Anita Cheung is your millennial Renaissance woman—she describes herself as a freelance creative who moonlights as a yoga therapist and meditation teacher, but she is also the founder of Betty, a meditation subscription service and Instagram-based community. And yes, she admits, that description is “probably the most millennial thing you could imagine!”
Cheung has been in the wellness industry for over nine years, during which time she co-founded a yoga and meditation studio. Gradually, however, she became disillusioned with the work she was doing in that space.
“Stepping away from the studio – something I thought I wanted so badly – allowed me to step into this part of myself that I had pushed aside and forgotten about for so long,” she says. “At the same time, I haven't forgotten about the impact and importance of meditation, and now I am able to create something on my own terms.”
Since pivoting to a new format, Cheung has found a way to carve a niche for herself that encompasses all the things she’s passionate about. “I had taught myself how to code and use the Adobe suite when I was around 11 or 12 years old,” she tells us. “No joke, I was the kid who spent summers indoors and wasn't allowed to go to summer camp. I never thought I could make a living or a career out of something that felt so natural – and fun – to me.”
Since pivoting to a new format, Cheung has found a way to carve a niche for herself that encompasses all the things she’s passionate about. “I had taught myself how to code and use the Adobe suite when I was around 11 or 12 years old,” she tells us. “No joke, I was the kid who spent summers indoors and wasn't allowed to go to summer camp. I never thought I could make a living or a career out of something that felt so natural – and fun – to me.”
When Cheung is free to be herself, the results can be pretty damn cool. Betty is described as the “self care snooze club,” designed for anyone who struggles to fit meditation into their daily routine. Subscribers have access to daily “beditations” run every morning via Instagram Live, so that even non-morning-people can start their day with something meaningful.
“I created Betty to make meditation easier, and a little more fun,” Cheung says. “But really, it’s about so much more than just meditating — it’s a community, it’s a vibe, it’s a way to better ourselves everyday.”
“I created Betty to make meditation easier, and a little more fun,” Cheung says. “But really, it’s about so much more than just meditating — it’s a community, it’s a vibe, it’s a way to better ourselves everyday.”
It’s clear that Cheung’s mindful approach is a primary ingredient of her success. “My big thing for this year is freedom — freedom with my time, freedom to pursue creative projects, freedom as a feeling, and the ultimate Vancouver dream: feeling financially free,” she says.
Her plan for accomplishing this ideal? Sticking with positive habits she adopted towards the end of 2018. “I learned to set better boundaries, recognize what's actually important to me, that budget spreadsheets aren't scary, and the importance of slower mornings.”
If that’s where morning meditation lands you, sign us up.
Learn more about Anita
OQ Frame: Relle in Gold
Photography by: Kezia Nathe
Written by: Jocelyn Tennant, Writer & OQ Commercial Drive Manager