Nine years ago, Afke Reijenga (48) decided to break with the wild party life she led. Now she teaches yoga and is happier than ever:Afke:"I let go of everything to find myself again."
Afke Reijenga became known as a model and actress. She played in the TV series Baantjes and On the way to tomorrow. For years she led a turbulent life in the art and club scene, until she changed course in 2009. Afke is now a yoga teacher and chairman of Because We Carry and Yogivism, initiatives that help people and animals. She lives with her boyfriend in Amsterdam.
YOU REALLY LIKED A PARTY BUT NOW ARE A YOG A TEACHER. WHY THAT COVER?
'I used drugs, smoked and celebrated. I worked day and night. I began to realize more and more that my choices were not healthy. Life was getting darker. At one point I decided:I don't want this anymore. I saw no option but to leave everything behind. So I got out of my relationship and moved
from Amsterdam to Bali.'
A RIGOROUS DECISION.
'That was it. But the life I led was no longer about the essence of my existence. I had lost myself. Finding myself was only possible by letting go of all my fixed patterns. I can recommend such a choice to everyone. When you have the guts to
start completely from scratch – without that house, without that job and without that relationship – you experience so much freedom. In yoga this is called a spiritual striptease:all layers come off.'
Read the entire interview with Afke from page 22 in the May issue of Santé.
Afke.org
Below a look behind the scenes at the photo shoot with Afke.