It has been more than 25 years that Jasmin Kirstein opened her fitness club for women only. Jasmin has always oriented herself towards a holistic and integrative attitude when it comes to a healthy lifestyle. This also led to a steady increase in the number and variety of courses and workshops offered at MySportlady, because it is her wish to address both a woman’s physical as well as her mental well-being.

Physical activity by itself is often not sufficient to feel healthy and energized. This is why Jasmin already decided many years ago to offer courses in nutrition. However, losing weight is usually the main goal of many courses related to nutrition. Jasmin believes that an attitude towards our body which emphasizes an ideal body shape, an idea imposed on us by the external world (e.g. fashion and media) may never leave us feeling content with ourselves, neither will it makes us healthy. When we strive for external ideals we cannot find happiness. Inner peace and love for oneself can only be found within ourselves. “I believe that the constant worry about what we should and should not eat will not lead to a body weight that makes us feel content and happy. Instead of focusing our attention outside, we have to start listening to our body and feel what it needs, what makes us feel good and healthy. By regaining trust in ourselves again, we can find a body weight that is healthy and that we feel great with.” Driven by this knowledge, Jasmin started to look for a integrative path, which helps women find their happiness within themselves. This path led 2009 to the opening of the cooking school at My Sportlady. In our cooking school we teach knowledge and skills that stems from various countries and cultures. Jasmin’s special interest lies in the healing method of Ayurveda. Ayurveda is an Indian form of alternative medicine, which views body and mind as one united system. It keeps this system healthy through a well-balanced diet, that is different for each individual.

Jasmin got educated as a Ayurveda chef at the Indian Sivananda school. “With Ayurveda we can learn how to eat healthier, and how to decide ourselves what foods are good for us. In today’s times, we are strongly influences by external opinions; therefore it is important that we regain trust in our own perception about what is good for us. Ayurveda can help us do this.”

Ayurveda teaches a balance between ayus, life, and veda, knowledge. This means that it is important to gain valuable knowledge about the effects of certain spices and foods, but it is also essential to implement this knowledge into our every day life with both ease and joy. This is why our cooking school not only teaches the know-how about the preparation of delicious and healthy dishes, but it also communicates an attitude towards food that brings us back into direct contact with our body, our own nature.

To bring the philosophy of Ayurveda with joy and ease into the lives of modern people, that is Jasmin’s goal. At the cooking school you learn how to implement the pleasure of cooking and healthy eating into your every day life. What is being cooked here are not complex dishes with rare ingredients which you have never heard of. We cook simply, but qualitatively high and with love. This is Jasmin’s way of teaching both modern women and men how to have fun in the kitchen and feel healthy at the same time.