Lela Sky - Our May Vendor of the Month

Before I had the pleasure of interviewing Lela Ross, I had the pleasure of using the incredible and luxurious products that she crafts. A friend gifted me her silky, whipped body butter infused with the scent of rose geranium which melted into my skin making me feel like a luminous goddess! Her infused sea salts went into my bathtub filling my house with sweet, intoxicating aromas and I found myself wondering, “who is this woman and how do i meet her!?”. Lucky for me, she is now a vendor at the Whiteaker Community Market and I have chosen to feature her as this month’s vendor so that you can fall in love with her and her products as I have. 

Lela Ross was born and raised right here in Eugene, Oregon. As a child, she would join her father for his early baking shifts at New Day Bakery, which started at 3am. “My father and I shared the same sleeping patterns, in other words, we were insomniacs. I don’t see this as such a negative diagnosis. I actually love the early hours of the day, it is when I feel at my most creative and connected to my spiritual guides,” Ross reflects. “I was immediately transfixed with the baking process, it was like alchemy! I watched my dad transform ingredients into beautiful pastries and I wanted to do it too.” She remembers going home and beginning to create her own kitchen alchemy with the limited ingredients and resources her family had available. 

After years spent in the food industry working at many of the local restaurants (Ring of Fire, Papa’s Soul Food and Hot Mama’s Wings to name a few), she began her own business. “It wasn’t until I had my first child that I actually had time to start doing my own thing. I was so busy making ends meet, working for other people, that I couldn’t conceive of having my own business but when my first child was born and I was on maternity leave, I had the space to focus on my own creations,” Ross recalls. At first, she just baked because she loved it but as word about her epic cakes and cupcakes spread, she started to sell her baked goods and eventually started a food cart with her sister. 

In 2012, Ross went through a dark period of turmoil. She sought guidance and healing with different shamanic practitioners and delved into the depths of her spirit and subconscious. Every chance she found, she signed up for classes and workshops that could further her healing and her understanding of ancient healing practices. As she grew and progressed in her own healing process, her mentors and guides started to encourage her to become a healer herself. In 2020, her business, Lela Sky, was born. Through this business she offers spiritual coaching, birth and doula services and hands on or distant healing sessions that unfold intuitively to help her clients find power, healing and growth. 

Many things happened in 2020, as we all are well aware of. Two positive and pivotal things that occured for Ross that allowed her business to form and flourish were having the opportunity to work from home and receiving a three thousand dollar grant for being a Black Owned Business. “I perceived these opportunities as affirmations that I am on the right path, that I am doing what I should be doing,” says Ross with joy and gratitude. She still works full time for Lane Education Services helping to dismantle systemic racism in our educational system and is the president of the nonprofit, H.O.N.E.Y. (Honoring our New Ethnic Youth) where she works with the community to foster empowering and celebratory experiences for children with mixed racial backgrounds. 

“I have huge dreams for my business. I want to create guided meditations, write books, share the truths that I have found through my healing work. Right now everything I make is made in small batches and I never want to lose that. Whatever I do, it must be done with truth, authenticity and love.” When Lela Ross describes the process of making her healing products, she says they are created intuitively, that each ingredient carries information and she arrives at the practice of creating with the intention of tuning into what the ingredient has to tell her and what it wants to become. I can speak from first hand experience and say that her power and magic are immediately apparent when using her products. 

For the month of May we will be featuring Lela Sky products in the shop - Divine Rose Geranium Whipped Body Butter, Alchemy Energy Bath Salts with Eucalyptus and Palma Rosa and 5 varieties of her newest creation: Vibe Sprays which come in five unique and magnificent scents to help you shift your energy and fill your space with uplifting fragrances. We know you will enjoy these glorious products as much as we do. To learn more about Lela and schedule your own healing session, see her website: https://www.lelasky.com