Alexandra (Champion) de Crespigny is the Founder of LUVe Yoga – an Australian sustainable, high performance yoga mat brand spreading the message of self-care and love for others. As a mother of three and after a professional career, she started this new business venture. In reality, with three little babies, and continuing to consult to mining and logistics companies, she felt that creating a product that talked to this idea of self-care and love for others, might be the most effective way of giving back… by being part of a positive and contributory dialogue. She has always enjoyed movement and movement to think and has a personal passion for intergenerational learning and growth. Passionate about not storing trauma in the body, and helping women, girls, boys, and the world learn to have confidence in self-care and love, she founded LUVe Yoga in 2020 after noticing a gap in the yoga mat market for beautiful, simple but high performing mats that were kind to the world around us and carried a message of love. Here’s our chat with Alexandra.  

What led you to start LUVe Yoga, was there a significant turning point?

After three babies I took 4 weeks to do my baseline yoga teacher training in Bali with a New York based group – the Sacred Fig. We had the most beautiful experience with teachers of various disciplines. It was a powerful time and one which included lots of catharsis and self-repair for me. I undertook the training with the idea or knowledge that I wanted to be able to give back/have something to offer as an outcome. And have done various other trainings since. But with life and more and better learning – one is humbled by the beauty and depth of experience offered by many practioners already out there. Not just in yoga but also in other movement practices, various natural medicines, and modern sciences and technologies. I wanted to do something that would encourage and support people to access care and love. In its many various forms. And would encourage people to be confident in taking an inward journey for self-repair and growth, or just care and ever-expanding joy. Yoga doesn’t necessarily need a yoga mat – that is part of its beauty. However, a yoga mat can be very significant in supporting a physical practice or represent a sacred place for you – a moment for inward connection, growth and joy. I thought there was true beauty and opportunity in trying to tell a story and share learning in that space.  

You founded your company LUVe Yoga in the midst of the COVID-10 pandemic, did you have some hesitation in starting it?

Not at all. The primary purpose of LUVe is to share the message of ‘love’! The worlds experience and response to COVID meant that our message or messaging might have heightened relevance and importance. Certainly, we don’t wish anyone to feel the discomfort of the change in circumstances and the world around us with COVID. But, we do think with each challenge there is always some opportunity. And here we have the opportunity for people to look at self-love and care in a new way, to practice it in a new way and to explore new habits. We really want to support people in that space COVID or non-COVID.  

Initially, what difficulties did you face?

No difficulties per se. Other than the raft of hope and expectation I myself bring to the concept. There is SO much I would like to say and share and do – with and for others. Being patient with my own expectations, and the reality of time and energy. That has been my or LUVe’s greatest challenge to date.  

Who or what was integral to you overcoming these hurdles?

My husband! I have an incredibly balanced and supportive husband. Particularly coming out of the baby chapter. As someone, like all of us do in different ways, I invested my whole soul and being in the growth of my little people. My husband helps me to stay centred, be patient, take the space for self-care all the while carrying a passion for developing my own interests and continuing to grow/build/learn. It’s all a constant exercise of consideration and exploration. We support each other well. Not just my husband and I, but the children too. They are very beautiful little people.  

Running a business and raising a family, has its own sets of challenges, how do you “manage” the two?

I guess this is why LUVe and the concept is so accessible to me. There is no ‘two’. It is one integrated whole of many! I couldn’t do this unless a practice of yoga or wellness, and the story of LUVe meant as much in the business context as it does for me with family and friends. There is no difficulty in me exploring this business with the children, as all elements – content, production, balancing our lives –are things I am happy to have in and around our house and way of being. I think it’s all very beautiful and I relish the thought that our little family might grow with it.  

When you think of your journey, what is the thing you are most proud of?

I am most proud of finding my core message. When I was looking at it and considering playing more intricately with the fig – a play on my training with NY based group Sacred Fig (and also the idea of feminine care) – I realized: what is it that I am really trying to teach and share? It’s a celebration and confidence for woman, men, and particularly the next generation of the importance of love. No shying away from it. It may sound a bit kitsch in some respects, but I mean it. I am passionate about it, and I think many people are! It’s beautiful. I hope to grow and celebrate that/love/LUVe J.  

How many hours do you work a day on average?

It’s hard to know, because everything is integrated. To be honest I hope to work more in the future. But at the moment I am still recovering myself and nurturing my children and I think this is quite a significant investment still. As and if the children become more autonomous I’d love to do more and more – but they might be part of that journey and what that looks like will differ chapter by chapter. Hearing and supporting someone else speak to an important issue, offering a class, bringing together some beautiful practioners, exploring and sharing our colour story a bit more. There are so many things I would like to see LUVe do!  

Describe/outline your typical day?

There is always some kind of movement. Maybe multiple. A gorgeous yoga, more recently a swim, a solitary walk to sort my thoughts, or a more gorgeous bouncy walk with a friend or colleague. I ran too much in COVID and did my ankle! But that forces me to be a bit more balanced and restful so that’s not such a bad thing either. Lots of thinking. Lots of administration and communication with work, school. Lots of engaged discussion with babies to or from school or around the dinner bench. Lots of testing thoughts and ideas with my husband. Lots of missing and sending little messages to my friends. And hopefully planning and getting to a catch up or two!  

What motivates you?

Wish to bring the world together! On a micro level – family, with friends, and on a macro level – with humanity and the globe. I really do hope we can all become increasingly intelligent, philosophical, educated and excited by each other and all our differences and different ways of being. Little by little. Generation by generation. All the time. Constantly learning and evolving, bettering, humbling. Life is special.

What is your favourite aspect of being an entrepreneur?

Ooh – an entrepreneur. Someone mentioned the term mumpreneur the other day. All sounds fun! Oh well. I think I am very lucky to have a gorgeous idea to explore and share. I love the magical people I get to engage with. An opportunity to learn about other people’s interests, passions and knowledge too. LUVe Yoga seeks to provide a premium product in the form of a high quality, aesthetically pleasing yoga mat that at its core carries a message of love and care – not just for oneself but for each other and the world around us.   All of LUVe Yoga’s mats are made from premium natural rubber and microfibre, creating the ultimate yoga experience and offering a sacred space to enhance performance and connectivity. The mats are sustainable and vegan – so kind to the earth. They come in a variety of colours. Each colour seeking to speak to speak to human history and the bringing together of civilisations – Nile Green, Turkish Blue, Coral Living.