Born into the arms of her Tibetan grandmother, a spiritual master, Yuan Miao led a “double” life, in two widely different worlds: a mundane environment dominated by worldly pursuits (China, during the Cultural Revolution), and a hidden spiritual world filled with wisdom and compassion.

In her “secret” life, she was trained from infancy by her grandmother, whose father was a high Tibetan Buddhist Rinpoche. In her public life, Yuan Miao enjoyed affluence and fame, as a high-profile director of environmental and cultural television documentaries.

Yuan Miao’s hidden spiritual background catapulted to the forefront when her only daughter died of leukemia, forcing her to reckon with the reality of life and death, of joy and sorrow. After a long period of devastation and hopelessness, she discovered her purpose, and that spiritual cultivation is not a refuge but a form of service to others.

Thereafter, she traveled from China to the West to create the New Century Foundation. Using her gifts as a filmmaker, yoga practitioner, artist, and mantric vocalist, she devotes her life to sharing joy and peace through spiritual cultivation and balanced

Yoga of Joy is a unique, effective and powerful yoga system that combines postures, meditation, mudras, mantra, breathwork, and visualization to augment our spiritual and physical health.