Hey Kulafamily, today we had an interview with Lena. This expedition is about women & business. We love to learn from other people around the world and love to share special peoples and their experience with you. Lena build up her life on the beautiful portugiese Island Madeira and is teaching yoga. Let’s start…
Hey Lena,
Espada or grüne Soße “Famous Frankfurter sauce” ?
Espade with grüne Soße. Would be a good combination.
Wine or Beer?
Depending on the day. Like you see I am not good in decisions.
How did you get into yoga?
I started doing Yoga nearly 7 years ago. I just wanted to try it out. I went to a really traditional studio and experienced my first class kind of weird. But I continued and did a beginner course. So, I started from the base and learned a lot about Yoga.
What inspired you to become a yoga teacher?
I did my 200-hour training in march 2020 in India. My goal was not to become a teacher. Normally I don’t like it to speak in front of a group. I did it more for myself. I wanted to explore Yoga from the roots, in India. And I love traveling. When I came to Madeira, one year after my training I found out I want to teach Yoga and just started!
What is one piece of advice you always give your students?
Adjust the Yoga Class to your own needs, current mood and to your body. We are not all the same. Yoga is for everyone! My teacher in India said, we have to choose every day what we need, the same how we choose our clothes depending on the weather.
What is special about yoga in the landscape of Madeira?
Madeira is just a beautiful small island surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean. You have mountains and the ocean and the Levadas (Hikes and walk) are just incredible. With all the Banana Plantations it reminds me sometimes as well of Bali. And the flowers everywhere…its just magical.
You moved to Madeira, what was the trigger to decide to move and let go FFM?
I still had 2 months sabbatical available. Actually, I wanted to travel for 2 more months after my yoga training in India. But during the training in India came Corona and I flew back to Frankfurt.
In January 2021 I flew to Madeira because it was not a risk area at that time. I wanted to stay only 3 weeks. I stayed 1 1/2 months after I discovered the small fishing village Paúl do Mar. It felt like coming home. I quit my job and decided to move here and start teaching yoga. I have always travelled a lot, but I never felt like I wanted to stay anywhere except Madeira. I miss my family and friend a lot and it’s not always easy but I love it here.
How did you started to establish in Madeira, what would you do now different?
I started doing Yoga in Paúl do Mar. I just started without thinking about it to much. I also went to different hotels. One hotel told me they need somebody for the reception who speaks German. So, I worked 6 months in the hotel, 20 hours a week. I would not rent a car again for two months. I would buy a car straight away. Saves a lot of money.
How is your life in Madeira?
It is wonderful. I live directly at the ocean and have the mountain view behind. I live in a small fisher village where you always greet everybody and where you know most of the dogs who walk around. It is totally different than Frankfurt. And some days I still can’t believe that I live here and that I am still not tired of the only road at the ocean. One guy who cleaned a lookout point told me once: Madeira is not to get rich but to live longer.
6. Outside of the world of yoga, what are you really passionate about?
I love the Photography. I am a Hobby Photographer and I love these special moments you can keep with a pic. I printed some postcards from Paul do Mar. The local bakery sells them for me and also one shop in Funchal, which is the city in Madeira. Here I have a lot of this special moments. The light is always different and really every sunset is beautiful. We also have a lot of rainbows in winter over here. I find my passion as well in painting Dot mandalas on stones, bottles or tiles.
7. What is happiness for you?
Happiness is when you really found yourself (or still finding because I think it is a never-ending journey) and you follow your passion and try to make your dreams come true.
8. What is one thing most people don’t know about you? That I normally don’t like it to speak in front of a bigger group of people and that I am a lot of times not insecure or doubt myself. But don’t tell anyone 😊
9. How do you spend your days of?
I am outside somewhere or doing something in the house I am living in.
10. How do you define success?
I would say success is when you have a goal in mind and try to reach it piece by piece. Sometimes you must take a detour or take a step back to move forward again. But those little moments when your heart is in it and you see it is working, that’s success for me.
You are freelancer, what would you wish the EU would change for Women & Business?
I am new to be a freelance and most of the Yoga teachers are woman. So luckily now, I can´t see any differences between man and women. I know in other areas there are big differences in the salary and of course this isn’t fair at all!
What should people aware of?
People should be aware of how their own energies and what they spread out. Also, I learned if you always complain and produce negative energies, you put yourself in a bad mood and long term that isn’t healthy at all. So funny because my friends saying I was always complaining some years ago.
How can the world be a better place?
When we all do more Yoga and breath more 😉
Which social change is important?
I can’t understand how people still make differences between nationalities or religions and take the right to treat others differently or worse because of it. Of course, you don’t have to like everyone. But you should at least respect everyone. I can’t believe that now there is really a war in 2022 and no one can stop it. This is so absurd. We are all human beings and all equal! I just can’t understand how someone can take the right to kill other people. Never thought this can be happen in Europe: There you see how much we should appreciate what we are having in life.
Is there something you always wanted to share?
Hatha Yoga isn’t the easy slow Yoga. And Yoga is for everyone not just for flexible people.
Life Motto? Follow your passion and try to do what makes you happy!
Thank you for your time and beeing with us!
We suggest everyone to take one hour class with Lena.
Currently she offers her Yoga class online for more information following links will lead you to her yoga class.
https://www.instagram.com/yoga.lenadomar
Youtube
Yoga Lena do Mar
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