Eye Candy: We Chat With Juliette Leufke, Founder Of Bali-Based Bulan Yoga

PUBLISHED April 30th, 2019 06:00 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 02:43 pm

Juliette Leufke is a yoga and meditation teacher who’s immersed herself in a journey of self-development for years after leaving her job as a software programmer. And we know how with great body alignment and a balanced minds comes beauty both inside and out. Obtaining her certification from Costa Rica, the German-Indonesian has been teaching Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, and Aerial Yoga in places like Portugal, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and now, Bali. Her happy place? Close to the water with the sun shining down.

 

Hi Juliette! Tell us about how you got started with yoga.

I first started practicing yoga to deal with my stress and anxiety. I had reached a point in my life where I didn’t know how to deal with my emotions and how I could release the tension and discomfort I was experiencing. Practicing yoga continuously has taught me how to face my fears, how to let go, and how to find a peaceful state of mind.

What are some of the lesser known benefits of yoga?

For me, yoga is a way of living. Even though it brings many physical and mental benefits, it also teaches us how to live a more mindful and balanced life. Through the practice we get to know ourselves and our behaviour patterns better. We understand why we react a certain way and how we deal with challenges. This can support us in finding peace with ourselves and the people we are surrounded by!

Is that the secret to your good looks? Surely it’s not just that?

I like to keep my physical practice balanced and do strength or cardio classes whenever I am not practicing yoga. I try to be active at least three or four times a week, depending on my work schedule, and mostly eat vegetarian dishes.

You’re also trained in more alternative holistic practices like Reiki. What’s that about?

I’d reached a point where I became very aware of my energetic surroundings and my own energy flow. I started to sense imbalances in myself and built my yoga practice around it to release blockages of my energy flow. I wanted to learn more about energy healing and therefore did my Reiki I and II certification. Since then, I’ve been giving hands-on and distance Reiki treatments, as well as healing treatments for myself. It’s an ongoing journey and I enjoy it very much. I’m planning as well to do my Reiki Master course soon.

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What other training classes and services do you provide?

Besides Yoga and Reiki, I also give guided meditation classes. It is a great way to improve concentration and disconnect from the outside world to focus on your own mind. Furthermore, I am running The Locomotive Co. together with my business partner Sheranne, and we provide corporate companies with worksite wellness programs to improve the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of employees.

Tell us more about your neighbourhood in Bali. What’s good there?

I live in Brawa, which is a great place for pretty much everything. I live only a couple minutes away from the beach and am surrounded by amazing cafes, shops and restaurants. Especially for vegetarians, there are choices everywhere! There are great spas and plenty of beach shacks to watch the sunset and enjoy a coconut. Or if you feel like dancing and socialising, there are plenty of bars and clubs around as well. My favourite cafe is Nude, favourite restaurant is La Baracca, favourite yoga studio is Desa Seni, and during sunset I usually just go down to the beach near where I live.

What do you do during your off-time?

In my off-time, I like to explore and drive on my motorbike to other parts of the island. For a beach day in the South of Bali around Bingin, or if I want to join any workshops or spiritual activities, I drive towards Ubud. My favourite spot is the Pyramids of Chi for a sound healing session. Besides that, I like to spend quality time with my friends and family!

What do you think you’ll be doing five years from now, and which part of the world will you be in?

I’ve been living in several countries around the globe over the last few years, but all roads have led me back to Bali. It’s the only place for me that feels like home, and I’m happy to be so close to friends and family here. As we’re currently growing our business in Singapore, I might also be spending more time there or move over at one point. I know that in five years, I’ll still be focusing on energy healing and yoga. For the company, I hope that The Locomotive Co. will grow further and that we’ll be able to work with corporate companies to raise awareness of mental health at the workplace. Additionally, I hope that we’ll have opened our own physical space by that time, both in Bali and Singapore!

Want to learn yoga from Juliette? Sign up for a yoga retreat within her studio, Bulan Yoga!