Wellness Influencer Interview: Jen O'Styke

Please tell us a little about your business, yourself and how you got to where you are now in the wellness industry…

I am a qualified yoga instructor. I set up my own business at the start of last year called ‘Yoga Jen’ (a very unoriginal name that stuck during my study becoming a yoga teacher!). Although I work full time as a consultant, I spend a lot of my spare time teaching and training: group yoga, breathing, mediation and positive affirmations as Yoga Jen. I am fascinated with the mental and physical benefits we can reap from mediation and breathe work in particular. As someone who has been affected by anxiety for a long time I have found incredible relief through yoga practices and want to teach it to everyone!

I absolutely believe much of what I have learnt through yoga training should be incorporated into the schooling system, we should be learning this as we grow up! Things like, how to reduce stress naturally, how to breathe and eat properly, the nervous system, gratefulness, rest and being in the present moment should be taught to small people as they grow up! I look back and WISH I had been taken aside and taught these basic things about my body and mind.

At the end of the day we want to reach our highest potential and I believe a consistent daily yoga, breathing and mediation practice helps us achieve this. I try to make yoga accessible to everyone, from office workers, pregnant women, students and those who don’t have extra money to be flashing around on ‘extras’. I run donation and drop in classes to get people interested and engaged in yoga and make them understand the benefits we can all reap. 

What does ‘living naturally’ mean to you?

To me living naturally is living authentically, being in the moment as much as possible and with people that bring out the best in you and you them. It is about being solid in who you are, loving your imperfections and embracing all you have to give people. It is not about material possessions or having to impress anyone.

What does a typical day in the wellness world look like for you?

I work as a consultant in community relations as well as teaching yoga. This is another huge passion for me. The great thing about this role is that I get to be the communities’ voice in the board room, in designers’ ear or at technical debates. I bring the human element into the planning for large scale infrastructure project. This isn’t always easy! I manage stress and the occasional bad day with proper breathing and even get to teach yoga to various corporate teams when I am on different jobs (best of both worlds). 

So for me a typical day is:

• Eat a really nutritious breakfast, my body needs a kick start so I have a power smoothie of spirilina, maca powder, greens, frozen berries, a banana, coconut water, chia seeds and natural peanut butter as well as a small amount of home-made muesli (rolled quinoa, nuts and seeds) or porridge and soaked prunes, and soaked flax-seeds. My dad is the greatest and he taught me that if I have a lot of deliver in a day I need a good satisfying breakfast to fuel myself to perform 100%. In the weekend I don’t eat until lunch and drink a lot of pure water with organic mint and lemon to detox.
• Prepare for the day with healthy snacks and my gym gear – I take all fresh and homemade food – no preserved foods during the days, its zaps my energy and is too hard to digest/ makes me sleepy.
• On my way to work research or read about yoga techniques or legends/ theories and update my Yoga Jen Facebook with empowering quotes or images.
• Work during 8-5pm - ensure I drink enough water and eat healthily. Take regular breaks to breathe properly to regulate my stress level through the nervous system. I also get out of the office at least once a day and either exercise myself or teach yoga (I like teaching yoga to corporate groups – they are generally the tightest and most stressed).
• Leave the office and head home – get changed into my yoga gear. I generally teach one or two yoga classes to small groups in the evening on my sheltered balcony or on the roof top terrace under the stars (I teach 3-4 classes per week).
• Juice five or six veggies and one fruit, I add a lemon as I drink half of it for morning tea the next day! Lemon helps to preserve the juice and nutritional value.
• Make muesli or bliss balls for my lunches or relax.
• Mediated for 20 minutes.

What are your top 3 tips for staying fit and healthy?

I have 4 important ones that keep me sane…

1. Prepare – shop at markets (sustainable and organic if possible) once a week, make snacks like muesli bars for yourself, keep your food simple and fresh.
2. Mediate – just 20 minutes every day, if you can’t find this amount of time to spend on yourself daily, you need to reassess your priorities and make it happen.
3. Exercise everyday – even if it is just a walk around the block at lunch. Do something! I like to do weights three times a week and run or cross train another three times as it really gets your heart rate up and it only needs to be for 20-40mins per session too! Look at your ratio of sitting down verse exercise – you want to ensure you are active for at least an hour a day.
4. Give back to yourself – this one is more challenging and something I am working on at the moment. Giving to yourself is really important – think of it like refuelling yourself to do better, give others the best of you and reach your full potential. I see Renee for nutrition/ naturopath advice, see a Kinesiologist Clare Woodward to work through any mental limitations or stresses I have, and have a massage with Kuna massage therapist Cristina Arango in Paddington Sydney. These things help to give me awareness of any issues or struggles that are unnecessarily impeding my progress or success.

In a nutshell, what’s your food philosophy?

Only eat it if you know what it is. Keep it simple. Make it yourself.

What do you do to ‘reset’ the balance button when life gets a bit hectic?

Help someone. I think the best thing you can do to put your life in perspective and reassess your priorities is to help someone else. If you have family close spend time with them, help your Nan with shopping or cleaning, if you don’t, like me as a kiwi living abroad get into volunteering at a local hospital or homeless shelter. Start in your own backyard then move out into the world. For me there is nothing more powerful than giving back, it gives to you tenfold!

We’re all about balance around here…What’s your biggest indulgence?

My partner makes incredible fish tacos and special sauce… it is my weakness!

What healthy snacks might we find on your desk or in your handbag?

Home-made bliss balls, a jar of veggie juice I made last night and a veggie pack of around five veggies cut into match sticks! You will also find this array of ‘treats’ on my partner’s desk – I am a lunch pack geek!

Can you share with us your top two pieces of advice for people wanting to start a career in the wellness industry?

1. Follow your interests and just keep learning. Do courses, spend time with different teachers, read and practice, practice, practice!
2. You can start now! I have two jobs and it works really well, you don’t have to leave your current situation and change everything, change one thing at a time to free up more space in your life for what you love and want to do. Having an altruistic goal to benefit others through wellness will go along way.
3. Surround yourself with positive people that inspire you and bring out the very best version of you. Find and hold onto people that lift you up!

Do you have a favourite affirmation or quote you remind yourself of when life throws you a few challenges?

“Be so good they can’t ignore you” and “Live big!” for both of my career passions and pursuits. I want to be the best version of myself and reach out to help and inspire others to live their passions and pursue their dreams through yoga and attitude. Also strongly believe in not limiting yourself by what society says we can do and how to do it. Just do what you believe to the best of your abilities and see what happens…

Thank you gorgeous lady! Renée x