Rodney Yee began his yoga inquiry in 1980. At that time, he was a ballet dancer for the Oakland Ballet Company and a physical therapy and philosophy major at University of California-Berkeley. His yearning for a life that would utilize mind, body, and spirit was satiated by practicing and teaching yoga. Over the years, Rodney played an instrumental role in introducing and expanding the reach of yoga across the United States. His appearance on Oprah in 1999 helped catapult yoga into the mainstream.

Other highlights in his long career as a premier yoga teacher include the co-owning of Piedmont Yoga Studio, his vast output of videos with Gaiam, and his illuminating workshops around the world. Rodney's teaching career has flourished globally, but has been centered at Yoga Shanti in Sag Harbor, which is owned by his wife, internationally respected yoga teacher Colleen Saidman Yee. For 20 years, Rodney and Colleen have blended their teaching styles, practices, and their hearts and minds.

In 2001, with Colleen and Donna Karan, he co-created UZIT, formerly known as Urban Zen Integrative Therapy, which encompasses four supportive modalities that deliver self-care and caring for others and help bring us into the present moment.