Jackson Free Press

Her disposition is calming; her voice, smooth; and she gives careful consideration to even the simplest questions. Scotta Brady, self-proclaimed yogi and owner of Butterfly Yoga in Fondren, says she feels at home in her yoga studio. Not only does she live in Fondren; her parents do as well. When she first opened the studio, however, in August 2002, it was downtown in the former Gallery 119 space. But she always intended to move the studio to Fondren.

"(Fondren's) the progressive area of town, which is a fit for me and the yoga studio," Brady says. "I traveled extensively for a while; I was gone (from Jackson) about seven years. When I moved away, I thought, 'I'll never come back.' I thought that was moving on."

It turns out, though, that moving on became moving back to Jackson. And when she returned, Brady brought back with her all the things she'd learned and experienced during her travels to New Zealand, The British Isles and mainland Europe, to name a few, and created a place of community here, in her own home.

The 33-year old is comfortable at her studio, and she's also quite comfortable in her own skin. After graduating from college with a degree in philosophy, Brady says she naturally gravitated toward yoga. Growing up, she was physically active, and in college she minored in dance, so yoga seemed to be the perfect blend of mental and physical.

"I didn't try yoga until the month after I graduated from college. I wanted to find the fulfillment of physical exercise and philosophy together," she says.

Practitioners of yoga find that their strength, flexibility, balance and stamina are enhanced. But it's not just a matter of the physical. "When I think strength, I think inner and outer," Brady says. "There's an outer strength, too, that's cultivated and that starts to bleed over into other areas. The inner strength you gain is the courage to open yourself up … and (have) confidence in your own abilities."

The yoga instructor and mother of a toddler, says that yoga marries well with any weight-loss program because it helps you become more attuned to your body and what's good for it. As one might expect, though, there are individuals who come to yoga expecting to feel different immediately, to see physical differences virtually overnight. If you're considering practicing yoga, Brady warns against having unrealistic expectations. Will it make a difference? Yes. But it will take some time.

"The first thing I noticed when I first started practicing—I was 30 pounds overweight—was that my clothes got looser," Brady says, "and people noticed, 'Your skin is glowing.' While it's a gradual thing, it's long lasting. It's a lifestyle change, not a quick fix."

Previous Comments

ID

82556

Comment

I enjoyed this insight into Scotta Brady. She is a wonderful, knowledgeable teacher. Very challenging and also willing to go the extra mile to help you understand something.

Author

Izzy

Date

2007-01-11T10:50:39-06:00

ID

82557

Comment

Best my back and shoulders ever felt was when I did this stuff years ago recovering from an injury. It does wonders for your joints. If it was good enough for Arnold, its good enough for anyone else.

Author

Kingfish

Date

2007-01-11T23:33:11-06:00