Interview with Wolke Hegenbarth: about spirituality, her job, social commitment & being a mother

Wolke Hegenbarth is a German, award-winning actress and new mother who gives us many interesting insights into her life in this interview.

The sympathetic mother talks about her deep connection to India, her social commitment, her mantra, and details of her wedding. And, of course, about her future plans and acting.

1. As you know, we work with two small family businesses in India , we visit regularly, and we love the country. You, too, had your own love story with India before your fiancé. How did it all begin? Can you tell us about it?

It all began almost 10 years ago, when I was shooting a film in India in early 2010. We were actually only planning on spending four weeks there, but we ended up staying in Mumbai for a total of seven. Since I was going through a somewhat difficult phase of my life at the time, I was very happy to be there. The work and the country completely captivated and touched me in that moment. Sometimes I stood in front of the hotel elevator in the morning, singing with joy because I was simply so happy to be working there.

Photo Credit: Caren Detje

2.  How would you describe your spiritual path?

My spiritual journey also largely began in India. In my opinion, India is simply the right country for it. A local friend gave me my first Ganesha and took me to a temple. I was immediately inspired and fascinated. Although I had never practiced a religious practice or been baptized, I was immediately captivated. All the different gods and the openness of the people completely captivated me. Plus, everything there was so beautifully colorful. Since I'm a total color person, it just seems so wonderfully intense to me! India immediately fascinated me culturally, spiritually, and visually.

3. How long have you been practicing yoga and how has it changed your life?

I discovered yoga during a difficult phase of my life, after a breakup. About six years ago, I stumbled into a yoga class by chance at Berlin's SOHO House. Before that, it had never particularly appealed to me because I thought it wasn't a proper exercise. But I was wrong. That day, I walked into a Jivamukti class and was absolutely thrilled; it was incredibly strenuous and totally athletic. When you leave the room afterwards, you feel extremely at peace within yourself. This feeling, along with the amazing teacher, was the initial spark for me.

It took another two years, however, before I decided to practice yoga regularly. Since then, I've made a regular weekly practice. In 2017, I also decided to do yoga training. At the time, I was torn between various professional projects and was very dependent on other people's decisions. This annoyed me, and I wanted to use this negative energy to transform it into something positive. In Hamburg, I saw an advertisement for a yoga teacher training course and, highly motivated, started it a few days later. I completed it within six months. For me personally, this was a wonderful idea and a turning point. It's always important to free yourself from bad situations, and I achieved that with this training.

4.  Do you have a particular mantra that you live by?

My parents basically gave me a mantra, and that is, "Everything will be okay!" When someone has been told such a positive phrase at home for 19 years, they simply have a positive attitude toward life. I always had the belief that everything would turn out well and that I would be able to handle certain situations.

At best, such a thought simply sticks in children's minds, as they benefit from it for life. There's hardly anything better you can give someone than a positive outlook on the world and the ability to find meaning in everything. Even when certain situations don't always go as planned, and I've been turned down for roles, for example, my mother always said, "Well, it just wasn't the right thing for you."

This mantra is invaluable in my profession, helping me avoid feeling frustrated or sad. Working in our industry is only enjoyable if you actually have work.

5. Your fiancé, Oliver Vaid, is half-Indian, and your son, Avi, was blessed with Indian heritage. Does Indian culture play a major role in your daily life, and if so, to what extent?

Indian culture had fascinated me about five years before our relationship and had already become a part of my life. Oliver's family, and especially his father, only intensified this. A funny moment occurred at the first meeting with my in-laws, during which Oliver said of me: "She's more Indian than I am!" Because that was simply true.

I have the aforementioned Ganesha from Mumbai in my living room; for me, it's my personal meditation space. I always practice gratitude there, wish others well, and like to light incense sticks. That's a smell, by the way, that all my friends already associate with me. I also brought 25 Ganesha figures back from my trip to India to give to my friends. They completely filled one side of my suitcase.

6. Is there a particular belief or important lesson that you most want to pass on to your child for life?

Just as my parents did with me, I want to give Avi a positive outlook on life. Life is sometimes very hard, often unfair, and full of harsh words. In my opinion, you get the most out of life when you're at peace with yourself and in a good mood. If I can do that with him, then I've achieved everything.

7. You're getting married, and we're so excited for you. Can you tell us a little more about your planned wedding? Can we look forward to a Bollywood-style celebration?

We actually always had the idea of ​​a big Bollywood wedding, because it's so beautiful, and we both embody that culture so deeply. It would also be great for his family to celebrate in India, because a wedding is the most important celebration there. Accordingly, everything is bigger and more lavish than here. It's about showing generosity and sharing your happiness with the world; that includes singing, dancing, beautiful clothes, great music, and a tremendously good mood. We were both convinced by this idea very early on, and we'd like to offer something like this to our German friends, too, and experience it together.

8. In 2011, you received an Order of Merit for social commitment – ​​what are your favorite projects and when did you first become involved in social causes?

In 2004, I felt blessed with my life for the first time. I was in a great series and even won an award for Best Actress. After graduating from high school, I practically jumped straight into acting, and it went quite well. By the age of 21, I was financially independent from my parents.

It was a series of very fortunate circumstances and luxurious opportunities that made this possible for me, and I wanted to give something back. I started with a sponsorship 16 years ago, and shortly after, another child joined. After that, more and more projects developed, such as the Mercy Ship, where I worked for one month a year for five years. "Doing it yourself" is more important to me personally than just donating money. But getting involved locally, getting in touch with other cultures, and helping in remote places are also projects close to my heart.

They always say that you give and receive even more in return – in my opinion, that's exactly how it is. It has always been a blessing to be able to have these experiences. Four years ago, I was with Mother Theresa in a home for disabled children and helped there. It was the best thing I've ever done.

I believe that if you are blessed with something, you should share it and so it has become a part of my life.

9. We all know you as an actress! Did you miss working during your parental leave? And do you already have plans for after your parental leave? What wonderful projects can we look forward to with you?

I'm still on parental leave until the summer, and then the next filming of "Toni, Männlich, Hebamme" was scheduled to begin in June. I'm really looking forward to it. Especially as a young mother, it's important to have a good environment and great people around you to make everything possible. Due to the current corona situation, everything is of course still very unclear. My son is my priority at the moment, but I definitely don't want to put my work completely on the back burner. As an artist, I can't afford that, and I love my job too much to do without it. Work contributes significantly to my quality of life and, accordingly, to my personal well-being.

I can hardly imagine anything happier than pursuing a career that completely fulfills me. I'm a woman who lives entirely from her work.

10. Do you have a vision for the future?

I'm the kind of person who doesn't make plans. My life so far has been virtually completely unplanned. Even though it looks very planned and successful from the outside, everything has happened freely. I also consider it successful, by the way, but I just didn't have a plan. I won't make any plans either, because I'm convinced that life will take care of itself.

11. And last but not least, what is your absolute favorite mara mea product and why?

I have several favorite products from you!

I definitely use the Happy Flow organizer every day because it's not only super practical but also very pretty. The shopping net is also incredibly practical and perfect for people without a car—I'm an urbanite who does all my shopping with my stroller. Those are the two products I use the most. I also love the beautiful little diaper bag that always sits loose at the bottom of my stroller. I always take it with me, even if I just need to go somewhere really quickly.

And the products have such a beautiful design, it always reminds me of India.

Thank you for the inspiring and interesting interview, dear Wolke!