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At Home with Eoin Finn

Yogi and blissologist Eoin Finn takes us inside his Ucluelet home

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Eoin Finn practices yoga outside his Ucluelet home

Eoin Finn has been teaching yoga around the globe for over 20 years. His Ucluelet home reflects his Blissology beliefs

Finn founded the Blissology movement, which is “the art of tuning into the force that makes us feel connected to each other.” Finn discusses his Ucluelet home
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“Bliss starts with a vision: consider what your relationship means and what you want your home to become, and let that come out in its design. My wife, Insiya, and I knew that our condo needed to be quiet and restorative, socially interactive, and have connection to nature. It is open and uncluttered to keep love in; having empty space allows for Zen.

The 1,700-square-foot space has 10-foot ceilings, cedar beams and white walls. Rooms flow from the entry to the open-concept living room, kitchen and dining area. Floor-to-ceiling windows look out to an amazing 180-degree ocean view. 


Our entire home is a shrine to our relationship and what we collectively bring to it. It combines contemporary Indian, mid-century modern and nature-inspired themes. We have a hand-woven Indian rug, for example, from Mumbai where Insiya is from, that’s not in traditional reds but soft sand, off white and teal blue, harmonizing both personalities.

Two elephant sculptures that point to India sit near paintings by my mother, Carole Finn. A carved cedar burl by Keith Plumley is a focal point; it looks like a Buddha with a native spirit. Eames chairs in the living room and a mid-century Scandinavian table and chairs in the dining room in warm stained teak complement the cedar theme. 


Finn’s Kitchen

Large open concept kitchen in the Finn Home

Spending time in the kitchen making meals from scratch is fundamental to our day. Even our four-month-old baby gets involved, with one of us carrying him in a sling as we prepare food. We make locally grown, healthy meals in our modern kitchen. It has stainless steel appliances and a wood countertop; and we can wash dishes and watch whales at the same time since the kitchen faces the ocean. 


Our TV had to go. The flow of our living room is around communicating and socializing. (We have a pull-down screen and digital projector if we choose to watch a movie.) We also made space for creativity here. Every Sunday we commit to writing poetry; evolving as a person includes thinking of creative ways to continually grow together.

I also can’t let a day go by without sitting in my favourite chair to read, facing the fireplace. It’s a modern leather chair from a store in Toronto called Stylegarage. 


Lighting Makes a Difference

Lighting creates the right energy. We use mostly natural light, and dimmer switches provide ambient light in the evening in every room. In winter, we use candles in Indian brass lamps, which cast nice shadows on the walls.

I admire the work of Paolo Soleri, who promotes “arcology,” harmonizing architecture and ecology. He teaches that a home’s direction and roof shape directly relate to the amount of lighting and heating required. Our home reflects this intelligent design. 


Living in Ucluelet

I made the decision to live in Ucluelet because much of what I try to bring to my yoga classes is reconnection to the natural world; I do two 45-minute yoga practices per day overlooking the ocean.

I also live here because I feel a need to surf every day. Years ago, I said, “I’m not paying rent; I’m gonna pay tent,” and lived on the beach. I’ve duplicated camping here. I walk out of my “tent” every day, feeling the breezes, smelling the scents, seeing the ocean and the stars. We’re a hundred metres from the ocean on a small cliff. The cliff is needed just in case; I’m in the stress-reduction business, so knowing that I’m just above the tsunami line is important to me.”

3 Things Eoin Finn Can’t Live Without

  1. A mortar and pestle. “Every morning I make fresh chai tea from scratch with Indian spices.”
  2. His journal. “If my house was on fire, the first thing that I would run to save is my journal because it holds the stories of what my wife and I have done together.”

  3. Books on all types of yoga. “I have a large collection.”

Originally published in BC Home magazine. For monthly updates, subscribe to the free BC Home e-newsletter, or purchase a subscription to the bi-monthly magazine.