Lena has been a yoga practitioner for more than 10 years. She believes yoga is a life-long journey and considers herself a teacher and student at the same time. Lena is the creator of Baiiad, a premium yoga wear brand, headquartered in Oakville, Canada.
New Year's resolutions quickly became obsolete. Who would have thought that the year 2020 would be the year that we could blame external circumstances for not staying true to our goals?
Our worlds got shaken, turned upside down - we were forced to re-evaluate our beliefs, values and ways of living. Who would have thought that even such simple joys as inviting friends over would not be possible?
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Adversity paves the way for possibility - my top three 2020 blessings in disguise:
Firstly, I was lucky enough to have a bigger purpose. I signed up for a Yoga Teacher training program, something I had pondered for quite some time. The year 2020 was the time to make my dream a reality. After the initial shock of dealing with quarantine, our yoga students quickly transitioned to Zoom classes. This program could not have come at a better time. Not only was I pursuing my dream by learning more about yoga philosophy, history and subtle energy body, I formed deep and meaningful connections with like-minded individuals. To this day, I have remained friends with some, and we continue to support one another's personal growth.
Secondly, was the extra time saved by not commuting and dealing with traffic. Count in an extra 30 minutes per day getting ready for work, makeup and picking an outfit. Two and a half hours every day is huge! I started practicing mediation, breathing exercises and yoga everyday. Regular practice made me more in tune with myself. I did not have to become a monk and live in an isolated mountain area to be able to tune out all negativity and noise, and turn my attention inward. Thanks to working from home, I was so consistent with my practice to the point that it made me realize that there is more to happiness than constant external gratification.
Thirdly, and most importantly, all previously mentioned points had led me to create my yoga wear brand. I have always loved stylish and premium quality clothing. I devoted two and a half years of my life to fashion blogging (while being a stay-at-home mom). When I had to go back to a career in the corporate world, I could not keep up with blogging. Yoga became my new, life-long passion. This is how the idea of the Baiiad yoga wear brand was born. I wanted to fill in a niche where premium quality hits the perfectly reasonable price point.
I believe that velvety soft fabrics, beautiful colors and comfortable designs can elevate one’s mood. As a yoga teacher and practitioner, I feel inspired when I can move more freely on the mat, while looking stylish. It was a path of trials, research, and tons of preliminary work before it all came to life at the beginning of 2021. My husband was a huge contributor to this interesting and daring venture. While I have been the Designer, the Model, the Social Media Manager, the Content Creator and the Product Tester (to name a few), he has been everything in between, including the Photographer, the Graphic Designer and the IT person running his technical magic in the background.
Yes, 2020 was a crazy year not to be easily forgotten. There were lots of things to re-evaluate and adjust to. Even though I do feel blessed with opportunities the year has personally provided to me, it was not all “unicorns and rainbows.” There was some heavy stuff that happened that I needed time to process and eventually accept. At the same time, I often think – would I be where I am today if it was not for a year long quarantine period?
Looking back makes me realize that 2020 made me stronger and more inspired. I became more in tune with myself, more connected with like-minded friends and more understanding of my goals for many years to come.
Lena Litvyakova
lena@baiiadyoga.com
baiiad.com
IG: @BaiiadYoga
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