Singer Lee Hyori recently shared the real reason she first picked up yoga.
On the 10th, a video titled “Ananda, not Hyori. The inner thoughts of yoga teachers…” was uploaded to the YouTube channel ‘A Yoga’.
Lee Hyori broke down her motivations into three steps: “First, I wanted my shoulders to stop hurting. Second, I wanted to do cool poses to show off to people. Third, I wanted to gain enlightenment by reading books.” She candidly admitted, “I went through all three, but I didn’t see any results. It was neither here nor there. I also realized my asanas were too weak to show off because there are so many experts out there.”
She shared what she ultimately gained from the practice, saying, “What remained was that I’ve kept my life safe and peaceful. I’m someone with overflowing energy, so if I hadn’t done yoga, I don’t know where I would have spent it. I’ve lived a modest and happy life in one place, raising dogs and practicing yoga. That’s what stayed with me in the end. I think I’ve become very comfortable.”
When asked about the strong pull of “dopamine” from the outside world, she agreed, “It’s too strong. It’s not easy to avoid being shaken by it.” However, she confessed that she has been practicing yoga for 12 years, adding, “I fell into such a healthy addiction that I couldn’t fall into any other addictions.”
She further explained, “I’ve never been the type to do things consistently, and I usually think ‘I’ve learned enough’ and stop. But yoga was the tool that made me feel proud of myself.” She added, “It boosted my self-esteem, making me think, ‘Lee Hyori, you actually have a persistent side?’ and ‘You have the consistency to move forward even when no one is watching?’ That’s what yoga is to me. Because of that, I can’t help but see others in a beautiful light.”
Meanwhile, Lee Hyori married singer Lee Sang-soon in 2013. After spending 11 years in Jeju, she moved to Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul, in 2024. She is currently operating her own yoga studio.
