The Seed in Lagos, Portugal, is a creative and wellbeing hub—a place to recharge, rebalance, and revive, bringing unity to body, mind, and spirit. They provide support to their community through restorative work, wellbeing sessions, shared experiences, and co-creation. They believe that yoga improves life from all perspectives.
Join us in exploring more about Jasper and Diana's studio journey! In this month's Yoga Studio Spotlight interview, they tell us all about their backgrounds, yogic paths, and how they found the perfect space to open their studio.
Can you tell us a bit about yourselves and background?
Jasper: As a young child I have been traveling because of the work of my family. They have always been working in sustainability, and development aid. Obviously, this came naturally to me at a young age. I started my studies in sustainable development and worked in the renewable energy sector. There I came to the realization that sustainability is something within, and opened my path into Yoga.
Diana: I was born in Porto, Portugal, and have a background in arts, music, dance, theatre, architecture & design (all “seeds” planted in me by my family since a very young age!). We’ve been always traveling a lot, and therefore travels are also one of my big passions. I’ve been living across the globe for 15 years: from Berlin, to London, Mexico, India, France.. and now I've found my base back in Portugal - where I’m starting a beautiful new family and where I came to “stop & share” what I’ve been collecting and learning all these years.
What was your path from student to teacher and finally into a studio ownership?
Jasper: My path as a student started with ayurveda and meditation. I travelled to India and attended a 10-day Vipassana retreat. This deepened my awareness and inner calmness. I created a structural routine and got more and more benefits. This was the moment that Yoga came into my life. Yoga includes meditation, but also a very practical way of living in peace and harmony. Breathing, physical asanas, and mantras got me in deeper meditation. I never thought about becoming a teacher, I just wanted to get A deeper understanding of Yoga. I did my 200 and 300 hours TTC and after a couple of years of self-practice teaching becomes a sadhana. There is such a beauty in sharing your experience. This led me into teaching regular classes, hosting retreats and now a studio owner together with my partner.
Diana: I always had a difficulty in finding just one big passion in arts (I’ve been studying and practicing always so many fields) but my dad, also an architect, one day, when i was still very young, told me: “if you are an architect you can do and make everything!”, and there I went: into architecture university to become an “Everything maker”!
Later on I’ve redefined my skills as designer (graphic, branding, art director, interiors…), subjects that today still follow me: I work currently as branding graphic designer (and sometimes as interior designer), I own an ethnic handicrafts project (a brand that connects some of my biggest passions: arts & travels) and I’m also a certified yoga & meditation instructor.
Having practiced for 20 years, trained in the “yoga capital” Rishikesh (India) and also along with the Jivamukti Yoga school in Europe, I’ve been teaching back in India, UK, France and Portugal for 10 years now.
I fell in love with Yoga since the very beginning but it was after an injury, while strengthen and balance the mind & body with the help of Yoga, that the practice have transformed me on so many levels - I feel a strong sense of responsibility to share it, which initially inspired and continues to inspire me to teach.
The Seed is then the result of all these passions, travels, arts, exploring the transformative power of yoga across continents, blending mindfulness with creativity.
Is there a special teacher or guide or moment that was instrumental in developing and sustaining your personal practice?
Jasper: My teacher has been my guide. He really inspired me to take responsibility for the life I am living. Yoga is not something you do, it is a state of awareness which brings happiness and fulfillment, a state of Being. He is one of the lineages of swami Sivananda. Other inspiration I got from Krishnamacharya, for me one of the founders of the yoga we all see now.
Diana: I met an incredible Jivamukti teacher (Emma Henry) back in London, when I was going through a healing process (after an accident). She was the one who motivated me to never stop practicing, and thanks to that resilience within my yoga practice I had a surgeon confirming that I wouldn't need surgery as he had initially predicted! That particular moment, plus the “kick” of my teacher, made me travel towards India to try to find out what yoga REALLY was! That's where the yoga path really began.
You have recently opened The Seed, can you tell us about the journey to establish it? What inspired you to start it in Lagos?
We have been visualizing a studio for about a year. Every open store, building or whatever, we would tell each other. We’ve been wondering about the exact place for a studio, the exact location… we didn’t have anything defined. Until one day, we were just walking around Lagos - one of us decided to stop for a take away coffee while the other was contemplating the building where the cafe was, thinking: “How nice would it be to have a yoga studio here!” - we then look up and see a sign: “For rent”! From that moment until now, everything just went in a flash!
Tell us about your studio and the energy it brings to the local yoga community. When people enter your studio, what do you want them to feel?
From the moment you enter the space you feel a inner calmness. Our space is thoughtfully designed to provide a welcoming environment where you can feel at home and focus on your well being journey.
You’ve called the space a creative and wellbeing hub, can you explain a little bit about what this entails?
Creativity starts from a place of silence. We envision bringing creation and wellbeing together in this space. Because they go so well together!
Also, you can work at The Seed (in our shared workspace), and why does work have to be a boring and forced thing? Work is such an important tool for our well-being! Let’s then be creative, let's work and synchronize it with our wellbeing!
What is your goal or mission for your studio? And how is it unique or different from others in the area?
Our mission is to nurture the growth and transformation of individuals and our community through a unique fusion of work, creation, and holistic wellbeing activities. We differ from others in the area because we combine both work, and health in one space.
Any learnings to pass along to new studio founders or yogis thinking about opening their own studio?
Be clear about what you envision. Believe in your vision and don’t get distracted from that. Also, and most important: keep your own practice going. That is what brought you to starting it - nourish it!
Connect with The Seed - a transformative haven
Follow The Seed on Instagram or visit their website.
Visit the studio at Marreiros Netto 34 1º esquerdo, 8600-754 Lagos, Portugal
Classes at the studio range from traditional Hatha yoga, Ashtanga, Jivamukti Yoga, Vinyasa, Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra, Somatics to Mobility Flow.
The Seed yoga studio is outfitted with Manduka PROlite ® yoga mats.
