WITH LENA JUNGMANN
Home is the ultimate source of love, warmth, and wellbeing. For a long time, I thought of home as something outside of me, a place, certain people, a feeling I had to arrive at. But through yoga, that shifted.
Yoga helped me realise that home can actually be something I create within myself. It’s the moment I drop into my breath and feel my feet on the ground. It’s when I notice what’s happening inside without immediately trying to fix or judge it. That’s when I feel safe in my own body again.
Especially in more challenging or uncertain times, my practice becomes this quiet space where I can come back to myself. Even if everything around me feels loud or unstable, I know I can sit, breathe, move and reconnect. It reminds me that I’m supported from within. That I have resources. That there is goodness in me, even on the days I don’t fully see it.
For me, finding home within myself means learning to trust my body, to listen to my needs, and to treat myself with the same warmth I would offer someone I love. It’s an ongoing practice. But yoga keeps guiding me back there - again and again. - Lena Jungmann
SUPPORTED BRIDGE POSE • SETU BANDHA SARVANGASANA
With a block or bolster under my sacrum, this pose feels both grounding and gently uplifting. I love how it opens the front of the body without effort. Energetically, it creates a sense of spaciousness in my heart while my pelvis and feet stay rooted. When I practice it slowly and stay for a few minutes, I notice my nervous system settling and my breath becoming softer. It helps me feel supported from underneath, like I don’t have to hold everything on my own. That feeling of being carried, even symbolically, brings me back home to myself.
LEGS UP ON A BOLSTER WITH STRAP • VIPARITA KARANI
Let the bolster support you, allow your breath to settle, and simply receive the rest your body has been asking for. The strap adds a grounding sensation, but still aids in keeping the legs airy & floating. I love to play around with the position of the strap for a gentle foot massage.
DEER POSE • MRIGASANA
Deer Pose offers a quiet place to land. As your body relaxes, imagine setting down anything you’ve been carrying that no longer serves you. With every exhale, remind yourself: I let go of what feels heavy. You might bow in this shape, but it’s one to feel free & let go for sure.
SUPPORTED CHILD'S POSE • BALASANA
This is one of the most grounding shapes for me. With a bolster under my chest and maybe a blanket supporting my hips or ankles, I can completely soften. Physically, it gently releases my lower back and hips, both areas where I tend to hold stress. Emotionally, it feels like being held.
There’s something deeply regulating about folding inward and letting the earth support the weight of my body. When I’m overwhelmed or overstimulated, this pose helps me turn down the noise and reconnect to my breath. It reminds me that it’s safe to pause.
MERMAID POSE • EKA PADA RAJAKAPOTASANA
Mermaid Pose invites us to slow down and gently meet ourselves where we are. As we soften into the hips and side body, there is nothing to fix or force. For me it’s the perfect shape to practice surrender.
GET TO KNOW LENA
We’re so excited to introduce you to Lena. From her personal yoga journey to her teaching philosophy, self-care rituals, and favourite mantras, discover the inspiration behind her practice and what makes her classes so special. Step onto the mat with Lena - even through her beautiful words - and feel the essence of her teaching shine through.
Who are you, in this season of your life - beyond roles, titles, or what you do?
In this season of my life, I’m someone learning to soften. Beyond being a teacher, a coach, a partner, or anything I “do,” I’m a woman who is practicing trust: in my body, in my timing, in life unfolding the way it does. I’m learning that I don’t have to earn rest, love, or belonging. That I can be grounded and ambitious. Strong and sensitive. Structured and intuitive.
Right now, I’m deeply devoted to creating spaces (in my life and for others) that feel honest. Spaces where you don’t have to perform and you can arrive exactly as you are. That desire comes from my own journey of moving through self-doubt, pressure, and the feeling that I always had to hold everything together. Yoga helped me unlearn some of that. It taught me how to listen inward instead of constantly looking outward for validation. I’m someone who craves beauty, warmth, meaningful connection and also quiet mornings, long breaths, and simple rituals that make life feel sacred. I’m just a human being trying to stay connected to what feels true. Trying to live in a way that feels aligned in my body, clear in my mind, and kind in my heart.
Can you share the story of how yoga first entered your life, and how that path has unfolded into the work you do today?
Movement was always my first language. I grew up dancing and it was how I expressed emotion, processed the world, and felt alive in my body. I didn’t question movement back then. It was joy, artistry, freedom. As I got older, though, the narrative around my body shifted. I was often told I needed to lose weight, to be leaner, to take up less space. That’s when Pilates entered my life. At the time, it felt like something I should do, something disciplined and corrective. And while I’m grateful for the strength and body awareness it gave me, my relationship to movement slowly became more about control than expression.
Then yoga entered my life and everything softened. Yoga was the first space where no one was asking me to shrink. No one was measuring me. No one was evaluating how I looked. Instead, I was invited to feel, to breathe, to listen. I remember realising that movement could be a pleasure again, not a punishment. That my body wasn’t a project to fix, but a home to care for. That shift changed everything. What began as a physical practice slowly became emotional and spiritual. Yoga asked me to be kinder to myself, to notice my inner dialogue, to stay present when things felt uncomfortable instead of escaping. It taught me that strength and softness can coexist, that discipline doesn’t have to mean self-criticism.
After a couple of years into yoga somewhere along the way, it became clear that sharing this work was part of my path. Today, the way I teach is deeply shaped by that journey. I hold space for people who have complicated relationships with their bodies. I emphasise mindfulness, self-responsibility, and empowerment, not performance. Whether it’s Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, or more structured formats, the heart of my teaching is the same: movement as connection, not correction. Yoga turned my practice into a journey inward - and that inward journey became the work I now offer outward.
How would you describe your style of teaching, and what intention do you hold when guiding others through a practice?
I would describe my teaching as grounding, intentional, and empowering. My classes are structured and thoughtfully sequenced, whether it’s Hatha, Vinyasa, or Yin, but there’s always space to slow down and listen inward. I care about clear alignment and intelligent transitions, yet what matters most is that the practice feels sustainable and supportive, not performative. When I hold space, my intention is simple: I want people to feel safe enough to be present. Everyone arrives carrying something, and the mat should be a place where nothing has to be proven. If students leave feeling more connected to their breath, more trusting of their bodies, and a little more at home within themselves, then I’ve done my job.
What does your own yoga practice look like right now, and how does it differ (or not) from what you offer as a teacher?
Right now, my personal practice looks softer than what I mostly teach. I guide a lot of fluid, dynamic formats - Vinyasa, strong Hatha flows, classes that build heat and momentum. I love teaching that energy, but after full days of holding space and being outward-facing, I deeply crave slowness.
At the moment, what truly nourishes me are warm Yin and Restorative classes. I join in person twice a week, often practicing alongside students who have become friends, guided by teachers I genuinely admire. At least once a week, I practice at Soul Sanctuary, and I especially love Caroline’s classes there. Her way of holding space allows me to fully drop in. My own practice right now is less about intensity and more about regulation. It’s about staying supple, open, and connected and in many ways, that softness feeds my teaching. The more I allow myself to slow down and be supported, the more grounded and spacious I can be when I step into the role of guiding others.
How did your journey align with Soul Sanctuary, and what does teaching within this space mean to you?
Soul Sanctuary came into my life during the hardest phase of the pandemic. I was feeling stuck and disconnected, and practicing with Cat online gave me structure and stability each week. That time also gave me the courage to make big changes in my life, including leaving my relationship and starting over and moving to Berlin.
My practice was a big part of that process. It helped me rebuild trust in myself. When Covid restrictions lifted, I joined the yoga and surf retreat in Sri Lanka. Being there in person felt very natural, like the online connection translated seamlessly into real community. It confirmed that this space was something special. Now, teaching for Soul Sanctuary feels meaningful on a very personal level. It’s the place that supported me when I needed it most, and I feel genuinely honoured to now give back to the same community.
Looking back on your journey, what feels like one of your greatest achievements - inner or outer - and why?
One of my greatest achievements has been reclaiming my own narrative.
For a while, I was subtly (and sometimes directly) pressured into being “the curvy yogi.” Big brands typecast me into a role that looked empowering from the outside, but internally it didn’t always feel aligned. I started to feel reduced to a label. It was never about my skills as a teacher, always about my appearance. And the more I leaned into what was expected of me, the further I drifted from myself. Choosing to no longer be defined by a category was a turning point.
Today, my biggest achievement i’s that I make decisions based on what feels healthy and true for me. I prioritise feeling strong, grounded, and at peace in my body - not representing an image for someone else. Reclaiming that autonomy, and allowing myself to evolve beyond how others saw me, feels like real success.
What has yoga taught you about yourself that you didn’t expect when you first began?
It has taught me everything! More than I ever expected. I thought yoga would just make me more flexible or calmer. Instead, it showed me my perfectionism, my need for control, and how often I tied my worth to doing more. It taught me that softness is strength. That rest is productive. That I don’t have to push to prove anything. Most of all, it changed how I relate to myself - with more awareness, more honesty, and a lot more kindness.
How do you care for yourself and stay connected to your own practice in the midst of teaching, work, and everyday life?
Frankly it’s not always easy right now. I’m still in the early stages of self-employment, and building something of your own takes energy. There are phases where the balance feels smooth, and others where it feels stretched. What I don’t negotiate with, though, is sleep. Sleeping is truly my superpower. I protect it. I prioritise it. I know that when I’m rested, I’m clearer, kinder, and more grounded - as a teacher and as a human. Everything works better when I’ve slept well. Beyond that, I keep it simple.. I try to start my mornings without rushing, even if it’s just a few quiet minutes with coffee and no input.
Is there a mantra, phrase, or reminder you return to - both on and off the mat?
There are a few anchors I return to again and again. I try to journal, especially when my mind feels loud. Mantra-wise, Sat Nam is one I come back to often, “truth is my identity.” It reminds me to move from what feels real and aligned, not from expectation. “I am here now” is another simple but powerful one - I love when Cat teaches it. It grounds me immediately. It pulls me out of overthinking and back into my body. And Aham Prema “I am unconditional love” is so meaningful to me that I have it tattooed on my arm. It’s a reminder that love isn’t something I have to earn or search for, it’s something I already carry.
If there’s one thing you’d love someone to know before practicing with you inside Soul Sanctuary, what would it be?
When you practice with me inside Soul Sanctuary, my hope is that you feel steady and supported. That you feel guided, but never pushed beyond what feels right for you. That you leave not just stronger in your body, but softer in your inner dialogue. If you step onto the mat with me, I want you to feel safe enough to listen inward and confident enough to trust what you hear.
🔸 3 words to describe yourself?
Fun. Loving. Caring.
🔸 Your go-to pose (the one you always come back to)?Dancer’s Pose - Natarajasana.
🔸 A practice you didn’t expect to love … but do
Yin. I truly didn’t see that coming, and now I wish I could teach it more.
🔸 Your current non-negotiable ritual?
White noise for sleep, always.
🔸 One thing that brings you back into your body instantly?
Closing my eyes and gazing inward. It shifts me from external to internal immediately.
🔸 Something people might not know about you?
I love, love, love going to heavy metal concerts on my own. The community is surprisingly sweet. You’ll usually find me in the moshpit.
🔸 If your teaching had a soundtrack, what would be on it?
Lately, cello music. Something calming, but layered and expressive. Grounded, yet a little dramatic in the best way.
See below for just a few of our favourite practices from Lena on the membership:
