Alyona Kuzmina
"My Oasis Is Wild Water"
Q: What does your personal oasis look like today?
A: My oasis is wild water. Something happens when I swim in rivers or open water that I can't quite get anywhere else, a kind of reconnection to myself and to nature at the same time. Travel feeds that same part of me. New places, new light, new textures always give me energy back. And I need quiet too. I crave being deep in a wild forest where there's no noise, no voices, nothing pulling at me. Even here in New York, living in Fort Greene, I've built that into my days. Walking the park nearby has become its own small ritual, and it brings me a peace that's surprisingly close to what I feel in the wild.
Q: What's inspiring you lately?
A: I'm always inspired by travel. Changing places and seeing new things has always given me power.
Q: What brings you back to yourself when life feels noisy?
A: When I feel overstimulated, meditation and walks in the park help me reconnect with myself and reduce anxiety.
Q: Describe a ritual that has quietly changed your life.
A: Vipassana meditation changed my life. Since my first course, I've felt the power of the technique.
Q: Where do you go to feel most like yourself?
A: Nature is where I can breathe all the way in. After a walk in the forest or a swim, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be, and my intentions come into focus. I feel most like myself near water or under trees. When I travel, I always try to hike or swim under a waterfall. Last vacation, in the Azores, I saw whales for the first time, dolphins playing alongside them. It was magic, genuinely, watching something that wild and that free.
"Lavender and pine are my anchors"
Q: If a stranger could use one word to describe your smell, what would you want it to be?
A: Lavender and pine are my anchors. I used to eat lavender, and it gave me this quiet, settled feeling I still chase. In Russia we made pine cone honey, and the smell of pine still brings me right back there.
Q: How do you want a scent to make you feel?
A: I want a scent that makes me feel at peace and balanced.
Q: Where do you go to feel most like yourself?
A: Nature is where I can breathe all the way in. After a walk in the forest or a swim, I feel like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be, and my intentions come into focus. I feel most like myself near water or under trees. When I travel, I always try to hike or swim under a waterfall. Last vacation, in the Azores, I saw whales for the first time, dolphins playing alongside them. It was magic, genuinely, watching something that wild and that free.
Q: What are your three AYOND essentials right now?
Alyona's Essentials
