Renown Regional TV Host, Speaker, Author & Founder Jojo Struys of OhanaJo Studio, talks to us on internal elegance, beauty and wellbeing.
Jojo Struys is a renowned Wellness Personality, and the founder of the largest yoga and sound healing space in Malaysia called Ohanajo Studio (www.ohanajo.com). Jojo is also the Regional TV Host of Jojo’s Diary of Asia on the Discovery Channel, as well as an accomplished Speaker and Certified Yoga Instructor. She checked herself into an ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas in Rishikesh, India at the end of 2015 to complete her 200-hour TTC in yoga.
Jojo’s passion and life’s work revolves around helping others to find ways of letting go of what no longer serves them, in order to access greater happiness, wellbeing & balance in their everyday lives. In this interview, Jojo talks to us on the profile of a lady, internal elegance, beauty and wellbeing.
Jojo, you had a supreme interest in spirituality and the power of internal thought. In your view, how do you describe internal elegance?
It’s a sense of style or ‘modus operandi’ that can be felt more than seen with the naked eye. It’s when someone has a sense of grace. A good listener can make someone feel heard and even important by just giving their undivided attention and time.
We understand that you started learning how to meditate in your teenage years. How did you develop your passion for the holistic overall wellbeing?
I’ve always been fascinated by the power of the mind and learning how to meditate opened up a whole other world. Most of the time, it controls us and our thoughts are like wild horses but when you are in control of your own thoughts, you’re in control of yourself. It is amazing how even a 15-minute deep breathing exercise can be equivalent to 2 hours of sleep and it’s so oxygenating and calming. You feel the effects instantly. The way you breathe tells you a lot about your emotional state. The power is in your hands.
Feminine beauty has evolved a great deal in recent years. From your point of view, what has changed?
I feel lots has changed yet not much at all. I feel hairstyles have become more unique, colourful and edgy and there’s so much diversity nowadays.
However, there will always be fashion trends that move in and out of style. I think many women around the world are influenced by what is culturally relevant to them. Some groups of women, depending on their background are becoming more conservative in their dress sense, yet some are moving in quite the opposite direction towards making their own fashion statements and standing for what’s individually important to them or their values. One’s lifestyle is important too. The moment I started practising yoga every day, I ditched my heels for comfy slippers and workout attire with even dreamcatcher necklaces and mala beads to match that way of life.
Inner beauty: what three qualities make a lady?
Integrity, graciousness and gratitude.
If male beauty could be summed up in a single outfit, what would it be?
Tuxedo.
What would you say is the secret to winning a woman’s heart?
Keep it real. She’ll be on to you eventually so you might as well start by being yourself. Treat her with respect and be that someone she knows she can always trust or depend on. And always make decisions that come from love, rather than fear.
The idea of a true lady is a well-rounded woman, a traveller, a citizen of the world: is there a journey that more than others enriched you or changed you in some way?
The journey of following my heart and opening my own yoga and wellness space has filled my emotional cup because I feel I’m making a difference in people’s lives. So many people with anxiety these days just show up, overworked or mentally drained and we’ve tried to create a safe space…somewhere you can go, not just to workout (though we have loads of yoga classes) but to actually really connect with yourself, unwind or drift into total relaxation in a sound bath. I feel we have provided people with shelter from the many storms in their lives at OhanaJo.
Thank you, Jojo, for your time.
You are welcome!
