HoG Your Style

With Laura Bridge
Ayurvedic Adventuress

Having become a burnt-out, over-indulgent celebrity chef in Moscow, Laura was determined to find a better work/life balance. After an auspicious and revelatory introduction to a Peruvian shaman in Moscow, Laura quit her life there and embarked on a spiritual quest that took her from Ayahuasca to Ayurveda and ultimately the tools for a happier life. We spent a day in her eclectic third-generation family home in Barnes, a district in the London Borough of Richmond-upon-Thames that possesses a quintessential old-world English charm. Like Laura says, it is one big cul-de-sac: it is where she grew up, went to school and found her first job at the historic Olympic Studios cooking for Duran Duran. From there she took on the world, traveling with the McLaren Formula 1 team as a team chef and cooking for Prince on tour. Back in England, she cooked for HRH Prince Charles and Camilla at Highgrove until she decided to return to her roots where she found the love of her life. Greeted by a divine, spicy and aromatic cup of masala chai we began our ….tête-à-tête. Let’s open our hearts as we discover how Laura Bridge the Ayurvedic Adventuress HoG’s her style.

‘HoG Your Style’ is an ongoing series devoted to celebrating the accomplished women in our communities, cities and countries — the brilliant forces of creativity and passion that often go unseen and unheard, all while running the world. Those who are often behind-the-scenes, unnoticed or unrecognised — House of Gharats beams the spotlight on these lives to reveal their inherently inspirational existence. We focus on style, lifestyle and womanhood as we find meaning in the extraordinary experiences of everyday life. Of course, ‘HoG’ stands for House of Gharats, but it also relates to the act of claiming who you are and being comfortable with the way you live your life. The women we’ve interviewed embody this idea, and we hope their stories inspire many more people to stand in their power in this time of new beginnings and self-discovery.

Neishaa Gharat, our founder and creative director, has curated this visual portrait & soul baring interview series as a service to sisterhood and womanhood, two important forces in her own personal life that have proved to have transformative power. HoG Your Style is a way to give back to the tribe of women she connects with, highlighting its importance through deep and involved conversations with women who have acquired perspectives after years of experience in the world. So make yourself a cup of tea and curl up in your favourite reading spot to enjoy these tributes to the power of female friendship and the unseen women that make the world go round.

#HoGYourStyle

#WomenPoweringWomen

Style and Queens. An outward expression of our inner thoughts, feelings and memories. Joy and creativity, a way to express our inner monarchs. A dream that becomes reality, and a role model to rule it all.

Style — How would you describe your personal style? What does it mean to you? How do you use your style to express yourself — thoughts, emotions, symbols, memories? What’s an heirloom or hand-me-down piece in your wardrobe that means a lot to you and why?

My style is definitely eclectic! I’m a chameleon and literally have something suitable for every occasion, whether a formal dinner or an Arctic or Amazon adventure!

Having spent so many years in a chef’s uniform, I adore dressing up, especially hosting fancy dress parties. Now due to the restrictions of lockdown, I started having weekly Friday parties. Ok, so it’s restricted to just me and my boyfriend, but we take it in turns thinking up the themes, designing our invitation, deciding on the activities, cocktails, dinner menu, decorations and music, etc. We have so much fun during the week looking forward to the ‘surprises’ and indulge in the playfulness of it all. We also have fun taking selfies and love having the photos as mementos!

Despite being 6ft I love wearing heels, they make me feel elegant, feminine and happy. Luckily my boyfriend is 6ft 3” and appreciates them too!

Other than various t-shirts, which I collect as souvenirs from my trips that mean a lot to me, a few years ago my mother gave me an antique, silver muff chain, that I wear as a necklace with various pendants. I love the weight of it, the craftsmanship, the beauty of its design. It’s definitely a statement piece!

Scarves — What do scarves mean to you? Do you have any memories associated with scarves? What do House of Gharats’s scarves mean to you?

When I was a kid, I used to look up in awe at my tall glamorous mother who used to wear long silk scarves in the 70’s bandana style. I thought it was just a fabulous look and later adopted the style. I also like to tie luxurious silk scarves in bows around my neck, oh la la, so Paris chic!

HoG scarves are for ‘HoGging the limelight’ and more than fashion statements, they are heirloom pieces to be treasured and shown off, especially since each design has a story to tell.

The Queen — Queen Elizabeth II is the most loved and powerful monarch in the world. Many people look to her as someone they admire, a strong woman with a compelling sense of duty, hilarious wit and lovely sense of style and personality. She is a symbol of British heritage, history and identity, serving as a constant for most people’s lives. What does the Queen mean to you? What does she mean to you as a woman?

As a kid, I used to frequently visit the Commonwealth Institute in Kensington and be in awe that we had one woman heading all these countries. Queen Elizabeth has been a constant factor during my life, her image seen subliminally daily: from her image on stamps, coins and notes to stories in the media and, of course, her Christmas Speech, when everything stops as we hang on every word. I can even remember from my childhood, her 1977 Silver Jubilee which we celebrated with a street party. There were trestle tables, a picnic, bunting and so much excitement. She’s an unflinching rock, someone who, aged 27, promised to serve her country and the Commonwealth and has in the most stoic way.

When I think of Queen Elizabeth, my image is of her in wellies and a scarf tied sensibly around her head. I’ve no doubt she could change the wheels of her Land Rovers, if need be! What a woman!

Inner Queen — Embracing your inner queen is all about self-love. Being loyal to yourself, accepting yourself, celebrating yourself and loving yourself. What makes you feel this way? How do you pamper yourself to feel like royalty? What do other people do to make you feel special? How do you remind yourself of your inner Queen?

Meditation and yoga transformed my life. I was unhappy until my 50’s, with a negative mindset and lifestyle. It took me years of searching to finally unearth my demons, to stop the emotional helter-skelter and build new healthy habits. I attended spiritual retreats, lived with Shamans in the Peruvian Amazon Jungle, attended Ayahuasca ceremonies, Yoga classes, had counselling until I finally discovered the wisdom of Ayurveda, and everything fell into place. I learnt for the first time how to love myself with simple tips such as Abhayanga, which is a morning self-massage routine using warm oil, cooking using ingredients as medicine to stay in balance, being kind with my thoughts, feeling gratitude for all that is, accepting my uniqueness and celebrating it. I pamper myself with joyful music, images and scents and I also love to share my Ayurveda tips and recipes on my IG page #AyurvedaAdventuress, as it’s the positive feedback I get from my posts that makes me feel like I’m contributing positively to the world. I also infuse all my food with love, so that the recipients feel nourished and cherished, and that makes me feel so happy.

Also my boyfriend is adorable and loves running us warm bubble baths with scented candles and romantic music which definitely make me feel cherished and queeny!

The Magic of Home. The feeling of home and its restorative impact. The relationships that make us feel this power. The rituals and practices we perform in this space that make it a part of who we are. Home is a necessity, building us just as much as we build it.

Home — What does home mean to you? How does it reflect yourself, your life experiences and memories, your tastes and passions? Where in your home do you feel most grounded? What’s something in your home that means a lot to you and why?

When I walk in the door and Luna, my Norwegian Forest cat, comes to greet me, I immediately feel happy. I recently used Feng Shui to change the energy in my bedroom … wow what a difference it made! Instead of feeling almost overwhelmed walking in, it’s become a place of tranquility and calm. I removed everything ‘hostile’: peculiar Peruvian souvenirs, a painted skeleton, sharp edged plants, a mirror, a picture of a Cossack charging on a horse into battle, half the books on my bookcase, my bright light bulbs and suddenly there were empty spaces! I felt I could breathe easier and be more relaxed.

I’m most grounded without a doubt, by my bookcase with my books! When I gaze at all the beautiful books, written by my teachers, whether it be Ayurveda, Cooking, Novels, or Spiritual, I feel so blessed. One of my favourites is a little pocket one, given to me by my best friend called Be a Unicorn and Live Life on the Bright Side, which has the most adorable unicorn cartoons accompanied by positive advice! They all have their place in my heart and are a source of constant inspiration and joy.

Sleep — Sleep is an art, a restorative practice that our bodies need to heal, grow and rest. It’s when we dream, reflecting on our thoughts and feelings in abstract ways. How do you approach sleep? Do you have any rituals to prepare for this special time of the day? How do you create a sleep sanctuary in your home?

Ayurveda wisdom has taught me to have dinner by 6.30 pm, so that my system has the time to digest my food, before heading to bed. Between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am, the body is busy metabolising and processing all the information ingested through the five senses and it can’t do this efficiently if it’s still digesting food, so firstly I eat early.

Having decluttered my room, I now try to keep the surfaces clear, including my ‘floordrobe’! Creating this space really changes the energy. I also installed black-out curtains and have my window always slightly open. On my fireplace is a mist diffuser with calming essential oils such as lavender, rose and clary sage and others which I experiment with.

Although my mattress is incredibly comfortable, I was finding I got a bit too hot, and it was during a chat with a bed specialist, I learnt that some memory foam mattresses won’t allow the body to cool sufficiently during the night so you cannot get a good night’s sleep, so additionally I invested in a wool comforter to top my firm memory foam mattress on my super king-size bed.

I aim to be in bed by 10ish, but often struggle as annoyingly I’m most productive at my desk in the evenings. I like to turn off my laptop at least an hour before bed and have a sleepy-time tea and read for a bit. Unfortunately my cat has started snoring, but I love having her at the end of my bed, so I’m compromised!

Food — How does food connect you with others? When is food a focus for your celebrations, your moments of joy? What, in your experiences, is the reason that food is powerful?

Cooking is an expression of my love, every meal is a celebration and an opportunity to stop, connect with self and connect with others. Adopting Ayurveda wisdom whilst eating and whilst working in the kitchen turns the simple act of peeling potatoes into a spiritual act, using all five senses, infusing positivity into the process, so that the recipients will benefit from this good energy, rather than lowering their vibrations.

Food is medicine! Good Food, Good Mood! Food has the power to both heal and harm and to stay in balance Ayurveda explains that ‘like attracts like and the opposite brings balance to your current state’! For example, if you’re feeling a bit acidic with diarrhea, then lay off salty, sour and spicy foods. Avoid fried food, coffee and alcohol and instead favor cooling, calming spices such as fennel, cardamom, cumin and saffron. Enjoy green vegetables, cooling coconut and fresh home-made yoghurt. This is a big subject for me, it’s my passion and what I dedicate my IG page to @AyurvedaAdventuress

Homelessness — Homelessness is a major issue in the United Kingdom. How do you think this affects the community, when such a large group of people are suffering? How can we collectively adopt a better approach towards rough-sleepers and their living conditions? How might our attitudes toward homelessness affect the community?

Sadly most people end up on the street due to some type of severe trauma, when I pass homeless people I always think ‘there but for the grace of god, go I’. Yes this could be me!

Unfortunately on the one hand with our current Covid crisis and with so many people losing their livelihood, and huge cuts in government expenditure I can’t see the situation improving. However, our society is now a lot more open to mental health issues and with this being addressed, I’m sure it will help empower people who are suffering and enable them to get back on their feet again.

Womanhood. A powerful state of being, one that is complex and whose strength is often overlooked. Magic happens in the cycles of a woman’s life, and deep, profound wisdom emerges from its core.

60-year-old self — What does it mean to be sixty-years-old? What words of advice or compassion would you give your sixty-year-old self? Whether you’re younger or older, how would you speak to yourself at this pivotal age?

Oh, wow, this is such a powerful question and one which I addressed during a menopause workshop with The Red School during a guided meditation a few years back. I haven’t cried so much in my entire life, in fact I sobbed a lifetime of tears! You see, from the age of around 12, I was bullied systematically until my late teens for growing a foot taller and basically developing a woman’s body, before my contemporaries. The emotional abuse went on for so many formative years that instead of embracing my femininity and womanhood, every month, I began a cycle of self-loathing, disgust and horror at how my body was developing, because I saw it as the root cause of the bullying. Years of panic attacks followed … unfortunately I buried this anguish so deep inside that despite extensive retreats and therapies, it took me until the Red School workshop aged 50 to finally expose it! Imagine, an entire fertile life of this self-abusive cycle that I didn’t even know was playing out behind the scenes!

I was not taught the impact of menstruation, the power of my cycle, the psychological or spiritual potential I could have tapped into nor how to lovingly care for myself during this time!

I’m so grateful that I never gave up searching for my happiness. The journey has been incredible and took me from Ayahuasca ceremonies in the Amazon to Ayurveda in Sri Lanka. I do take full responsibility for myself and how things played out because I know I was just not emotionally or practically equipped. I’m now busy making-up for all those lost years and feel grateful and practice being happy, forgiving myself and understanding that hurt people hurt people.

My older self would definitely tell me to keep thinking kind words, to own my power, beauty, and grace and walk out with rays of positive sunshine. To be my own best friend, to choose the practice of happiness and share this type of positive energy. I know my dharma, my purpose is to share the wisdom of Ayurveda to self-empower others as well as keeping myself in balance. This is why I want to share my story, to inspire more people to explore Ayurveda! Age really is just a number. Our possibilities are limitless, it’s only ourselves that put a roof on what we can do! With age comes a wisdom that realises it’s now or never! My older self would just say ‘go for it!’

Work — In today’s times, careers and vocations intermingle as emphasis is placed on the importance of loving what you do, no matter the cost. Can your life exist outside work, or is it more important for you to love your career? What do you think about career changes? Have these new paths affected your life? As the 9 to 5 becomes a thing of the past, have you begun to work multiple positions at once? What skills do you think can help women adapt to this changing world of professions and work? What would be your advice to a young woman starting out today?

I was brought up with the misconception that work meant shedding blood, sweat and tears! That to earn money meant you really had to suffer. But of course, this isn’t true. Whilst working as an executive chef, my hours were so long that I really didn’t have much of a social life, I hadn’t got the life balance right at all. Now I’m working as a private chef and bring Ayurveda wisdom to the job, so my intention is always to bring nourishment and vitality to the recipients rather than being completely stressed, trying to serve 200 + VIP guests. Ayurveda wisdom totally changed how I work, so now it’s a very joyful experience for me and that energy transfers into my food.

My job as a chef has never been those hours until now! I know I manifested my current job as I don’t work nights or at the weekend anymore! Life is too short to do something you dread and change is always possible. Women are natural multi-taskers, of course, we can adapt accordingly!

It’s all about mindset.

I would like to quote here something else from Alexandra and Sjanie from Red School

“You are not owned by other people’s opinions
or your mother’s expectations.
You are not owned by the eyes of men.
You are not owned by the doctors who have been trained to birth babies
or the magazines that paint a perfect picture.
You are not owned by order, perfection or the rule book.
You are not owned by the rush and race.
You do not belong to the small spaces that keep you thirsty and alone.
You are not owned by yesterday or what remains unforgiven.
The restless wrongness does not own you.
You belong to You.”

Practice yoga and meditation, for they are incredibly powerful tools that help you connect with yourself, love yourself and give you all the answers you need because everything is within.

Menopause — Menopause is a new part of life — a shift in the life phases of women everywhere. If you or someone you know has experienced this, how would you describe its transformative moments? How would you disrupt common beliefs about the loss of pleasure after menopause?

Whaaaat? Menopause is an incredible time in life, it offers us an opportunity to really stand in our power, to embrace ourselves completely, to not give a damn about the small stuff, but to love ourselves and embody our potential.

Sex — Society thinks older women don’t have sex … or at least, doesn’t talk about it. As you’ve aged, have you experienced any feelings of shame regarding pleasure? How do you combat these feelings in your own life? How is sex still important to you, even with age?

Fortunately I saw at a young age that religion is too often hypocritical and exclusive. I also realised that it had all become too superstitious for my liking, with a belief that if I didn’t pray at night, something ‘bad’ would happen to me, so I decided to follow a spiritual path instead of living in fear. I have noticed the shame religion can put on sex which has destroyed the lives of so many people.

What happens between two consenting adults should not have any shame attached whatsoever.

I’m a very passionate person, I don’t feel shame at all: in fact the opposite, I embrace the intimacy, trust, creativity and fun that develops, all the good stuff!

Sisterhood — The women and girlfriends in our lives are incredibly important. Relationships between women are magical things, incredibly supportive and precious. What does sisterhood mean to you — that special bond between women and its meaningful moments in our lives? When has sisterhood been incredibly important to you? How does it make your daily life feel brighter?

I am blessed with the same girlfriends I’ve had since my teens. They mean everything to me. Sharing problems, laughter, tears, family issues, boyfriend problems, health issues. Even though I lived abroad for years, I’ve always maintained the connection and I frequently tell them and actively acknowledge how much they’ve enriched my life, and how much I love them. After all, supporting one another and offering loving, positive energy is the whole point and what it’s all about, isn’t it? It’s the thing that makes us thrive.

Spirituality — What does spirituality mean to you? We’ve all had moments in our lives where we’ve looked to a higher presence for guidance, comfort, light — when has some form of faith saved you in this way? How would you tell this story?

For me spirituality is understanding that everything is connected and that we are much more than our body or mind and when we need a higher presence for guidance, comfort and light, all these things are already inside each of us. The only way to find them though is to unplug, be quiet and tune in. When I arrived at The Plantation Villa, the Ayurveda Centre in Sri Lanka, back in 2018 for a three-week reset, I knew I was exhausted, but didn’t realise I was ‘that’ exhausted, because I didn’t speak to anyone for the first five days. I spent my time in silence, in treatments, reading under the palm trees, attending yoga classes and the meditation sessions.

Giving myself permission to have this space, time out and complete rest allowed me to totally slow down and tune in. The vegan diet also agreed with me and I gradually began to re-energize, gain more vitality and then ultimately experienced joy.

I fell completely and utterly in love with the wisdom of Ayurveda and without a doubt my inner spiritual guide told me I had to study Ayurveda and teach its wisdom to others. I found my purpose, my dharma.

Unseen people — Hogging your style means standing in your own power, particularly for those who are often unseen by others. In this world of social media and influencer culture, who is an ‘unseen’ person that inspires you? How can we better ‘see’ people who often go ‘unseen’?

Easy, these people are everywhere! Whenever I see someone wearing something fabulous, I tell them. Acknowledgement is a wonderful thing. It brightens the recipient’s day and in turn, brightens mine. If I could suggest one lovely tip, it would be to compliment someone, whether in the street or supermarket. Tell that person, ‘Wow, I love your coat, those earrings are fabulous, that blue looks great on you’. You will make that ‘unseen’ person glow with happiness! Just over the weekend, a woman passed me and complimented me on my shoes. I smiled and thanked her, she smiled back, what a happy moment!