Für den erfolgreichen Lifestyle Blog F and B Recipes habe ich kürzlich ein Interview rund um das Thema Wellbeing gegeben. Darin erfährst du spannende Insights über mich und meinen Hintergrund und wie ich zu dem gekommen bin, was ich heute mache. Nachfolgend findet ihr das Original-Interview in Englischer Sprache.
Today, we’re interviewing Isabelle Polzin — lawyer and wellbeing expert who’s here to help us to stay healthy and bust a few myths.
1. How did it all start?
I was fascinated with topics of personal development since a very young age. My mind was full of questions such as ‘what’s the best way to maintain health?’, ‘what’s the significance of our health on our mind and body?’ I started meditating in school and a few years later, I was introduced to the power of Yoga.
2. How do you manage to stay stress-free?
As a lawyer I know what stress means, I know long working days as well as the pressure of having to get a lot done in a short time. During this time, I have always been able to draw on my own health strategies that I have tried out over the years. These include regular yoga sessions and meditation. This has helped me to be in good contact with myself and to stay healthy.
3. Describe yourself in 3 words.
Eager for knowledge, empathic, a good listener.
4. When did you shift towards health and wellbeing?
I had arrived in the legal department of a global company and even though my life seemed perfect on the outside, I felt that something was missing. When a close friend died at the age of 28, it reminded me how precious our life is and how limited our time is here. I realized that I wanted to add value to the world by sharing my knowledge and experience of holistic health and wellbeing.
5. What changed?
I quit my well-paid staff job as a lawyer, travelled for several weeks and months to Asia and the Middle East and founded my own company Anwältin des Guten. Today I am grateful that I can work holistically and pursue a meaningful life.
6. What is holistic wellbeing and health all about?
By Holistic wellbeing, I mean a state in which we feel good and healthy on all levels, on the physical level, on the spiritual/mental level and on the mental/emotional level. Then it is about feeling good as a human being in all areas of life. If this is the case, then we are in balance and contentment.
7. What kind of problems do you help people with?
I work with a preventive approach, which means that the people who come to me often have health problems but are not seriously ill. They are stressed by private conflicts, are in crisis or have to cope with challenges at work. They do not find peace in everyday life, they do not know how to relax. Often it is also a matter of looking at what is really needed for their own satisfaction and finding meaning in their own lives is a central issue.
8. Do you believe in Reiki?
I myself made the experience with energy work and am convinced that there is a great potential here that has not yet been exhausted.
9. What does a wellbeing expert basically do?
First of all, I look at where my client currently stands and which topic is currently of central importance to him. Depending on the topic, I use tools from holistic coaching, mindfulness techniques and my knowledge from almost 20 years of yoga and meditation practice. Each time, the collaboration is very individual, which is obvious, since we are unique human beings. But it is always holistic and for his good, the client decides what he takes for himself.
10. How do you get started in this field?
Through my regular yoga practice, I have learned a lot about the holistic interaction of body, mind and soul. My self-reflection and distinct intuition have helped me to experience connections. In addition to it, I have been able to learn a lot in my various trainings and have thus immersed myself deeper and deeper into the subject.
11. What is your course all about and is it for people of all ages?
Currently, I work 1:1 with my customers on the main focus. So I can be very close and accompany them individually. I offer a free course for more wellbeing in everyday life which is aimed at all age groups. On 7 days my customers get impulses for their everyday life. If you are interested as a reader, you can easily register for it here. I plan further courses offline and online in the near future.
12. According to you, what differentiates an authentic wellbeing expert from another?
Five wellbeing experts can have the same training and a similar wealth of experience. What distinguishes them from each other is their personality, their values and their essence.
13. Was the transition from being a lawyer to a wellbeing expert easy?
Much of what I use in my work today, I know from my work as an attorney already, such as working with clients around the world, listening to the client’s needs, asking precise questions or listening well. What is new today ist that I work holistically and not just from the head, which is very convenient for me anyway and therefore the transition felt quite easy.
14. How did you overcome doubts?
Well, I had a clear vision from the beginning, which motivated me even when things got difficult.
15. What’s your secret life ‘mantra’?
Everything is possible.
16. What’s one thing that you’ve learnt from all the people you’ve helped so far?
We can create so much in our lives at any time if we are aware of it and willing to change.
17. According to you, life is…
A miracle and a great gift, which brings its challenges, on which we as humans have the chance to grow.
18. What’s one thing that people just don’t understand about being healthy?
Unfortunately, I still experience people who deliver the responsibility for their health and overall wellbeing to a doctor or therapist. In my opinion, the most important ingredient for one’s own holistic wellbeing and health is to take responsibility for oneself. Which is not to say that one does not take up the support of specialists. But the responsibility, the will to really want to get into wellbeing and health, must come from the person himself.
19. Three health myths you’d like to bust for our readers…
No. 1 “Doing something for your wellbeing is a waste of time and money”
In my opinion, health is our highest good. If we are not healthy we cannot really do or enjoy anything. Therefore it is worthwhile to take good care of your own health and wellbeing on all levels. Preventive care is best before the wellbeing suffers badly.
No. 2 “Body, mind and soul are separated from each other”
Today, studies have proven a connection between body, mind and soul. These three interact and influence each other. And we are well-advised to make use of this knowledge for our own health and wellbeing.
No. 3 “Yoga and Meditation is only for esoteric people”
Yoga and Meditation are today no longer reserved only for Yogis in India. The benefits of Yoga and Meditation are today well known and we can make use of this knowledge to maintain our health and wellbeing in the best possible way.
20. What makes you different from all the other health and wellbeing experts?
As mentioned earlier, I work with a holistic preventive approach and highly individualized to respond to each of my clients. And then it is my personality that defines me. Many of my clients appreciate my strongly emphatic and sensitive manner. I think that makes me special.
21. Do you personalize plans, sessions and emails for each of your clients?
Yes, I do.
22. What’s the biggest challenge of your job?
Sometimes I wish the day had 35 hours to move all my ongoing projects forward.
23. What’s the best part of your job?
I love the freedom to decide when and from where I work and the mixture of being creative and working in a structured way really suits me.
24. One health or wellbeing trend that’s absolutely ridiculous…
I personally don’t think much of food supplements but that’s up to everyone.
25. If you have to choose between Yoga and Meditation, what would you choose and why?
I would start with a Yoga session as Yoga is traditionally the preparation for meditation.
26. What’s the best possible way to practice mindfulness in everyday life?
I recommend starting with rituals, a morning ritual for instance. This can only be 5-10 minutes a day where you just focus on your breath, how does your body feel today, is it warm or cold and then focus on your thoughts, what is going on there in your head. You may also write your findings down, that will help you to better understand yourself and to stick to the practice.
27. Five most important life lessons you’ve learned so far.
Everything begins with the conscious being, everything is connected with everything, everything happens for a reason, every person looks through his own window into life, it is about developing as a human being.
28. How can you truly enjoy life?
Focus on the essential, what is it that makes you feel good, that makes you happy? For me that is being with loved ones, enjoying the beauty of nature and doing what I love, serving my contribution for holistic wellbeing around the globe.
29. What’s the key to being happy?
When a person feels holistically well and when this person is fulfilled on all levels and in all areas of life according to his individual needs.
30. One health strategy you’d like to share with our readers that’s helped you in all of your difficult times…
With pleasure! Stay connected to your breath. The breath should be deep and calm. If it is fast and superficial or can you hardly feel it, it is good to take a short break to reconnect consciously with your breath.
Thank you so much for the interview, Shristi, it was a pleasure!