Chopra Center Staff Spotlight

The Chopra Center is thrilled to welcome its newest family member – Christie Lees, RN – as our new Program Manager. Christie oversees our weekly Perfect Health program, responsible for ensuring guest bliss. Before coming to the Center, she served as an oncology nurse helping patients at Scripps Hospital in San Diego. With her compassionate, caring nature and medical expertise, Christie connects with guests from around the world who join us each week for physical and emotional transformation. She is also a certified instructor in both Perfect Health and Primordial Sound Meditation. This month, Namasté sat down with Christie to chat.

Where did you grow up?
I grew up about an hour outside of Toronto, in Ontario, Canada, and lived there most of my life. Toronto is a world-class city! I have lived four out of the last five years in California, which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I initially moved to San Francisco for a nursing job, and now I am settled in La Jolla (San Diego).

What drew you to The Chopra Center?
As a nurse, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the limitations of modern Western medicine, and I wanted to be able to extend more of a holistic healing approach to those who were looking to achieve more balance in their lives. On a personal level, I wanted to give myself those same things – more balance and peace of mind in my own life.

When I read some of Deepak Chopra’s books, the ideas and concepts really resonated with me on a deep level. I found that through practicing Ayurveda and incorporating meditation into my daily life, I began to experience a profound sense of inner peace and balance. It was a natural transition to combine the wisdom of Ayurveda with the nursing knowledge I already had and become a certified Perfect Health instructor.

What do you love most about your work here?
I love the fact that I work with a group of people who all believe that true healing lies within the individual. It is such a welcome shift from the world of conventional allopathic medicine that I’ve left behind. Although I’m still proud to be a nurse, I’m so pleased that I can now embrace healing from a much more holistic perspective. I am excited to be in an environment where I can merge my nursing background with the tools of Ayurveda to truly promote healing and healthy lifestyles for all of our guests.

Do you have a favorite Chopra Center program?
I would have to say that Seduction of Spirit is my favorite program because it helped me take my meditation practice to a much deeper level. The abundant energy created by hundreds of people meditating at the same time was just amazing. I was absolutely blown away by the transformation that I saw happening within myself as well as with the other participants. I have never experienced anything so profound.

What is your primary dosha and how do you stay in balance?
My prakruti (primary dosha) is Vata-Pitta. Before I was introduced to Ayurveda, I felt that I lived a predominately healthy and balanced lifestyle. As I studied Ayurveda, though, I became more aware of how some of my seemingly “healthy” choices were negatively affecting me.

Because of my predominance of Vata, I have a tendency to be very sensitive to cold temperatures and can become restless and anxious under stress. I learned that by changing my diet to include more foods that add warmth to my physiology (as opposed to eating lots of salads), as well as practicing daily meditation, I was able to feel more at ease in the world. My favorite balancing trick is to always drink warm water throughout the day, especially with meals. This one behavior alone can do wonders to stimulate and regulate your digestion and elimination.

Do you have a favorite Chopra Center product?
I love the dosha-balancing teas. I generally drink the Relaxing Tea to balance my Vata, and I love the Invigorating Tea when I’m feeling sluggish.

Who are your archetypes?
Although I don’t identify with a specific figure, I strongly feel that I represent the Nurturer, the Caregiver, and the Healer. Since I was a young child, my connection to the world has been compassionate and caring.

Where would you most like to travel?
After recently crossing Thailand and Cambodia off my list, I would have to say that I would love to visit South America next . . . Argentina, Brazil, and, of course, Machu Picchu in Peru.

What are your favorite films?
I am sure this might generate some laughter, but one of my favorite movies is Top Gun. I know I’d be lying if I left it off my list, so I just have to admit it. What can I say, I’ve been hooked since I was a kid! I also love the movies Life Is Beautiful, Big Fish, and What Dreams May Come, as they all spoke to my soul. Also the movie Wit, because it helped me realize the sad and unfortunate way that human beings are treated when they are ill. For a good laugh, I love Martin Short’s character in Father of the Bride, and Will Ferrell in Elf.

What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is so simple, yet so transformative and wise. It reminds me that whenever I feel lost, I have to look no further than my heart and soul to light the way. I also love The Book of Secrets and The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, both by Deepak Chopra. They serve as my guides.

What kind of music do you enjoy?
I absolutely adore music. Depending on my mood, I enjoy everything from Pearl Jam to opera. I also love anything with piano . . . it can range from playful to haunting – I love it all. If I am in a dancing mood, I also really enjoy the sound of rhythmic tribal drumming when it is playing along with house music.

How do you spend your Sundays?
As of recently, I wake up and meditate using the sutra practice I learned at Seduction of Spirit. I usually swim laps, enjoy a nice meal out somewhere with my boyfriend, read, and soak in life any way I can.

Do you have a list of dreams that you want to fulfill in this lifetime?
Simply to live life to its fullest, to laugh, to always leave loving footprints, and to help others heal as much as I can. One specific dream I have is to be a mother someday.

What was your most transcendent moment?
It is impossible to capture with words (believe me, I’ve tried!), but it was an experience I had on the road to Hana in Maui. I was in the passenger side of a convertible, there was some ambient music on, and it was approaching that time in the late afternoon when the sun sits low in the sky. We were driving through a landscape with the most beautiful flowers glistening in the sun while the breeze gently blew through them. I have never felt so at peace in my entire life. Everything was still. I felt such resonance with my soul and the universe as a whole. It was amazing.

Who would you most like to invite to a dinner party?
This is a tough one to narrow down. I would invite my parents, my brother, my boyfriend, Will Ferrell, Bono, Eckhart Tolle, the Dalai Lama, Christy Turlington, Jackie Onassis, Audrey Hepburn, Al Gore, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Randy Pausch (of the Carnegie Mellon Last Lecture fame – I really recommend watching him on You Tube if you haven’t already), Dr. Christiane Northrup . . . the list really could go on and on.

Do you have a favorite quotation?
I love quotations and am always writing them down as I come across them. The one that really speaks to me right now is a Zen saying: “Leap and the net will appear.” It makes me feel so free.