My love affair with PranaVida Style....

Have you ever had a pair of leggings that you just couldn't get out of? Like I mean you wore them allllll the time? I can honestly say that it hasn't happened to me since University when yoga pants first became all the rage. Like I lived in them....well, me and every other girl at Western. I wouldn't even know what to wear if I had to wash them. 
        
But.... because I didn't support the changes (super high cost regardless of outsourcing from Canada to China) that happened with the very popular and very commercial yoga pants that I once wore, I found myself longing for a serious long term relationship with leggings again, but they are just so hard to find. And honestly the kind you can buy at the grocery store just don't cut it! A) because they are cheap means that someone in some country somewhere did not get paid a fair wage to make them and B) because they simply don't perform - breathe or last.

Enter PranaVida Style. THE most AMAZINGLY comfortable, ethical and sustainable leggings I have EVER worn. Let me just tell you something - I accidentally ordered the fleece lined crops in the middle of July this summer and I loved them so much that I wanted to wear them even though it was a stifling 30+ degrees outside. I wore them and get this - it didn't matter that it was hot as hades outside - they BREATHE! (As a Yoga teacher I have tried a LOT of leggings and this is like...soo unheard of.)

Not only are these leggings incredible, but the woman who created them is even more amazing and makes you want to support her business just because of who she is and what she stands for. 

---

Amelia Barnes is a mother, yoga teacher and creative entrepreneur passionate about helping others live in alignment with their highest self and in harmony with the earth. You can often find her on her Instagram account (@ameliakyoga), sharing little bits of her heart, mothering her daughter Lily, and tips that will inspire you to keep learning and living a simpler, conscious and love-filled life. She also shares her journey of healing after the death of her newborn son Landon in July 2014, and has written a book Landon's Legacy: The Power of a Brief Life to help others navigate loss or to better understand those they love who are grieving. Her clothing line PranaVidaStyle.com (@pranavidastyle) is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after, Canadian-made brands because of her commitment to creating only the highest quality and most environmentally conscious pieces that flatter and fit every body (they are even perfect through pregnancy and postpartum!). Amelia lives in Winnipeg, Canada with her husband Justin, daughter Lily and big white mutt Cody, and enjoys doing yoga and spending time outdoors whenever she can. You can practice yoga with her online at oneOeight.com, and her podcast Living Prana Vida will be launching in the new year.

I was fortunate enough to interview Amelia about her take on gratitude among other things and, of course it just made me want to support her business even more and I am sure that you will want to get yourself a pair of these life changing leggings too! 

If someone met you for the first time at a dinner party and asked you to tell them about yourself and your life, what would you say? 
I'd say I'm a mom and business owner, but really at the core I'm simply a growth seeking being. I believe that happiness comes from purpose, and purpose comes from always learning and a commitment to consciously evolving through and with whatever comes our way. 

How does gratitude come into play in your business PranaVida Style? (I personally feel very grateful that you created this business every time I am wearing my PranaVida leggings!)
I'm immensely grateful that I live in a day and age where owning my own business, and being able to create something of meaning and share that with the entire world, is a real possibility. There are downsides of technology of course, but never before have we had the kind of freedom and opportunity we do today to actually follow our passions and hearts, and make a fabulous living doing it. I'm also incredibly grateful for all the people I've been able to connect with through Prana Vida - many of my customers feel like dear friends now and we have certainly created a true community of like-minded women who are committed to self-growth and conscious consumption. Just seeing the impact I'm making every day in ways big and small truly fills me up. 

Can you share a time when you had to dig deep to find gratitude? 
Certainly, it was very hard to find gratitude after Landon died. It was a daily struggle to find bits and pieces of hope or happiness. I found journalling and sharing about my grief helped immensely, as well as connecting to others who had been through similar experiences and were further along in their grief journeys.

What is your version of a gratitude attitude today? 
When I'm feeling down I try to search my mind for the things I'm so grateful for, and focus on those things. Expressing gratitude through words or actions also helps me to find more gratitude - it's an upward spiral. 

Thank you Amelia for taking the time to answer my questions and allow me to share some info about you and your amazing business! Also don't forget that you can check out Amelia's yoga classes on oneOeight,com.