My • Story

[ ANANDA FRIESE ]

Telling your own story will always be challenging as it confronts you with all the bits and pieces of yourself.

Putting the puzzle together can be tricky, as we tend to get attached to some parts in our life or fall into identifying ourselves too strongly with others that might not be current anymore.

I find it helpful to remind myself that all these experiences are not ME, but did help in shaping me into who I am today - and who I choose to keep on becoming every day.

Being born in Germany, but growing up in Peru, I´ve always had two - very different and almost contradicting - cultures within me. I had the chance to learn about both and take the best out of each one, but this also triggers a feeling of never really belonging to one place or the other. At home, with my mom, I was brought up in a spiritual, conscious environment - understanding from an early age that “we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin); that a disease always has a deeper root than what we are used to look at; that emotional intelligence is every bit as important as intellect; and that love is our true essence. I grew up learning about the existence of light beings surrounding us, the influences that the moon, the planets, and the stars have on us and that we are on earth for a higher purpose, and much more.

At home, with my mom, I was brought up in a spiritual, conscious environment - understanding from an early age that “we are not human beings having a spiritual experience, but spiritual beings having a human experience” (Pierre Teilhard de Chardin); that a disease always has a deeper root than what we are used to look at; that emotional intelligence is every bit as important as intellect; and that love is our true essence.

Having this awareness from this early on and being a vegetarian since birth, did make me feel from time to time, that I didn't fully belonged in school with all my friends, either.

When I finished high school and needed to decide what was going to happen next, I suddenly felt the urge to choose something that would give me the feeling of fully belonging: so I chose a pretty “normal” career, in a renowned Uni and off I went, on my own, to Germany to finish my studies in Hospitality Management. Having German roots and my father living there, I felt the calling to go there and experience that part within me. Besides that, I was convinced that being entirely independent, studying a career and working in a global organization pursuing the famous career ladder, would finally give me that fine feeling of fitting in.

Oh, was I wrong.

The six years in Germany were amazing, very intense and full of incredible opportunities and experiences; but fitting in?

Suddenly I had disregarded my spiritual practices, self-care didn't fit in my schedule anymore, my priorities were upside down and even self-love was a distant thought.

I wish I could say how one day I woke up and said to myself: “Ok Ananda, something's not quite right here anymore, you need to re-connect with your true essence now.” But it was my physical body that had to shake me up. My body had been producing tumorous tissue on my skin; it was happening too frequently and I was too young for that kind of behaviour. This is how I finally woke up, put my priorities back in order, quit my job and left to India for a while. The next step was to go back to Lima, start a treatment and refuel my energy.

This was the price of wanting to fit in. This was the price to pay for not fully embracing my true Self and giving myself permission to follow my authentic essence.

Going back home meant going back to basics - move back in with my mom, stop earning an income, not being productive, starting new routines, surrendering to self-care and listening to my body and soul. Put everything that was not a priority on hold and not having a long (or mid)-term plan anymore.

Slowing down and respecting my natural rhythms, being more selective with my energy investment, letting go of the glorification of always being busy and just being with myself.

I needed to heal.

During this time, during these experiences, during my insecurities and fears, there was one clear thought that would always come back: If I, that have had all this knowledge and awareness from the beginning on, have had to go through this experience to realize what a fulfilling life really means, to understand that belonging is so much more than fitting in; what about the people that did not have this consciousness and access to all these tools?

This is how The Soulab was born - as an idea of creating space for our souls, create conscious lifestyles, cultivate self-awareness and make spirituality modern again.

Today I know that each and every experience had to happen exactly the way they did in order for me to learn the lessons.

It had to manifest in the physical realm the way it did, for me to awake in the spiritual realm.

And today I also know that I want to be of service - through my own experience and healing process - to expand this awareness that will prevent the need of dis-eases manifesting physically and, if already needed, offering possibilities of conscious healing processes on all levels of our being.

I'm here to serve.

To serve you to live a life of purpose, meaning and fulfillment, reach the highest levels of your potential and tap into the deepest wisdom within you.

I do not have all the answers. I make mistakes. I have (very) bad days. I know fear and self-doubt. I am human.

But I am committed to sharing with you what I’m living and learning, keeping it real and honest.

This platform has been created for you.

The fact that you are here right now means that you are ready to embark on the journey to your interior.