Hui Lan Zhang

{{Short description|Yoga teacher}}

{{like resume|date=March 2020}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Zhang Huilan

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| birth_date = 1955

| birth_place = Hong Kong SAR, China

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| othername = Wai Lana; Vaiṣṇava dāsī

| occupation = Yoga teacher
Media personality
Writer

| yearsactive = Since 1980

| known for = Wai Lana Yoga and Huilan Yoga (Huilan yujia 蕙兰瑜伽)

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| website = {{Url|https://www.wailana.com/yoga/wai-lana-yoga-tv-series|wailana.com}}

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| awards = Padma Shri

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Hui Lan Zhang or Zhang Huilan ({{zh|s=张蕙兰|t=張蕙蘭|hp=Zhāng Huìlán}}) is an internationally recognized yoga teacher, popularly known as Wai Lana in the West.{{cite web|url=http://nrinews24x7.com/hui-lan-yoga-puts-on-yoga-event-attended-by-thousands-of-yoga-practitioners-in-china/|title=Hui Lan Yoga puts on yoga event attended by thousands of yoga practitioners in China|date=June 24, 2015|publisher=NRI News|accessdate=August 19, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/sweating-it-out-is-yoga-set-to-boom-in-china/|title=Sweating It Out: Is Yoga Set to Boom in China?|date=June 7, 2013|publisher=Wharton, University of Pennsylvania|accessdate=August 19, 2016}} In China, Zhang is called the "mother of yoga" (yujia zhi mu 瑜伽之⺟) in recognition of her significant contributions towards popularizing yoga in the country during the 1980s and 1990s.Lagace, M. L. A. “‘Mother of Yoga’: Zhang Huilan, Chris Butler, and the Popularization of Yoga in the People’s Republic of China.” Journal of Yoga Studies 5 (2024): 39–67. https://doi.org/10.34000/JoYS.2024.V5.002. She is (co)author of numerous works on yoga written in Chinese, most notably Yoga: Qigong and Meditation (Yujia: qigong yu mingxiang 瑜伽——气功与冥想).Zhang Huilan 张蕙兰 and Bo Zhongyan 柏忠⾔. Yujia—qigong yu mingxiang 瑜伽——气功与冥想. Beijing: Renmin tiyu chubanshe, 1986.

Zhang produced her Wai Lana Yoga series for public television in the United States{{cite web|url=http://www.newsgram.com/padma-shri-winner-wai-lana-revolutionising-yoga-in-usa/|title=Padma Shri Winner Wai Lana Revolutionizing Yoga in USA|date=February 4, 2016|publisher=News Gram|accessdate=August 19, 2016}} where it has been airing nationwide since 1998 and ended 18 years later. Wai Lana Yoga has also aired internationally on five continents: North and South America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East.{{Cite web|url=http://nrinews24x7.com/chinese-yoga-icon-and-tv-host-of-wai-lana-yoga-honored-with-the-padma-shri/|title=Chinese yoga icon and TV host of Wai Lana Yoga honored with the Padma Shri|date=2016-01-26|website=NRInews24x7|language=en-US|access-date=2016-08-21}} Earlier, in 1985, China Central Television began broadcast her series Yoga: Exercise Methods for One’s Body and Mind (Yujia: ziwo shenxin duanlian fangfa 瑜伽——自我身心锻炼方法).Lagace, M. L. A. “‘Mother of Yoga’: Zhang Huilan, Chris Butler, and the Popularization of Yoga in the People’s Republic of China.” Journal of Yoga Studies 5 (2024): 45. https://doi.org/10.34000/JoYS.2024.V5.002.

To help further popularize yoga in the West, Zhang (as Wai Lana) started selling her music CDs, yoga instructional DVDs, and other yoga lifestyle products through different online and offline retail channels. Besides her several books on the practice of Yoga, she has also published two books on cuisine, Wai Lana's Favorite Juices{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V0JmLwEACAAJ|title=Wai Lana's Favorite Juices|publisher=Ten Speed Press|year=2003|isbn=978-0-9725618-5-3|author=Wai Lana}} and Wai Lana's Favorite Soups,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LbZyLwEACAAJ|title=Wai Lana's Favorite Soups|publisher=National Book Network|year=2008|isbn=978-1-932493-50-4|author1=Jana Gaiten|author2=Wai Lana}} her Easy Meditation for Everyone Kit, as well as many children's yoga products, including Wai Lana’s Little Yogis Daydream Kit,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=F_VFAAAACAAJ|title=Daydream Kit: Wai Lana's Little Yogis|date=1 May 2005|publisher=Wai Lana|isbn=978-1-932493-36-8|author=Wai Lana Yoga}} Fun Songs Cartoon & CD,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Tv6ukQEACAAJ|title=Little Yogis: Fun Songs Activity Book|date=1 September 2004|publisher=Wai Lan Yoga Trust|isbn=978-1-932493-43-6|author=Wai Lana}} and Little Yogis DVDs & Books.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2p1FkgEACAAJ|title=Daydream Coloring Book|date=1 January 2006|publisher=Wai Lan Yoga Trust|isbn=978-1-932493-26-9|author=Wai Lana}}

In 2015, Wai Lana produced her acclaimed Namaste music video to celebrate the first ever International Day of Yoga on June 21. She wrote the Namaste song to communicate the core values of the yoga way of life—universal brotherhood and love.{{cite web|url=https://www.wailana.com/wai-lana/in-the-media/namaste-music-video-released-by-wai-lana-in-celebration-of-international-yoga | title="Namaste" music video released by Wai Lana in celebration of International Yoga Day | date=June 11, 2015 }} Namaste was presented at the headline event held by the United Nations at their headquarters in New York City and was streamed live to tens of thousands of yoga lovers gathered at Times Square.{{Cite web|url=http://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/15/06/p5610910/wai-lanas-namaste-music-video-played-at-united-nations-in-celebration-o | title=Wai Lana's "Namaste" Music Video Played at United Nations in Celebration of International Yoga Day" |date=2015}} To date, her Namaste video has been viewed and listened to over 4 million times.{{cite web|url=http://www.kctv5.com/story/32726923/wai-lana-yoga-namaste-music-video-viewed-heard-over-4-million-times | title=Wai Lana Yoga "Namaste" Music Video Viewed & Heard Over 4 Million Times |date=2015}}

In 2016, Wai Lana was honored by the Government of India with the prestigious Padma Shri Award{{cite web|url=http://www.hinduismtoday.com/blogs-news/hindu-press-international/padma-awards-include-religious-leaders/14872.html|title=Padma Awards Include Religious Leaders|date=January 26, 2016|publisher=Hinduism Today|accessdate=August 19, 2016}} for her extraordinary achievements in popularizing yoga globally through her television series, videos, and books.{{Cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/PadmaAwards_25012016.pdf |title=Padma Awards |date=2016 |accessdate=August 9, 2016 |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803085913/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/PadmaAwards_25012016.pdf |archive-date=August 3, 2017 |url-status=dead }} She is only the second Chinese national ever to receive this honor in its 62-year history.

In 2016, to honor the 2nd Annual International Day of Yoga on June 21, Wai Lana released her new Alive Forever short film and music video.{{cite web|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yoga-icon-wai-lanas-alive-forever-music-video-receives-over-1-million-views-days-after-being-released-300298639.html | title=Yoga Icon Wai Lana's Alive Forever Music Video Receives Over 1 Million Views Days After Being Released | date=July 14, 2016}}

Wai Lana is married to Chris Butler (Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa), a disciple of ISKCON founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the Science of Identity Foundation and the spiritual leader of U.S. Representative Tulsi Gabbard.{{Cite web|url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/06/tulsi-gabbard-2020-presidential-campaign.html|title = Tulsi Gabbard Had a Very Strange Childhood|date = 11 June 2019}}