Column

Last week my teenage daughter gave me a slightly stern look and told me that she would find it appropriate if I wore a bra. My jaw fell down and I had to laugh because it reminded me of a situation I experienced over 20 years ago with my mother. She had just turned 40 and we were on our way to a birthday dinner. My mother was…

A friend wrote yesterday that she was on her way to go swimming, saw herself in the mirror and then couldn’t go because the sight completely turned her off. An entertaining WhatsApp dialogue followed, which left me thinking. I’m not a fan of hot days and romping on the beach with a bunch of strangers who insist on oiling their fit physique on display for all to see. I prefer a…

I’m sitting in the Berlin subway. It smells of stale smoke and cold sweat. I still haven’t gotten used to this perfume after all these years, so I keep some peppermint oil in my bag. I rub it on my palms and, huffing, try to survive the journey. Across from me is an eleven-year-old boy, part of a crew of noisy school kids. Something about him is different…

A few days ago, my doorbell rang. I was in the middle of my Kundalini Yoga practice but was expecting a package – so I answered. I was confronted by a film crew, camera pointed at me like a weapon, startling me so badly that my carelessly wrapped turban almost fell off. The people on my doorstep – about five in all – were ridiculously upbeat and yelled…

I love spending time with myself. I never get bored. I can find humor in all of my quirks and when I put my mind to something, I get it done – no matter the obstacles. I don’t falter, I go for it. While some are still busy doing a rain dance or consulting the oracle, I’ve already reached the finish line. My father dropped dead one morning…

A woman in a down coat rushes past me. Puzzled, I assume that she must have caught a flu – why else would anyone wear a winter jacket in balmy 20-degree Tel Aviv? I look around and realize that I am the only lightly dressed pedestrian, strolling through the streets, enjoying the warm air. Everyone around me is bundled up. Winter in Tel Aviv. I get it. My…

Last Thursday, I landed at New York’s JFK airport. It was a warm fall evening, the last of its kind – the following days it turned bitter cold. I had met Isabel from SODA Books on the plane and we shared a cab to Manhattan. I felt drawn back to New York for several reasons. One of which was that I needed some time and space to write…

I feel like a raw egg. Moved. Seen. I close the door behind me, take a deep breath and ask myself why I hadn’t done this sooner – scheduled astrology session with Luisa Hartmann. I’d heard so much about her work, that she’s the best and so on. But from the beginning. I’m 45 minutes late. I hate being late. Silly me, I’d jotted the appointment down an…

I almost didn’t make it through security at the Hamburg airport by basically setting off an explosives alarm. Why? I had a small travel-sized diffuser in my carry-on and had forgotten to take it out before passing through the check-point. Silly me. The diffuser caused a mighty stir with the airport security, the humorless cops that appeared out of nowhere yelling at me not to touch it, it…

I’m feeling a bit fidgety these days. The past weeks were breathtaking, truly. Finishing touches on my book Makrobiotik – In Fülle Leben are wrapped up, and it’s ready for print. I can’t wait to finally hold it in my hands in three weeks, and I’m so excited to see what you think! On September 23rd, we’re planning a little launch party here in Berlin, so mark your calendars…

I wasn’t expecting this. I’m about to collapse and puke my coffee – which I shouldn’t have had right before class – all over my neighbor’s fluffy sheepskin mat. I’m in a Kundalini class with no way out. But more on that below. My last Kundalini class was nine years ago – a while back. 20 minutes later, my water broke and my daughter was born two week…