My journey with BAYA began long before I ever named it. In 2022, while working in the wellness space, I found myself questioning what was truly mine to practice, and what belonged to other cultures. That question, that discomfort, led me back to my own roots.

I began searching for the rituals of my precolonial Filipino ancestors, and that’s when I discovered the tradition of bayabas (guava leaf) cleansing. I started making bundles in my home, slowly, intentionally, learning through memory and intuition. People were drawn to them immediately. They felt something ancient, familiar, and grounding in the practice.

But as interest grew, so did my overwhelm. I began doubting myself, my abilities, my readiness, my place, and eventually, I stepped back into hiding.

Everything changed after my initiation into motherhood 2 years later….
Five days after giving birth, my life unraveled and rebuilt itself all at once:
becoming a single mother, leaving my job, moving back home, starting over completely. In that tender in-between, the spirit of my business returned to me and BAYA was born, too.

So I listened.

I started again… slowly, intentionally, truthfully… and this time, with my son beside me. He has the front-row seat to my healing, my becoming, my courage. And I want him to see that we can build beautiful things from honest places. That dreams are not only allowed — they are ours to create.

BAYA is my offering to my son, to my ancestors, to our community, and to every soul seeking a way back home.