus which performed for children as well as taught them yoga, meditation, circus arts, and environmental awareness.  Craving the west coast vibes, Rana Lee then moved to San Francisco and led artist-in-residency programs for the Green Circus in elementary schools in the Bay Area, studied Chinese Acrobatics at the Circus Center, and taught AcroYoga, and privates.  She was also an art and nature teacher and art curator for the Natural World Museum's Planet Art Program in partnership with the United Nations Environmental Program. Just recently she received the Jury Award at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival for her documentary on the Yucatan Rainforest.  She has just been profiled in Yoga Journal's environmental issue of May 2008 for her artistic environmentalism, and has come back from training with Mukesh Kotari in Rishikesh and Santosh Yogi in Dharamshala, as well as studying the Universal Tao with Master Mantak Chia in Northern Thailand.  She has been a student of Vipassana meditation since 1997, and has also completed Yin/Yang Teacher Training with Sarah Powers and prenatal yoga in the Khalsa Way with Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa. She has just finished her doula training with Cornerstone Doula Trainings and has also written for Alternative Medicine magazine.

Presently, Rana Lee is finding beautiful ways in which the Tao and Yoga, and her training in Vipassana Meditation can compliment each other.  Rana is also leading women's circles where she is sharing the ancient practice of the Jade Egg and Ovarian Kung Fu and empowering birth.

I believe yoga is for all people no matter what class, race, age, or gender the human is.  The teacher is inside each one of us. Practicing closing our eyes and breathing allows us all the access to true knowledge.  I am honored to share everything I have learned and I am an eternal student. The best part of teaching is learning from all of you!

Let's kick our heels up and flow down the river together!!

May all beings be happy. 

- Rana Lee