Jessica Kirchberg

Name: Jessica Kirchberg

Lives in: I live in Chicago, Illinois in the United States. I live in a neighborhood in Chicago on the west side called Humboldt Park.

From: I was born in Chicago and grew up in the city on the far north side. My parents moved to the north suburbs when I started high school, so I spent my teenage years living in a suburb called Golf in Illinois.

Occupation: I am a mental health therapist for a private practice in Chicago. I work mainly with adults but also with some kids and teens. I also work part-time as an executive assistant for the President of a real estate development company in the north suburbs of Chicago.

Tell us your first three jobs (ever!): 1. I was a camp counselor when I was 15 years old
2. I was a server at IHOP on the weekends when I was in high school
3. My third job was my first official job after college. I worked at a high school in Denver as the Admissions Director. It was the hardest and most challenging job of my life. I got thrown into the deep end and had to learn everything on the fly.

Zodiac sign?: Libra

Enneagram type (if you know it)?: Individualist, Type 4

What do you love about Greece?  I’ve never been to Greece, but it has been at top of my list for many years now. The crystal clear water and white buildings set on the mountainside look like paradise. I love Greek food (at least what I know of it from Greektown in Chicago haha!) and the culture seems way more relaxed and mindful than American culture. I can’t wait to come visit someday, hopefully soon!

Tell us something most people don’t know about you: I’m a huge baseball fan – specifically a fan of the Chicago Cubs. I grew up listening to them on the radio and there’s something about baseball that always makes me feel like I’m at home. It’s familiar, I know it well and I love it. Wrigley Field is where the Cubs play in Chicago and it’s the second-oldest stadium in the US. I love that place so much!

Where we are most likely to find you in Lynn’s Kundalini Yoga? I’ve been joining in on the weekly classes virtually on Zoom.

First time you tried Kundalini Yoga?: My best friend Morgan started doing Kundalini yoga at a local Chicago studio about 3 years ago. She started telling me about how it reduced her anxiety and helped her create new, positive pathways in her brain that supported her health. I struggle with anxiety and am prone to panic attacks, so I’m always looking for “natural” ways to help me manage my symptoms. I found a studio near my house that did one Kundalini class a week and started attending about two years ago. Since then I’ve completed one 40-day Kriya, which was an awesome experience – I experienced a noticeable decrease in anxiety about 20 days into it. I’m now attempting another 40-day practice with Lynn’s help!

Tell us your top tip to combat climate change: My top tip to combating climate change is being a vegetarian. When my dog (who I loved with all my heart) passed away two years ago, I became especially in tune with animal suffering in the world and after doing some research discovered that farm animals have it the worst as far the level and amounts of abuse and neglect. My heart broke for what I discovered about our factory farm system and I decided to stop eating meat altogether. Since then, I’ve discovered that this decision also helps the environment, since the mass amount of animal farming in the world take up far more resources than humans do.

Anything else you’d like us to know?: My goals are to continue to increase the amount of time each day that I spend practicing Kundalini yoga. I’ve always struggled with discipline and keeping a steady daily schedule, so it’s slow progress. But it’s my goal. I hope to meet all of you someday soon and attend one of the retreats in Greece! I’m sending love and peace out to all of you right now!