Wanda Badwal is an absolute full-time yogi: she works as a meditation and yoga teacher, is a kirtan singer and life coach - and now also the first official face of OGNX. You probably know her from Germany's Next Top Model and she worked in film and television for a long time before she set out on her path to yoga and the inner self. She is an absolute power woman who goes through life with gentleness, strength, curiosity and adventurousness. A real #ognxgirl.
We are very happy, Wanda as our first testimonial. For us, this means more than just being the face of the brand. Wanda represents the same values as OGNX and together we want to convey these to the outside world.
So that you can get to know Wanda a little better and know what she is currently working on, we met her last week for a very personal and in-depth interview:
You have lived and taught in Bali for the last few years. What brought you back to Germany and do you plan to stay here now?
After 3 years of intensive self-study, further training and teaching hundreds of yoga classes, I knew that it was time for the next step: to let what I had learned sink in and then apply it and pass it on. In Bali I experienced and studied yoga on a holistic spiritual level. These include techniques such as pranayama, mantras and meditation, which help us connect with our true nature. I would like to bring this holistic approach to yoga as a spiritual path of self-discovery to Germany. Unfortunately, in the West yoga is often reduced to physical practice. The actual goal is for us to reconnect with our true nature, Atman - the soul . I have this wish: to connect people more with their hearts and their inner light through my work.
What is it like for you to be back in Germany?
While abroad I had the opportunity to look at my origins and roots in a completely new way and from a distance. I have never categorized people according to their origins and have never described myself as “typically German”. But when I was abroad I discovered that I was much more German than I thought (laughs). I like structure, being able to rely on people, love intellectual, stimulating exchanges and deep conversations - so I'm a poet and thinker somewhere (laughs). In addition, in a developing country like Indonesia, where women are still viewed as secondary and there is no functioning legal or health system, you notice how good we have it in Germany. We have a health and social system that supports us. We Germans have it damn good. I appreciate things like this more than ever.
Where can we look forward to hours and workshops with you?
I'll be with Patrick Broome in Munich until the end of July and cover his hours over the summer, while teaching the boys from our national team in Russia. In August I'll be in Hamburg for workshops, in September with OGNX in Mallorca and in November I'll be giving my first 200 hour Yoga Alliance certified teacher training in Bali - there are still a few places available! By the way, if you would like to practice with me online, you can also find me at yogaeasy. I also regularly host a Free Live Yoga & Meditation Session on my Facebook Page . It's super easy, just like my page and keep an eye out on Instagram for when the next session will take place. I'm always happy when there are lots of yogis from all over Germany and sometimes Europe too.
You have reinvented yourself several times in your life and dared to make big changes. How were you able to find the courage for these new beginnings?
Mmm, good question! I am by nature an adventurous, creative and inquisitive person. I sometimes have to smile when I see this saying “life happens out of your comfort zone” because I have the feeling that I have been living outside my comfort zone almost my entire life (laughs). Admittedly, sometimes it's really tiring... but generally I like challenges and want to learn to understand myself and other people better. Ever since I was a teenager, I've been asking myself the big questions in life: Who am I? What's this all about? Why do we live and why do we have to die? I found many answers for myself in yoga.
And of course there are also many people who are naturally introverted or anxious. I think it's important not to compare yourself, but to move forward at your own pace. Because each of us is unique in our abilities and fears. For more anxious people, this means taking small steps into the new and unknown.
And as a very general tip: If we don't try things ourselves, we never know whether they suit us or not. We usually don't get anywhere with just theory and thinking. Only when we have tried something do we know afterwards whether it was right for us.
It's not always easy to find your way. What advice would you give to someone who wants to change and is looking for new things for themselves, but maybe doesn't know where they want to go yet?
Our world is moving faster and faster, getting louder and we are bombarded with a lot of information every day. It's easy to feel overwhelmed. Many of us have lost touch with ourselves, with our own feelings and our own hearts. Finding this again can happen in different ways. Yoga is one of them, as are meditation, breathing techniques and mantra practice. That's why I try to integrate many of these building blocks into my lessons in order to reach people on different levels. For many people it also helps to be in nature. Others find it helpful to jog, dance, ride horses and be with animals. Writing down your thoughts and putting them on paper always helps to gain more clarity. Everything we need, all the answers are already there within us. We just need to quiet this noisy mind to bring forth what is buried beneath.
How can we use yoga and the principles behind it to find ourselves and therefore our path in life?
No matter why we first come to the mat, whether it's back pain or we simply want to build strength: yoga works whether we are consciously aware of it or not. Sooner or later it opens gates for every person - gates to the heart. You don't have to do anything more than practice regularly :) And if feelings, memories and even traumas come flooding back, then so be it. Yoga is a practice of purification. Cleansing from all the poisons and bad influences, internal and external, that we carry around with us, but which obscure our true and pure core. Anyone who would like to get to know each other better after their first outburst of crying in Pigeon or Savasana is invited to continue there, for example with a coach, healer or therapist. As a yoga teacher, I see myself as a door opener to the inner world. Then it is up to each student how quickly and deeply he or she wants to penetrate into the inner layers. This requires a lot of courage and the willingness to face pain and fears. But I promise it's worth it, even if we feel a lot through the dark at first - the light at the end of the tunnel is near. Light and shadow belong together like two sides of a coin.
People often talk about how yoga and meditation influence our lives. How have the changes and events in your life influenced your yoga practice?
My personal yoga practice has changed a lot through my studies in Bali and India. It has expanded, become richer and more subtle. Almost every morning it consists of pranayama, meditation, bandha and mantra practice and a subsequent asana practice. For me, yoga no longer ends when I step off the mat. In Sanskrit the word yoga means unity or connection. For me, yoga is much more than physical exercises, it is a state of mind, a mindfulness practice and a way of life.
In practice, you can, for example, ask yourself the following questions over and over again throughout your everyday life: How connected am I to my breathing or my body right now? How mindful am I? How present and in unity am I with myself and the person standing in front of me? Am I really listening? Do I carry love and compassion in my heart, for myself and for other living beings? Because whenever we judge someone else, we ultimately judge ourselves. How harshly we judge others is a reflection of how harshly we judge ourselves. So the practice of yoga never ends, it is an inner practice of becoming conscious.
You are now the first official face of OGNX. What connects you to us?
I live about 80% vegan myself. That means every now and then I eat an organic egg or drink cow's milk in the café. But I make sure to eat mostly plant-based products. That's why OGNX, as a vegan label that values fair production conditions and works with organic cotton and recycled materials, fits my attitude to life perfectly! I would like more people to recognize their decision-making power and become aware that we can influence the world with our consumer behavior. Personally, I am willing to spend more money on a piece of clothing if I know that it was produced under fair and sustainable conditions.
I really like the designs from OGNX, I love the cotton leggings, they are just super comfy. I also love the lounge and home wear because I often work from home and like it to be comfortable at my desk, for example in the harem pants and I love the sweaters, they are just super stylish and comfortable - did you know how heavy it is Finding nice sweaters?
Apart from that, I find the entire OGNX team very likeable and I really like the family atmosphere in the company. I also get along very well with the founder and managing director Nina in my private life. It was basically love at first sight for us (laughs). Sometimes there are encounters in life where you just feel: This is right! I am very happy to be the new face of OGNX and can simply represent this brand with a clear conscience.
Do you have a particular favorite pattern or outfit?
I love the Keffiah leggings in rosé. It has a perfect fit and makes for a sexy bottom, the organic cotton is super soft and comfortable on the skin and yet not too thin in the material. Simply great!
You can find more information about Wanda and her events on her homepage http://www.wandabadwal.com as well as all the details about her Remember who you are – Teacher Training .
Follow Wanda on Instagram and Facebook , where she shares insights from her life, inspiration and tips on the topics of yoga, self-discovery and meditation.