GREAT WOMEN: KAT HARDING
I recently went to a social gathering of women who were strangers to me, but all connected by a desire to form deeper connections with other women. A tagline on the Facebook event read: "Women supporting women is the new black". I went, despite feeling incredibly socially inept after trudging through a hideous day of working on my own and doing so with supreme inefficiency. I ended up sitting next to an open and fresh-faced looking woman who I struck up a conversation with. After a few pleasantries, we established that we had, in fact, spent the week prior emailing each other back and forth. It turned out that the beautiful woman I had been drawn to speak to was the one and only Kat Harding from Yoga Kiss. What followed was a series of mildly inappropriate and socially awkward comments from me, and a soul-warming hug from Kat.
Kat Harding is a businesswoman, teacher and presenter with a passion for yoga, wellbeing and connectedness and it shines from her face. I asked Kat if she'd do us the honour of sharing some insights and inspiration. Read on...
Where do you call home?
I feel like I have a lot of homes, but currently, Noosa.
Do you have a morning routine?
The part of my morning routine I love the most is making myself a coffee, and either sitting
outside or on my lounge watching the sun rise over the sea and listening to the birds as they
wake. It’s pretty special.
What does a day in the life of Kat Harding look like?
Oh gosh, it depends on what day of the week. Some days I teach yoga early and then head off
to work for the day, and if I can a national park walk before dark and on weekends it usually
involves either SUP Yoga, going to a class, long walks, farmers market produce shopping and
reading on the beach.
What do you think the seven year old you would have to say to you today?
That I’m just as strong willed as I was back then, and she’d probably smirk at the thought.
Who has been the most influential person in your life?
I actually am not sure, I feel like I’ve been blessed with so many incredible experiences, and a
community of friends and loved ones from around the world who have inspired me in different
ways or spurred me on to do something that I wouldn’t have usually pursued or thought I
could. From a yoga perspective, my mum, for showing me that it was possible, for keeping me
in check and for being my number one supporter.
At The Great State, we love the idea of “making room for the good stuff”. What is an area of
your life where you have found simplicity to be valuable?
Doing simple things on weekends. Usually I’m flying between a million different things during
the week, and whilst it’s tempting to be social and book my weekends up with a lot of things, I
actually prefer to be home on a Saturday afternoon and evening, cooking, or cleaning or
catching up on small things or on the beach reading a good book.
Can you share 10 items that encapsulate the essentials for your life?
A good pair of yoga leggings, my The Great State soothing skin balm, Feel Good Inc Pawpaw
nectar, my native yoga mat from Ash Living, a good bikini, a loose linen beach dress, a cap from
Europe, Sunday Somewhere sunnies, a cute pair of sandals and Jane Iredale natural mineral
mascara.
Do you have a go-to outfit for those days when you need something simple to put together?
A white linen dress and some simple tanned leather sandals is all I need.
Do you have a favourite trick when it comes to creating great spaces at home/work?
Keep it simple, and make sure the space is filled with natural light. I love a good, big window,
we’re lucky that the house we live in is basically all glass which helps us to wake up with the sun
each day.
"WEAR LESS MAKE UP, IT SAVES A TONNE OF TIME IN THE MORNING."
We love to see women embrace their natural beauty. What are your essentials for feeling
confident in your own skin?
Less is more. I love some mascara, and try to (where possible) ensure that everything I use on
my skin is natural and organic. This isn’t always possible, but in general as long as my skin is
feeling moist and I have a little slick of mascara on I’m happy!
What activities do you do just for fun?
Surfing, and even though I’m not out there as much as I would like my yoga practice certainly
helps to keep my balance, strength and flexibility in check.
What are some of the ways you elevate ordinary moments to create everyday luxury?
Oh gosh, I’m not sure that my life is that luxurious… buying fresh seasonal flowers from the
markets on Sunday’s to brighten up my home and make it look a little special ;)
Do you have a life-hack you could share?
Wear less make up, it saves a tonne of time in the morning.
What’s one book you tell your friends they just “have to” read?
The Science of Breath, by Rama – it taught me so much about the anatomy of the breath and
how it works with your nervous system to either trigger stress /fight / flight or to calm you
down. It’s a short and important book to read for everyone.
