Meet Aylin Pashaian | Yoga & Meditation teacher + artist + fashionista

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aylin Pashaian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aylin, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
I would say hands down having a consistent meditation & movement practice and getting outside every morning. I’m so lucky, to live walking distance from the ocean (Venice beach), nature is definitely medicine, in fact one of the best ones. My practice is different every day though. I believe in being intuitive, which means honoring the mind + body and how we feel on daily basis. So, some mornings I wake up & I’m like ok today I’m gonna run, so I take a shower, get ready and get out for a run. I always finish it with yoga and dancing at the beach, close to the water. Other days, I feel like having a slower morning and I need coffee and food to get going, so I make coffee using my Chemex and a nourishing breakfast, either a smoothie bowl or GF oatmeal with fruits and nuts. I actually launched my food business this year: Chialicious (chialicious_venice) on instagram. I make amazing smoothies, full of organic superfoods, veggies & fruits, overnight oats and chia seed pudding with different flavors like cacao, matcha, berries and more. I believe that, what we put in our bodies, directly effects how we feel and as a result how we move, it’s all connected.
Another important aspect of being a successful entrepreneur is community and asking for help when necessary. Surrounding yourself with the right people, the ones you can rely on, not just when it’s rainbows and sunshines, but also on rocky days when you perhaps feel nothing is going in the right direction. I’m very independent, but I have learned that I can’t do it all, so life is definitely sweeter when you are in the right communities and get support. For example: I have a friend who is a coach, Steven Celi. I sometimes message him when I feel overwhelmed and he always gives me such great advice or I call or text a friend I feel can hold space for me or give me some direction + remind me of my why.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business is called ‘ Westside Yogis’ and it’s turning 3 this August. I’ve been teaching yoga for eight years, but started my business after a few years. I love the story behind how it came about. When I moved to Venice, I started practicing by the ocean every morning and it was so rejuvenating. Ahh, can’t even describe the feeling in proper words, but it’s special, wholesome, grounding and so beautiful. It definitely adds to the spiritual experience. The vastness of the ocean and the open sky creates a sense of peace and gratitude right away, the moment you look at the ocean and hear the waves, you can’t help but feel gratitude for it being magical. I started teaching friends in the beginning and did a partnership with a British company called locals. My friends really supported me in this journey and they encouraged me to turn it into a thing (an actual business) and the name was also a group effort. That’s how it all started and the rest is history :).
I came a long way as a business owner & entrepreneur and it has been a beautiful journey, of course with some challenges, but at the end of the day it’s always worth it. I’m so lucky, to have found my passion. My message to all entrepreneurs is to keep going and never give up, as all the hard work always pays off and you know that you did it for YOU first & foremost and you have also helped others in your community which is so fulfilling.
I have done amazing collaborations like teaching for adidas, soho house, RA MA Los Angeles, 1Hotel weho, rafi lounge, westside volleyball and internationally in London, Berlin & Armenia. Also, I’ve taught at a few retreats locally and recently in Morocco, which was a magical retreat by Surf Yoga Beer group. My goal, is to host my own retreats and travel more as a yoga teacher & share all my gifts (meditation, dance, cooking). Currently, I’m one of the lead teachers at the Proper Santa Monica & Proper Downtown Hotels and recently started teaching beach yoga for VeniceV hotel, which I love so much. Also, I work with private clients and host a variety of experiences and events both in my home studio in venice, at the beach and variety of studios in LA.
I have also created my own method two years ago, ‘Movement Meditation’, I also call it ‘The Art of Movement Meditation’, it’s a combination of breathwork, guided movement, partner movement ~ dance with curated music and visualization meditation that’s a cherry on top. It’s a magical creation and very transformational. I was lucky enough that I was offered to teach a breathwork class for Proper hotels and I decided to put all of my favorite things in one basked and abracadabra created this method. For the first year of teaching, I got feedback from every single person that did this method and I really cooked it, I’ve curated this for all bodies, all ages and all genders. Anyone can do it, no previous experience needed. In my second year, I really mastered the method and now it feels so natural to me, almost like I’ve been teaching it for decades. As a dancer and an avid meditator, I believe that this method has helped me and many participants to get out of their heads and in their bodies, so the perfect indication of what embodiment means. Right now, I’m working on teaching my method in as many places as I can. I want everyone to experience it and connect to themselves and others + I’m planning on taking it to London & Berlin and some other European countries hopefully.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would start with my area, I feel venice is magical and has it all. I heard it’s the second most visited place in LA, after Disneyland. Perfect day would be, going to the beach to move or walk barefoot by the ocean, then breakfast at ‘great white cafe’, which is farm to table and super fresh, omg it’s one of my favorite cafe/restaurants in venice and it’s 2 mins away from my house, I definitely manifested this. They have great avocado toast, smoothie bowls and coffee. Then we will go to the Venice canals, it’s so artistic and nostalgic there. Afterwards, I’ll do a hike at Temescal canyon or we will go to Abbot Kinney and definitely intelligensia on abbot, it’s my fav cafe in venice and where I work from most of the time. I’ve met lots of amazing people there, who became my best friends and I got to do lots of wellness events with as well. Another place, I would def recommend, is the broad museum and the arts district, it’s so fun. In downtown, I would check out the big verve cafe, on Mateo street, it’s like a huge warehouse and so cool. Another go to place would be Malibu, and driving on PCH. There is a reason that there are many songs about PCH and Malibu like the famous Miley Cyrus song ‘Malibu’ and have food at Malibu Farms that’s also farm to table and so delish. I would definitely try the carrot cake which is to die for. It’s a place to treat yourself once in a while and it’s so magical to sit by the water. For night time, I would take my guest to Roosterfish on abbot and then the brig or Juneshine on main street (Santa Monica). If I felt like driving to west Hollywood I would go get drinks at Ysabel, I love seating on the stairs or E.P. & L.P., but I haven’t been there in so long. Finally, I’ll take my friend to Venice Run Club , it’s one of the best and most fun community groups in venice beach. I personally, haven’t been in a while but tonight I’m going back for a Wednesday night, 4.2 miles run. I started running with them July 2022, so exactly two years ago and had the best summer, it’s one of the best places to meet people and connect with like minded individuals. After the run, we go out all together and that’s when you can connect with other runners more deeply. I can’t wait. Finally, I definitely would encourage everyone to check out LA hike club, which is a community group my friend Aimee started with her roommate. It’s every Wednesday, 7am and different hiking trails on the westside and Topanaga. It is another amazing community group on the westside + such a great way to start the day. That’s my list for now.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank my dad and my grandma Diana (my mum’s mum), I think they both had a huge influence in my life. My dad, whom I sadly lost in November 2022, was my biggest fan, always telling me that he is so proud of me and who I am. He was such a hard-worker and had two jobs to support our family. He worked at British airways as a cargo manager and managed his hotel called ‘Nader’, he helped many people throughout his career. I still meet some people that remember him as the guy that helped them with their heavy luggages, so he taught me to always help others, be a good person and be my own person (independent). My grandma on the other hand, was an artist, a poet, a fashion icon and a true angel. She was spiritual and had so much life in her. Growing up, I would read her poems and she would teach me how to make flowers, cook, bake and talk about life. Also, I want to give a shoutout to my mum and sister who have always been on my side. My sister has definitely played the big sis role & my mum took me to english, dance, signing and other classes growing up, which has shaped the person I am today. Also, my very first yoga teacher Natalie, who was a cancer survivor. I still remember the first time I met her, the way she was glowing and would always show up to class with her red lipstick. She is the reason, I fell in love with yoga and decided to become a teacher. There are many others that have been on my journey, but it’ll be too long to list them all. Finally, I wanted to mention two books among many that have changed my life: ‘belong’ by Radha Agrawal the founder of daybreaker, and ‘The Artist’s Way’ by Julia Cameron, if you are an artist or not, this book is a gem. I read it twice, but I feel it’s time I read it again. Every word and every chapter spoke to my soul.

Website: N/A

Instagram: @adorn.your.life (personal), @westside.yogis(yoga business), @chialicious_venice (smoothie & chia seed pudding brand)

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aylinpashaian/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aylin.pashaian/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/westside-yogis-los-angeles

Other: Google business page: https://rb.gy/hsjhmh

Image Credits
First Yoga group shot & the one I uploaded to represent my business: @adidasrunners
The one before the last photo (group yoga): the one that I’m applying essential oils: @surfyogabeer & @sam_knollmeyer