Living Beautifully with Kena, Founder of All You Are
By Laura R., Embiria Contributor
For our February Series on Living Beautifully we had the pleasure of speaking with Kena Paranjape, Founder of All You Are. Kena is also an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and mother. She is passionate about inspiring others to live well everyday and harness their creativity to create a fulfilling life.
There is so much to discover in how Kena lives beautifully, every day.
Here’s what she had to say…
Name: Kena Paranjape
Company/Business: All You Are
Industry: Retail, Apparel, Loungewear
Social media handle(s): @wearallyouare
My mission / purpose is (for your company or passion project): My vision for All You Are is to create clothes for women that are comfortable and work with a busy, full life, but without sacrificing style. We want our women to feel beautiful in their clothes, even when at home.
Is there a new project or something exciting you are currently working on?
We are working on our new collection for spring and summer and are excited to introduce some new pieces to our growing community.
“The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.”
Living beautifully to me means...
For me the words “live beautifully” are a reminder to see beauty in all of life. I’ve been through some significant periods of loss and challenges in my life and what I’ve learned through all of it is that there is truly beauty in all of life, including the harder moments. Those moments are our opportunity to decide who we want to be. To live beautifully also means to create beauty in your life moment by moment through the choices you make.
What do you do when you feel you need to slow down from the pace of everyday life?
I recently wrote a piece about this - I feel that when things feel overwhelming, it’s a signal to go deeper into our daily practices (or instill some if we don’t already have any). Whether it’s meditating more regularly, committing to moving every day, or reducing time on our devices, recommitting to those daily practices that support our well-being are critical!
“We love playing records at home as a soundtrack to daily life. Whether it’s Prince, Lena Horne or jazz.”
A beautiful place I’ve visited is...
It’s strange to think back to the last trips we took before this time. A couple of years ago we visited Savannah, Georgia and it was so romantic, quaint and lovely. I’d go back there anytime.
A beautiful meal I’ve had that comes to mind is...
Oh I miss going to restaurants! My sister and I managed a short trip to Montreal early this fall and had a cozy, lovely meal of paella at Barroco in Vieux Montreal.
How have you incorporated beautiful living at home during the pandemic?
I’ve definitely become more aware of our environment and how it can affect our flow through the space and even our moods. We love playing records at home as a soundtrack to daily life. Whether it’s Prince, Lena Horne or jazz records, there is always something playing. We’ve brought more plants into our home and often burn incense, sage, palo santo or candles to bring more warmth to our space.
What are some wellness essentials that help you live fully?
Lately I’ve been singing the praises of Dr. Joe Dispenza’s morning and evening meditations and I have fallen in love with The Class, a fitness program you can now do online that is very physical but also spiritual in nature and very grounding.
Daily rituals I love are...
Other than exercise and meditating, I read or re-read something inspiring, review my goals and try to write, whether it’s in my journal or a blog post. Now that we are working from home, I also try to get outside at least once a day even if it’s just a run to our favourite local coffee shop.
Do you have a favourite quote that inspires you to live beautifully or makes you feel alive?
There are so many, but the one I turn to most frequently lately is one by Wallace Wattles, who was a new thought writer: “The very best thing you can do for the whole world is to make the most of yourself.” - Wallace D Wattles. I love this quote as it is an argument for always continuing to invest in personal growth and expansion. The more you become, the more you can give, the more positive impact you can make.
All You Are boasts a beautifully crafted collection of complementary loungewear pieces designed with thoughtfulness, style and comfort. Check them out here!
Thanks for reading our Interview Series on Living Beautifully. We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Let us know if there’s someone you’d like us to interview for an upcoming edition.