"I have completely eliminated the word stress from my vocabulary."

Tina Jokisch was born in Düsseldorf, is Managing Director of Schwitzke & Partner, an international architecture, interior architecture and design firm - and is also a Kundalini yoga teacher. For the interior designer, yoga is a central part of her life, strengthening her intuition and supporting her in her professional and private decisions. Her daily Kundalini practice has increased her resistance to stress and helped her to stay grounded. She wants to pass on this valuable knowledge - Tina teaches weekly Kundalini sessions in Flingern as Taj Sadhana Kaur.

What does yoga mean to you?
Yoga is my guide in life. My compass. It shapes my personal values, gives me direction in life and strengthens my intuition. It helps me to make decisions: What do I want in life, what would I rather not? Yoga makes you more subtle, more sensitive. It is a transformative process, a journey in which there is always something new to discover. It goes deeper and deeper and deeper.

How did you get into Kundalini Yoga in particular, and what fascinated you about it?
I was already practising Hatha and Vinyasa before I discovered Kundalini Yoga at a yoga conference in Cologne in 2009 - through the well-known teacher Gurmurkh. I was immediately hooked. It expanded my consciousness and I intuitively sensed that there was something there. There is still a space inside me or a source that can develop further. Then I lost sight of it a little because there was no opportunity to practise Kundalini yoga in Düsseldorf at the time. When Gurmurkh gave an intensive one-week workshop in Berlin in 2017, I was able to dive deeper into Kundalini Yoga. Four years later, I did the training myself. Because I realized that I can bring myself into power with Kundalini Yoga and that even short sequences can bring about significant changes. I would like to pass this on.

How do you manage to integrate yoga and spirituality into your working day?
I practise every morning before I start my day and get up very early. Sometimes at four, sometimes at five. Even at the weekend, when I don't have to go into the office. It's like brushing my teeth for me now. I recite verses, then I do my yoga sequence, a so-called kriya, chant mantras and go into meditation.

As Managing Director at Schwitzke, you have a very demanding position. To what extent does your yoga practice support you in this?
Every day is different for me, as I travel a lot both nationally and internationally: to appointments with clients, events where I give talks or trade fairs such as the Salone del Mobile in Milan. Together with Marie Dorenz, I take care of the operational business and strategic direction at Schwitzke & Partner, look after customers and get involved in the design. So a lot of flexibility and stamina is required of me. Kundalini yoga really helps me to deal with this. I no longer say that I have stress, but that I have a full calendar. I have completely eliminated the word stress from my vocabulary.

How does your yoga practice influence your decision-making and leadership skills?
Kundalini has a positive effect on all body systems, but above all it strengthens the nervous system. This means you are more resistant to stress. It strengthens your aura, which protects you. So you have a protective shield around you. And I can feel that too. In the past, I often let myself be thrown off course by customers and employees and was more fragile. Thanks to yoga, I've grounded myself, have both feet on the ground and can accept and overcome challenges well. And I procrastinate less. I used to put off unpleasant things, but now I tackle them. For me, this is also part of the creative process. A sense of calm has spread through my life.

Are you implementing your yogic intuition spatially?
At the moment, I'm radically getting rid of things at home that I no longer need. The same goes for the office. When a room is clear, not so crowded and cluttered, it gives you more lightness and also more space for creativity. It simply has a positive effect on you. I try to design rooms accordingly. The fewer distractions we have on the outside, the more we can focus on the essentials.

What new place would you like to set up in Düsseldorf?
Oh, I would love to create a retreat space with a spa and yoga rooms. A holistic place that incorporates nutrition and essential oils. At Schwitzke & Partner, we are currently focusing a lot on the care and health sector. It is prevention that needs to be put first. People's awareness of this is growing. They are taking more care of themselves, doing more sport or yoga. We have great yoga studios in Düsseldorf that are like a little retreat. You immerse yourself in another world for two hours. The term 'immersive experience' is a buzzword in digitalization, but this immersion actually originally comes from spirituality.

Where in Düsseldorf do you teach regularly?
I teach our employees who want to do yoga twice a week at Schwitzke & Partner. I teach public classes almost every Saturday in Flingern or at Staufenplatz. I rent a yoga studio, which gives me flexibility in my full-time job.

Your spiritual name is Taj Sadhana Kaur. What is it all about?
In Kundalini, the spiritual name is calculated using numerology. Taj Sadhana Kaur loosely translates as: "She who carries the light into the world with her radiance and discipline." The name is meant to remind me of my spiritual path and it also helps me personally to take the seat of the teacher. As a yoga teacher, I am only a medium and pass on the teachings that I have been able to receive myself.

Düsseldorf has so many beautiful places. Which places in the city can you recommend to find peace and quiet?
I enjoy walks along the Rhine or in Grafenberg Forest as a retreat. My parents come from Urdenbach and I find the Urdenbacher Kämpe almost magical, especially when the water is high. I love being at the Raketenstation and Hombroich Island - the combination of nature, architecture and art is in harmony there and appeals to all my senses. For a moment of silence in the middle of the city, I recommend the wonderful tea ceremonies at Anmo Art/Cha in Little Toyko or at the EKŌ Haus in Niederkassel. A beautiful experience

Do you have any tips for anyone who wants to integrate yoga into their busy everyday life?
Just start and don't set such big goals. It's also enough to do a few targeted yoga exercises for fifteen minutes every day. This activates our chakras in the body, balances the left and right hemispheres of the brain, makes the spine flexible and ensures balance. However, you should practise regularly. If you want to practise Kundalini yoga, you should find a teacher to get you started and introduce you to the practice properly. Even the first session is transformative for body, mind and soul.

Information

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Text: Karolina Landowski
Photos: Kristina Fendesack