Elena Hayes

Elena left her high-pressure position at a corporate law firm after a burnout-induced health crisis led her to a meditation retreat in Thailand, where she discovered the intricate connections between textile arts, local mythologies, and mindfulness practices. Now working remotely as a paralegal specializing in intellectual property rights for artisans, she splits her time between her adopted home in Guadalajara and extended backpacking trips documenting textile traditions and meditation practices that are at risk of being lost to globalization.