#62. All Eyes On: Kelsey Hayden

advocate, empath, reader, writer, meditation teacher, cat mom, renaissance woman.

Kelsey was the first person that I met on Instagram and became online friends with, then — met in real life and became real life friends with. Chris and I were making our way back up to Canada during our summer ‘22 road trip, where we drove our Jeep down the 101, 2 days after getting back from our honeymoon in Hawaii. We made it to Esalen in Big Sur before starting the trek back north, and about 3 or 4 days later we were in Mount Hood, in one of the most stunning spots I’d ever pitched a tent in. I was figuring out logistics for our next move, which was Portland, and decided to reach out to Kelsey to see what she recommended.

Acting out of pure generosity and benevolence, Kelsey offered that we stay in her house for the weekend. She was going to be away but we (mere strangers to her) were more than welcome to stay at her place. I was genuinely struck at her kind heartedness and openness. We met, for the first time, for coffee and the key handoff and I was totally smitten right away. She embodies an effortless and highly coveted combination of both poise and natural beauty.

Staying at Kelsey’s house was such a treat. You’ll see from the photos how absolutely charming it is, how calming and purposeful. Her style possesses a specific air of light, softness, and warmth. You’ll find this is true in her photography as well. I noticed her large collection of not only books, but indie magazine right away, most I’d never heard of. I noticed her waffle towels and her collection of ceramics. I noticed she just has nice things.

I also noticed that she shares these nice things. For example, she has an outrageously large fig tree in her backyard that bears the most succulent figs. One could in theory sell those figs and profit from the bounty, but every summer, Kelsey gives them away for free. It’s this tender-hearted, charitable, good-naturedness that has led her to open her brainchild, Woo Woo, which is a space for all to explore different practices of well being - through meditation, breath, movement and community.

I don’t let the sweetness of this girl fool me. She is resilient beyond belief, and possesses grit, ambition, and a lot of know-how. Watching her build Woo Woo, and be so brave and honest about the challenges of starting a business, is wildly inspiring and I think part of what makes her successful. She’s an advocate, an empath, a reader, a writer, a meditation teacher, a cat mom, a downright lovely friend, and I adore her. I’m really honoured to share her with you!!

Instagram handle: @kelseyahayden, @thisiswoowoo

Location: Portland, Oregon

All photos by Kelsey Hayden on 35mm film

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39 (mostly) rapid-fire questions with Kelsey Hayden.

What time do you wake up? Is it different on the weekends?
whenever i open my eyes or whenever my cat starts whining. it changes from day to day, but usually between 6:30-7:30am.

First thing you do in the mornings?
look at my phone. oops! i usually lay in bed for about an hour reading a book and scrolling.

Do you hit snooze?
this past weekend i had to wake up extra early for a class and all i could think was, ‘i’m so glad i rarely wake up to an alarm.’ on the random occasion i do have to set one, i calculate the night before how many times i can afford to snooze it.

Are you a morning or evening shower-er?
lately evening. it’s such a gamble falling asleep with wet hair, though.

How do you typically spend a day off?
what’s a day off?! fml.

What’s on your bedside table?
a handbuilt ceramic taper holder my boyfriend got me as a gift + a vase with a flower or two. plus a stack of unread + currently reading books.

What’s the story behind your home and how long have you lived there?
i bought my house three years ago (don’t be fooled, my dad helped with the down payment) - it’s a 1910 farmhouse in northeast portland. it’s a bit too much of a project for one person, but i saw the vision immediately. she needs a lot of work, but i love her anyway.

Favourite room in your house?
my bedroom. i love being horizontal.

What are a few favorite things that you cherish in your home and why?
when i moved back to portland five years ago, i put all my belongings in storage and my unit was broken into + almost everything was stolen. my book collection is one of the few things that was left behind, thank god. i cherish my books + my ceramics, mostly picked up on travels over the past few years.

Where do you find / shop for home decor?
mostly the internet with 100 tabs open to compare. often facebook marketplace.

Vintage or new?
a mix! i don’t always have patience for the vintage hunt, though.

3 things that are always in your kitchen?
kerrygold butter, maldon salt, natural wine.

3 things you wish were always in your kitchen?
dram sparkling waters, dark chocolate, fresh sourdough.

Favourite kitchen utensil / gadget?
garlic press. just a great invention, frankly!

Briefly summarize your food philosophy.
keep it simple! whole foods & mostly plant-based. that said, i’m a forget-to-eat-when-stressed girlie, so in some cases: anything i can and whenever i remember.

Your go-to, no fail recipe?
alison roman’s “the stew.” i love a chickpea!

Favourite meal growing up?
chicken tenders with bbq sauce. still stan.

Any supplements you take / witchy elixirs you swear by?
i take a daily probiotic (seed) and d-mannose (iykyk) because of chronic uti’s. tbh i’ve cut way back on supplements, it can get so overwhelming!

Skin on or off potatoes / yams?
either. both. i love a potato any and all the ways.

Cilantro. Love it or hate it?
love!

Coffee or tea?
matcha.

You’re ordering take out. What do you get?
thai food! vegetable green curry.

Favorite local restaurant?
we are so spoiled in portland, it’s hard to pick one. probably jacqueline. amazing seafood, vegetable forward, $1 oyster happy hour! honorable mentions: guero, luce, khao moo dang.

Describe your personal style / style philosophy.
i don’t know if it’s being in my 30’s, but i find following trends exhausting - i mostly just try to invest in good basics + vintage denim and keep it very easy.

Your three wardrobe staples, go…
orange tab levi’s, a vintage crewneck, a ribbed white tank top.

What qualities do you look for in your friends?
consistency, patience, openness, ability to navigate hard conversations, self-awareness. i mostly like to sit around and talk about feelings, so my friends are mostly other soft, sensitive people.

What’s one trend you're currently loving and hoping to stay for the long haul? 
i hope that a long skirt (denim and otherwise) is here to stay, but i’m skeptical. as a tall-ish woman, i don’t hate a ballet flat either.

You decide to treat yourself. How do you indulge?
a wander in the bookstore + going to the movies during the day. i love a matinee. maybe a glass of natural wine after.

What’s the one thing you’re willing to spend more money on?
basically anything well-branded. sorry, i’m a sucker!

Keys to productivity?
i’m in a phase of over-production so i actually would rather have the keys to relaxation - bad work/life balance over here.

This time last year, I wish I knew…
that the process of opening a business (or doing anything, really) is about continually learning, not being perfect right off the bat.

One place in the world you’re dying to visit?
oddly been feeling the most pleasure in going back to the places i love the most: mexico and italy. i’d like to spend more time in south america - i’ve never been to argentina, so maybe patagonia area.

What’s a movie you’ve seen in the last 6 months that left the biggest impact on you?
i loved past lives. greta lee is so special.

Guilty pleasure?
i’m a taurus, i never feel guilty about pleasure! old seasons of survivor, maybe.

Song currently on repeat?
tbh since the pandemic i’ve been so disconnected from the music world. i often have a podcast on instead.

Favourite form of movement / exercise?
yoga! i’ve been in relationship with the practice for 15 years and love how it’s shifted and accompanied me over time. nothing hits quite like it.

If you could rename yourself, what name would you choose?
this feels high stakes because i really don’t like my name! maybe i’d choose to go by my last name instead: hayden.

Tell me a bit about what you do.
i own a space for well-being called woo-woo. we offer daily movement, meditation, breathwork, and sound healing classes + lots of fun wellness-based workshops and pop-ups. i teach, manage, plan, ideate, clean, clean, clean. it’s a lot and also immensely gratifying.

What’s a typical work day look like?
truly changes every single day but always involves lots of e-mails and too much screen time. the freedom of self-employment is fitting for my personality, though - i always had a hard time with the uniformity of a 9-5.