Alyona Fedorova: “I want to live each day to the maximum”

Alyona Fedorova  believes that balance is the most important thing for a happy and harmonious life. Moreover, the heroine of our digital cover confirms this by example: she balances successful projects and motherhood. Alyona founded a dance and yoga studio Mohini Devi Dance, a magazine and an educational platform Amrita. She is creating a language school and has published life-changing diaries. We talked about how to be feminine in an active rhythm, what all Ukrainians should learn, and why children are the most important projects.

You have created platform Amrita which has the same name as your magazine. Tell us about the project itself and its main mission?

Amrita is a conscious people platform that includes online courses and offline communication with like-minded people, feature articles and interviews with interesting people. The platform was formed on the basis of the same worldview, which can be called ecological. I have met women with whom we share the same basic values in life, but have knowledge and skills in different professions. Among us are: teachers, experts in Ayurveda, dancers, psychologists. We have combined our efforts to transmit knowledge in the highest quality and in a modern format. Our mission is to give useful and life-adapted information to women and men, to share what we ourselves have experienced, and to help others with that experience.

And what was the motivation for developing in this direction?

As the founder of Amrita, I can say that I’ve been passionate about self-development all my life. I have been interested in energy practices, self-development techniques and different ways of expanding consciousness since I was about eight years old. It was always at the call of the heart.

Initially, I opened a dance and yoga school. I wanted to create a women’s space where I could relax, feel safe, talk to people close to me and dance. After class, the girls and I started spending time together: going for coffee, watching theater productions, and discussing topics that concerned us. And eventually I was asked to give lectures. That’s how the women’s club was created, where we develop, hold meetings, have healthy breakfasts, and involve experts from various fields. And quite naturally the idea came to collect important information so that those who could not attend the meeting could receive it. That’s how the Amrita platform came to be.

Photo: personal archive

On his page on Instagram you often touch on the subject of femininity. How do you personally understand the phrase “to be feminine”?

I have studied femininity for quite a long time. There was a period in my life when I was interested in the Vedic side of it. “The Vedic woman” is quite socially passive, she does not wear pants, always serves her man, cooks the right food and only at the right time. These aspects of femininity in their pure form are not suitable for Slavic women. Our genes contain an active life position, and in another imposed model it will not feel harmonious.

Now I have come to the point that femininity is the ability to switch roles and consciously enter into different states: mother, mistress, employee, girlfriend. The main thing is to be able to relax, have quality rest and take care of yourself.

What helps you relax?

Twice a week I definitely take a bath with candles, petals and music. I do professional massage, which works wonders with my body. Pleasant tactile manipulation greatly increases a woman’s energy.

My rules of beauty: a beautiful hair, a fresh manicure and a sense of inner harmony. I won’t leave the house if I don’t like myself.

Photo: personal archive

In addition to having a yoga and oriental dance studio, the platform Amrita you are still in the process of setting up a language school. Tell us about this idea.

The idea to create a language school has been matured for 15 years. And now we are doing it together with my partner Oksana Grin. Our task is to help people learn a foreign language in a very easy and fun atmosphere. We have created a speaking club, where 90% of the practice and 10% of the theory.

With Oksana Grin, you launched another project. Is it also related to self-development?

We have released diaries. In these diaries, we have published a very detailed description of the main areas of life. Focused on health, finances, relationships, work, family. This is an entire book in which you can find predictions for each day of 2021. It contains knowledge of psychology, astrological clues, and tools for self-development. It’s a training diary that helps you examine yourself. Many of us don’t realize the importance of the eight basic areas of life, but focus on just a few. Our project was created with a great love for women and a desire to reveal secrets and give advice for a harmonious life.

Alena, you create quite a variety of projects. How do you manage to be interested in different areas and successfully develop them?

I have a strong initial energy. Being able to switch to different projects keeps me busy, inspires and energizes me. I have a huge interest in every project I take on. To run diverse projects, you have to genuinely love different areas of life and have an innate motor. But when I stop or start doing one thing, there is less energy. Of course, it’s very important not to overexert yourself. My morning might start with teaching yoga, at lunchtime I might write a couple of articles or teach a foreign language class. That kind of rhythm makes me feel good.

Every morning I thank the universe for what I have. And I try not to forget that every day can be the last. It always helps to rethink your life and its quality. Sometimes we live as if we have 500 more years to spare, or we wait for some character to appear and grant our wishes. Understanding the transience of life does not allow me to take an infantile stance. I want to live every day to the maximum.

And if there are moments of emotional decline, what do you do?

Of course, there are moments of discouragement. There are days when you want to lie down and eat ice cream. This is a normal condition for people who take an active life stance. In such cases, I allow myself to take a day off, buy my favorite dessert and put on a good movie. A day like this alone with yourself might happen once a month.

Photo: personal archive

You lived in China for a while, interacted with people with a different mentality and cultural values. How has this experience influenced your work?

I lived in China for five years, where I worked as a translator. This country has changed me tremendously. The mental gap between a Slav and a Chinese affects life greatly: in order to get used to their way of thinking, a foreigner is forced to learn the culture of the country. The first six months were difficult for me, but eventually I fell in love with this country and am very grateful. The Chinese taught me diligence, systematicity, and a collective view of the situation. They are real bees, with perfect interaction with each other. Thanks to China, I feel more comfortable working with people.

After living in China, what do you think is the advantage of Ukrainian girls?

I once flew from China to Ukraine, rode in a cab and admired our girls like a man after the army. Ukrainian women really are the most beautiful in the world. I’ve never seen them more beautiful in any culture: beautiful, wise, able to take care of the house and also cook delicious food. I believe this is because we live in the most fertile land. We are energetically imbued with the fertility and abundance of our black earth and receive many resources from Mother Earth.

And what qualities or behaviors should we develop at the national level?

I think Ukrainians would be happier, more confident and successful if they brought back such practices as honoring their ancestors. It is lost in our cultural traditions. Honoring your ancestors gives you a lot of life energy. It is important to renew traditions in every family to have a genealogical tree, to express homage to ancestors, as, for example, in the culture of India, China, and Mexico.

Photo: personal archive

Eastern practices are now becoming more and more popular in Europe. How long ago did you personally get into this field?

I was born the kind of person who feels energies. For me, these practices are what I originally came in with. At 13, my perception of energies in plants and people began to weaken, so I started practicing in order to return to my natural state. If for someone the existence of energies is a hypothesis, for me it is a given. I have studied with many teachers and learned various practices. It’s not a religion – it’s just tools that help me be happy.

Photo: personal archive

How do you combine your son’s upbringing and personal development? How do you prioritize?

Our life is all about balance. Walking the middle way is the basis for a happy and harmonious life. Spending time with my son is a priority for me, because I do my own development at work. I try to devote most of my free time to my son. Children are our most important projects. The most important thing we can give to this world is to raise decent people. When he grows up, I will have to report to the Higher Powers about how I brought him up. So if I want to yell at a child, it really helps me to think that this is a guest in my life. And no one wants to yell at the guest.

Text: Natalia Filon