My Yoga Story: An interview with Elizabeth Kelsey Bradley

Oh where do I start to introduce this multi-talented, super inspiring woman? Elizabeth is a proud mama, a writer and blogger, a social media + life coach and a photographer. Seriously? Well, there is more. She is currently living the dream in Thailand with her family and shares beautiful photographs of her adventures that make me want to quit my job and book a one-way ticket to paradise.

She has created Savouring Simplicity to share her journey and inspire, empower and connect holistic, creative women from all over the world. She also works with holistic business owners helping them thrive through her holistic business coaching, life coaching and training over at Thriving Healer!

And as if this was not enough, Elizabeth is also a lovely yogi! I cannot wait to share her words on her yoga journey with you – let’s do it!

Describe yourself in a few short sentences.
I’m a passion-fuelled writer, Life + Social Media Coach that loves photography and all things wellness. Empowering women to live more creative, holistic lives is something I love doing through my blog and services.

What is your life philosophy?
Think for yourself, and try to be kinder.

Tell us a bit about your yoga story:: When did you first set foot on a yoga mat and what brought you there?
My first introduction to yoga was in India, when I studied ayurveda at a clinic. I had two classes with a yogi an we did breathing exercises. I never pursued it further as back in LA ( where we lived at the time), the yoga I saw there seemed trendy and too materialistic compared to what I had seen in India.

I then began to read Vedantic philosophy, such as the works of Swami Vivekanada which included Jnana Yoga, Karma Yoga, Raja Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. I had no intention of doing hatha until I met my teacher Emily and saw how she was determined to help anyone do yoga, and was authentic.

What makes you return to your mat?
It makes me feel fantastic! Centered, focused, and less in my monkey mind.

What does yoga mean to you? Define it in 5 sweet words.
Mindfulness, kindness, focus, compassion, truth

What does your yoga practice look like at the moment? How has it evolved over time?
I want to say I do it everyday but I’m not there yet. I feel intimidated by the concept of inversions, but I’m working on doing mantras more often and my goal is to do a few poses everyday.

What have been the most powerful a-ha moments/sparks of inspiration + wisdom that you’ve experienced through yoga?
How all-encompassing yoga is!! The deeper you go, the more truth you discover.

How did you transform these into life lessons off the mat?
I try to implement what I’ve learned to control my mind. I’m always thinking, and it irritates me that I can’t control my thoughts. But using mantras and breathing helps me greatly, even off the mat.

What have been the biggest challenges in your practice on + off the mat? What helped you overcome them?
Because I’m a curvy girl, I’ve felt intimidated doing some of the poses. Yoga in the West is typically advertised as being for a certain type of person, ie slender and flexible. I avoided going to classes because of this. But again the further I dived into authentic yoga, the more I saw that anyone can do it, including me! It’s not a status thing, being able to do say inversions. There is no competition.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to be a yogi?
DO IT! Avoid the stereotypes and don’t try to compete with someone. Do the poses and look into Vedantic literature and philosophy. Go as deep as you can in using yoga to help transform your life, from how you act to what you eat.

And finally, what is your favourite yoga asana and why?
Warrior pose makes me feel centered and powerful.