Lee Hyori expresses mixed emotions to yoga students at one-year anniversary

Singer Lee Hyori has shared her candid feelings toward her students as she approaches the one-year anniversary of her yoga studio. She drew attention by expressing a mix of gratitude and apology, noting how the atmosphere has changed due to intense public interest.

On the 22nd, Lee shared a photo of a yoga class via her SNS story.

The photo captures students calmly focusing on meditation and practice at Ānanda Yoga, her studio located in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul. The image conveys the tranquil atmosphere of a space where practitioners immerse themselves in training while listening to the sounds of nature.

Along with the photo, Lee recalled the peaceful atmosphere when she first opened the studio, writing, "Our Ānanda Yoga. We meditated while listening to the sound of rain and birds, and even stayed still for 30 minutes."

She then added a laughing emoticon, saying, "I wonder if things have become too overheated lately," before candidly expressing her complex emotions toward her students: "I feel both sorry and grateful. *Sigh*..."

This appears to be an indirect way of addressing the surge in interest for her classes due to her fame. It is interpreted as her expressing the pressure of the intense reservation competition that arose once it became known that a major celebrity was personally running the studio, leading to more attention than the quiet practice space originally intended.

Fans responded with empathy, commenting, "I can feel that she puts her students first," "It seems like a struggle caused by her fame," "Expressing both gratitude and apology at the same time is so Lee Hyori," and "I can feel her desire to protect the essence of yoga."

Lee opened Ānanda Yoga in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, last September and is personally involved in both teaching and management. The name 'Ānanda' is a name she uses while practicing yoga and is derived from the Sanskrit word for 'happiness.'

Having long maintained a deep interest in yoga and meditation, Lee has consistently practiced alongside her broadcasting career and opened the studio to share a healthier lifestyle with others.

After marrying singer-songwriter Lee Sang Soon in 2013, Lee lived on Jeju Island for about 11 years. Since moving to Pyeongchang-dong, Seoul, last year, she has been balancing her broadcasting activities with the operation of her yoga studio.