We had the chance to sit down with Soesja Leugs, mother, model, entrepeneur and author, to talk about her morning, motherhood, creativity and food.

You wrote: “The morning is like the childhood of the day.” What first made you feel that?
There’s something very dreamy about mornings. I had forgotten about that feeling until my son, who’s a morning sunbeam, reminded me of it.

You’ve lived many “chapters”  model, creative, mother, founder of The Tiny Muse, and now an e-book author. What thread connects them?
Storytelling, in all its shapes and forms. I love exploring different mediums to tell stories. As a model, it wasn’t always my own story but with time, that has started to shift.

How did your time in Asia and your experience with yoga and meditation shape your relationship with mornings?
I love meditating at night and practicing yoga in the morning  slowing down in the evening and then moving to wake up the system in the morning.

You say you weren’t a “morning person.” What shifted that belief?
I think I can be both. Maybe some people truly are one or the other, but if I have something to look forward to, I’ll happily jump out of bed at 4 a.m. The same goes for staying up late. What really shifted was my mindset.

Morning as Ritual & Philosophy

On slow mornings, you make space “to play.” What does play look like for an adult woman in the morning?
Writing. Long, nourishing stretches. Trying out a new breakfast recipe. Dancing in front of the mirror. Sometimes even singing a little serenade to myself while I get ready.
It’s about letting go of all the seriousness we’ll inevitably encounter during the day. I like to arm myself with joy to find a smile or two amid the chaos.

Your son inspires you to see familiar things with new eyes. How does that influence the way you create, cook, or write?
It’s mostly in how I’ve befriended my inner voice. I try to speak to myself as kindly as I speak to him, it’s what I want to model as a parent. The only way to teach that softness is to live it. I hope that gentleness is tangible in everything I create.

You describe mornings and evenings as being close to the dream world. What lives in that in-between space for you?
Everything and nothing , both are true. I love to romanticize life, and there’s enough magic there to fill a whole book. But the other truth is that in sleep we also forget everything and that’s beautiful too. It’s both everything and nothing at once.

What is one thing most women overlook about mornings, not the habit, but the energy of that time?
Taking your time. When I rush through my morning, it’s hard to escape that irritated, restless feeling later on. Slowness brings clarity.

Creative Life, Motherhood & Wellbeing

You balance creativity, motherhood, food writing, and running a brand. How do your mornings keep you grounded?
By slowing down. I like to give myself time in the morning so I can move through everything at a slower pace.

What morning habit protects your mental clarity the most?
Between 10 p.m. and 9 a.m., my phone is on Do Not Disturb. My emergency contacts can still reach me, but it feels so good not to be constantly available.

If someone has only five minutes in the morning, what would you want her to reclaim first : breath, movement, silence, or something else?
Breath and inner dialogue. Say something kind to yourself in the mirror. Set an intention. I believe intentions are like magical spells we carry forward through the day.

You say: “Admiration creates space again for wonder.” What’s the last tiny thing you admired that shifted your whole mood?
My son is always collecting stones “normal” everyday stones. The other day, right in front of our door, he found a blue lapis lazuli. How it got there is still a mystery.
There’s no one else who could have found it, because he’s always expecting to find miracles and so they appear. It reminds me of that Roald Dahl quote: “Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it.”

The Food / Ritual Layer

Food is a form of ritual in your work. What’s one morning dish that feeds both body and imagination?
I practice intermittent fasting. Every body is different, but I’ve noticed that eating early lowers my energy levels. I prefer a warm, abundant brunch and a lighter, protein-rich dinner.

Do you believe the place you eat , outside, on the floor, at the table, in the park , changes the experience as much as the food itself?
Yes and no. Creating atmosphere is a wholesome thing, but what matters most is the energy we cook with and the emotion with which we eat. Those are the invisible ingredients that nourish us the most. Of course, atmosphere contributes to that too.

If the morning is a child, then what is breakfast , a lesson, a game, or a love letter?
A moment of opportunity , to set an intention from a place of calm.

What’s one ingredient every woman should have ready for a nourishing, playful morning?
Curiosity. Losing curiosity in yourself is the fastest way to age.

Closing Reflection

If everything in the morning was stripped away , no routine, no coffee, no journal . What would still make the morning meaningful for you?
Me and my son. Two sleepy heads just being.

What’s the question you wish women asked themselves before they start their day?
What makes my heart skip a beat?

What do you want women to remember about possibility and wonder ,even when life feels rushed?
It only takes two minutes to breathe deeply and you can do it anywhere.

Rapid-Fire

Your morning anchor you swear by?
Breathing.

A wellness “rule” you think women should let go of?
That wellness is something you have to pay for. You can find it everywhere , especially within yourself.

One book, sound, or source you return to when you need inspiration?
Journey of Souls by Michael Newton ,it helps me come home to myself.

Tea, coffee, or something else in the morning  and why?
I love coffee, but I often have a cup of tea on the side.

One thing your child taught you about life that adulthood didn’t?
Try not to rush. It makes you old and unsettles your nervous system.

If your morning had a colour, what colour would it be  and why?
Pink or lavender  soft and wavy, like a sunrise that gently wakes you up to the beauty of it all.

Your north-star word for 2025  and what it means to you?
My word for 2025 was create. My e-book became the fruit of that word.
It’s powerful to choose a word as an initiation , a seed for something you want to bring to life. And the beautiful thing is, it often unfolds in ways we could never have imagined.

Click here to buy Soesja's ebook ' the flexible menu'