FINDING BALANCE WITH FRIENDS
From our latest post, you'll know that at IFF, we have amped up our yoga and meditation methods. For inspiration, we called upon our fine feathered friend, Lisa, and fellow friend and instructor, Kayley, to talk through the (literal) ups and downs of at-home yoga and how pushing personal limits through pose and breath helps us find our balance on the mat and in life. We love these two beautiful, intelligent women for sharing their honesty about the not-so-glamorous in-between moments of filming their personal practice (but of course we only showcased their best sides below.) Be sure to follow them on instagram at @murphy_lisa_a and @kayqui. PS thank you Macon for the gorgeous lighting and backdrop!
Tell us your name: Lisa Murphy, soon-to-be Lisa White (Shout out to my love, Ryan!), proud mom of Tacocat.
Hometown + current city: I’m a Military brat but most of my growing up years were spent in Warner Robins and I currently live in downtown Macon.
Inspo for healthy choices? I’ve always been very active but consciously making healthy food choices has become a focus for me in the last couple of years. I’m inspired by the desire to feel good, to be strong and to fuel my body wisely so I can live this life to the fullest. I want to stay as active as possible for as long as possible and somewhere along the way I’d feel honored to be an encouragement to others as well.
Personal Mantra: "Life is all about balance."
Preferred pose: Without a doubt, handstands! If I’m upside down I’m happy.
Favorite forms of exercise: I run, I bike, I lift weights, I do yoga and I’ll try anything if you show me how. I became serious about yoga last summer when I met my instructor Kayley Squire from PureBalance Yoga in Macon. She is inspiring and absolutely the reason why I decided to really focus on my practice. I love running for the mental challenge and feeling of accomplishment it brings. Weights have been incredible for developing my body and taking me from weak to strong. Yoga combines the mental and strength aspects of those two activities and adds balance and flexibility. It’s also incredibly freeing. There’s no finish line, no stopwatch urging you to go faster, no numbers or any other form of measurement. That allows me to enjoy it for the journey that it is and not some end result.
OCMULGEE TRADERS: GOOD FOOD FOR GOOD PEOPLE
As you can see from our recent posts, we love Macon. And although we have a handful of Atlanta-centered posts on the horizon, we couldn't wait another minute to share about one of our go-to spots, Ocmulgee Traders. Nestled on Poplar Street in downtown Macon, the business combines an upscale urban grocery market with an upstairs cafe and bar.
The city-meets-country interior design along with the colorful collection of produce + artisan products is swoon-worthy enough but more importantly Ocmulgee Traders represents another step in the right direction for downtown as they become a more vibrant, sustainable community.
Maconite (and all-around good guy), Steve Bell, owns the store with his wife, Laura.
The store is bountiful in #GeorgiaGrown + #MaconMade products.
King of Pops + beer growlers for your more indulgent days.
TASTE & SEE COFFEE WITH MELODY JOY
Taste and See Coffee Shop and Gallery, located on Poplar Street in downtown Macon, offers a unique coffee house environment. Whether you need somewhere to sit and blog or sip brew with friends, Taste and See is the spot. They offer a delicious variety from Counter Culture Coffee made by professionally-trained baristas; everything from classic coffee to housemade specialty beverages. From the early stages of menu-planning, Taste and See was determined to offer high quality, natural and pure ingredients. A portion of each day is spent making fresh syrups and sauces. They do not use any synthetic sweeteners, chemicals, or preservatives and only serve organic coffee, milks and organic nondairy milks. In addition, they use raw organic cocoa powder, raw agave nectar, local raw honey and raw cane sugar.
Since "April showers" is a very real thing in Georgia, we decided to enjoy a particularly greyish day by curling up on the plush couches at Taste with our friend Melody of Melody Joy Designs to talk coffee, community and how she keeps healthy with a busy bee calendar of traveling!
Tell us your name: Melody Joy Munn
Hometown + Current city: I was born in Tampa but consider Chicago my hometown since I moved there early on. My current city is Warner Robins, GA. God has given me wonderful friends in this area and it is definitely a calm escape from my delightfully exciting life of traveling.
Biz inspo? My business is called Melody Joy Designs. I am a web and graphic designer. I absolutely love re-branding businesses and helping startup companies become more well-known. My inspiration is definitely the fact that my husband Christopher (Munn Brothers) has many creative talents as well and we are able to spend quality time traveling and working alongside each other on different projects.
Coffee community: My coffee journey started when I was in elementary school. I would sneak coffee at my grandpa’s all of the time. Through college it became more of a “tool” for studying and staying awake during my all-nighters. Present day, it is important to me because I have “matured” in my coffee choices and can taste more of the notes of the beans and blends. While traveling, I am able to try some of the best coffee around the country; Chicago, New York, Savannah, and Atlanta have some of my favorite shops. As my taste for coffee improved, I realized that I needed less flavoring, sugar and cream. I now make my coffee black at home and only have lattes or blended drinks at my most favorite spots. Black coffee not only tastes cleaner but leaves you feeling better. I have definitely noticed a difference in not only my waistline but my budget as well.
Describe yourself in one word: Joyous (my personal mantra is to always choose joy.)
Favorite form of exercise: I enjoy running and swimming. Well, I enjoy the results of running more than the actual running, of course. Even with a busy schedule, I try to make time for it a few days a week.
Pick a Superfood: Blueberries. My husband makes the best blueberry pancakes!
Taste and See Coffee, owned and operated by Brian Nichols and Kevin Reaves.
DOVETAIL: CRAFTED SOUTHERN CUISINE
As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I love Macon. And I love good food. So when Dovetail opened downtown, Haley and I were knocking down the door to taste-test their seasonal menu sourced by 20+ purveyors, most of which can be found at The Mulberry Market. We teamed up with several vendors, including Southern Vintage and Lawrence Mayer, to photograph "Lovely & Local," a stylized shoot focused on farm-to-table. Check it out below!
Quick about: The Moonhanger Group’s Dovetail has quickly established itself as one of Macon’s most critically-acclaimed restaurants. Located in the center of a quickly re-emerging downtown district, Dovetail serves uniquely crafted, southern cuisine. With dishes inspired by seasonal availability and traditional southern fare, their chefs use their expertise to highlight character and flavor, creating an experience that is familiar to any southern dinner table, yet re-imagined in a rustic and sophisticated dining room that tips its cap to the strong agrarian history of the South. The restaurant has been featured in Southern Living Magazine, and has received Opentable.com “Diners Choice Awards” for Most Booked in Macon, and American Cuisine in Georgia.
All images (c) Haley Sheffield Photography
LIFT. TONE. BURN.
Have you been to the barre lately? The past few years, the ballet body has made a resurgence and rightly so due to the rigorous but results-driven workout behind it. Pure Barre is a total body workout that utilizes the ballet barre to perform small isometric movements which proves to be one of the fastest, most effective ways to change your body. But beyond the trend, we wanted to learn more about all that PB can offer. Read below for the interview with our friend, Whitney Berry, owner at Pure Barre Macon.
Tell us your name:
Whitney Berry
Inspiration for starting your own biz?
My Dad is a small business owner and from an early age, it has always been my dream to own my own business. Having the opportunity to see him have a positive effect on the lives of others, both clients and employees, was something I always admired and wanted to bring to others one day.
What is the goal of the company?
My goal with Pure Barre Macon from the beginning has been to create a fitness center that was not just about the workout, but to create a sense of family where everyone could feel welcome and be challenged to reach personal goals for themselves while bringing a great sense of well-being.
Personal mantra:
"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty and find the best in others; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived-- this is to have succeeded." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Pick a superfood:
Avocados!
Health trend you are loving:
Regular Massages
Favorite form of exercise:
Pure Barre is my absolute favorite form of exercise! I was born with a joint condition that has caused me to undergo two shoulder surgeries and limited my ability to do some workouts. When I found Pure Barre I was immediately in love, because it was the most challenging workout I had ever done. With only slight modifications I was able to complete the full workout. My love for Pure Barre began just over two years ago and I can honestly say I have never once been bored during a workout and they have not become any easier, if anything they become more challenging the longer I do them, because I have gained a better understanding of my own body and know how to push myself to achieve maximum results.
Preferred pose:
All thighs. I still find my shakes in every class!
Best piece of advice received during your pregnancy:
Stay active. It truly affects your physical and mental well-being during pregnancy. And fingers crossed will make delivery and recovery much easier as well!
HOMETOWN YOGA
Macon's health and wellness scene has recently come alive with more farm-to-table restaurant options, a producers-only farmers' market, locally-owned health food stores and a handful of yoga studios to boot. The new kids on the block, Hometown Yoga, set themselves apart by offering unique sessions such as Shake Your Asana, Hot Method and even Toddler Yoga. Owners, Rachel Gerrity and Ashley Dunwody, are a true inspiration - on and off the mat. Their passion and talent make them a dynamic duo + the perfect #GirlsBoss team to take on an IFF Q&A!
QUICK ABOUT: Hometown Yoga’s mission is to foster a vibrant, lively and diverse yoga community in Macon. We strive to do so by bringing you the best teachers in the area who are committed to teaching classic yogic principles and alignment in a manner that is accessible and relevant to all people. We are named Hometown Yoga because we are committed to the value of community. We are a community that supports one another, strengthens one another and works to make one another shine.
Co-Owner, Ashley Dunwody, in Upward Facing Dog Pose.
Tell us your name:
Rachel Gerrity and Ashley Dunwody, Owners of Hometown Yoga. We were both born and raised in Macon, Georgia and after living in different parts of the country, we are excited to be back in our hometown!
Inspiration for starting your own biz?
We were teaching yoga at several different places in the area. We were inspired by the amazing teachers and yogis we were meeting, and we wanted to create a space where we could all come together to build one community.
What makes you tick?
Rachel: My passion is in creating, whether that’s making up a silly game to play with my 15 month old daughter or developing a workshop at the studio. I am excited by the ability to come up with an idea and then see it through to creation.
Ashley: I think my passion is creating more space and capacity for love, in all areas... establishing a soft heart with more compassion for ourselves and others.
Personal mantra:
Rachel: Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Ashley: Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet. - Thích Nhất Hạnh
Pick a Superfood:
Rachel: It’s not a particularly exciting one, but I swear by the power of apples and eat at least one a day. Hopefully the fact that it is usually covered in peanut butter doesn’t negate its Superfood powers!
Ashley: Kale!
Ideal indulgence:
Rachel: Teen Mom, Miley Cyrus and frozen Girl Scout Samoas.
Ashley: Pumpkin beer and chocolate.
Co-Owner, Rachel Gerrity, in Bound Revolved Side Angle Pose.
Health trend you are loving:
Rachel: Juice cleanses – now I don’t love juice cleanses while on them, but I love the way they make my body feel. We recently did a 5 day juice cleanse at the studio in coordination with Fountain of Juice. It was a very tough five days but my body has never felt better.
Ashley: Recently, doterra essential oils have been an incredible addition to my family's health care.
Preferred yoga pose:
Rachel: Wheel - I always feel energized both physically and emotionally after a good long wheel!
Ashley: I gotta say wheel, too! Deeply invigorating.
