Yoga, Healthy Eating, and Mindfulness Join Forces Under One Roof

Mindspace Hamburg member, Jasmin Jeß, shares her story

If you appreciate living a healthy lifestyle, eating foods that make you feel good and incorporating mindfulness, yoga, and meditation into your life, then there is a lot you can learn from Jasmin Jeß, our Mindspace Hamburg member and founder of Prana Up Your Life. Jasmin tells all about the inspiration that led her to quit her 9–5 job and follow her dream.

You started working independently just recently in March this year. Can you tell us a little bit about your business and what happened in the last months?

My sister, Josephine, and I have started a business that has a holistic approach and focuses on integrating Yoga, a healthy food lifestyle based on Ayurveda, and bringing more mindfulness into our everyday lives. We just started a series of a different kind of cooking workshop called ‘mindful eating with Ayurveda’, and our main approach is to help you start eating healthier more and more intuitively. We use the life science ‘Ayurveda’, and explain the approach so that you do not need to follow a guru, but can still live and work in this modern world feeling more energized.

In the last few months, I noticed that there is more to life than a job in project management at an international company — even though it supposedly has always been my dream — and started doing yoga teacher training and ayurvedic nutrition coach training in addition to my normal working schedule. My whole mindset changed, and my perspective started to shift from focusing on a ‘safe’ job to doing what I love. Work-related problems were getting worse every day, and my body showed me that I needed to change something. At one point, I was unable to go back to work anymore, and after reaching a dark place in my life, I started to stand up for what has helped me change my life: Yoga, Meditation, Mindfulness, and good (ayurvedic) food and lifestyle.

Now, I learn new things, get to know awesome new people every day, opportunities arise nearly hourly, and I have started living ONE life (not one work life and one leisure life) which I had only dreamt about a year ago. I don’t feel like I need to go on holidays anymore. Isn’t that crazy?

How did your journey lead to Mindspace and how do you like it so far?

When I first started off, I was working from home and soon felt rather lonely, disappointed, and blocked in my way of thinking. Questions arose like: Is this the right thing to do? Am I the only person crazy enough to think I could start my own business? Just like that? Me? Could it work?

I started to doubt my new path, and felt I needed to change my perspective and start working with people that have the same mindset. Robert, a friend of mine with whom I studied my Master’s degree, has been working at Mindspace for quite a bit now. He talked me into joining the Mindspace community, and it has been my first and best business investment decision. I have met so many awesome people so far — people with the same mindset — and suddenly my doubts and worries disappeared. Now I have even the opportunity to teach Yoga classes to like-minded people. It is such an honor! Business opportunities and friendships have developed. I love coming to my new office, working on the 1st floor, chilling on the sofa on the 4th floor, preparing and having lunch on the 3rd floor, and teaching yoga on the 2nd floor.

You also work with your sister. What are the advantages and perhaps disadvantages of family-business?

So far, I can only list positive things. My sister is my best friend, my harshest critic, and my best match-maker. I know her faults and she knows mine, and I think she is one of the only people that can tell me to shut up and I won’t be mad about it. If it hadn’t been for her, I probably wouldn’t have made this step ahead. She always believes in me. She is always there for me. She reads all the texts I write (and she is much better at writing than me). We can talk about our heart project every minute of the day and never get tired of it. Prana is our life. Something we truly live for. How amazing is it that we can share this experience together? I cannot even think of one disadvantage. I think only that other people might be a bit annoyed at us hanging out together ALL THE TIME.

Who inspires you?

A combination of Laura Malina Seiler, Ella Woodward (from Deliciously Ella) and Adriene (from Yoga with Adriene). These women are awesome, they inspire me every day and let me strive for more, work hard, and always believe in myself.

On top of this, I am inspired by every ‘Mindspacer’ who works independently, chooses to live, and decide where and how they want to work. Every single person has his/her own story, and I am delighted to have gotten to know so many of them and their unique stories so far. And I am sure there will be even more interesting people that I will meet while preparing my tea in the kitchen!

What would be the most important advice that you would give someone who is thinking about starting their own business?

Trust in yourself, and listen to your intuition. It is already there. You have it all in you. You just need to start listening to yourself and what your body wants to tell you. Unfortunately, a lot of people have lost their mind-body connection. But once you start going out into the world, be open to the wonders and to the magic that somehow starts coming into your life.

To learn more, check out the Prana Up Your Life Instagram page, Facebook page, and Website. To see all workshops and future events, click here, and for any further questions, feel free to email Jasmin here.

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