Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Gerrity.
Rachel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I began teaching yoga throughout Macon at colleges, gyms and anywhere I could throw down some mats. I craved a “yoga home,” however, and in 2012 opened Hometown Yoga alongside a yoga teacher I had known since high school. From the very minute our doors opened, I found that others were craving this same sense of community and belonging that I had missed. Hometown Yoga truly lived up to its name. It became more than a yoga studio for so many people – it was our home.
In 2016, I went out on my own and opened Homegrown Yoga in Warner Robins and a year later began the first 200 hour teacher training program in the middle Georgia area. With a toddler still at home, the commute and work of two studios and a teacher training program became all-consuming and I decided to sell my half of Hometown Yoga to commit myself fully to Homegrown Yoga.
Over the last two years, I have completely fallen in love with the community at Homegrown Yoga. When opening, people warned me that my “hometown-style” might not appeal to a town like Warner Robins that is largely a military community. I have found the exact opposite to be true. Homegrown Yoga is the warmest, most close-knit community of which I have ever been a part, and I believe it is this quality that has made it such a success.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has been a fun and gratifying road, but sometimes not smooth and definitely many struggles along the way. I had never owned a business before my first yoga studio and the amount of day-to-day work required to keep the studio, social media and teaching staff not just moving, but moving ahead with direction and inspiration definitely humbled me (and many days continues to humble me).
The biggest struggle, though, has been keeping a sustainable base of quality yoga teachers. Teachers oftentimes move out of the area or decide to take a break from teaching. In a major city there are hundreds of yoga teachers, but in a city like Macon or Warner Robins there is only a handful, so losing a single teacher is a big hit to a community. That was one of the reasons I began a teacher training program. Even with only one class of trainees graduated thus far, it now brings 17 new, excited and eager teachers to the area.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Homegrown Yoga story. Tell us more about the business.
Homegrown Yoga offers 19 yoga classes each week, ranging from Restorative Yoga to Hot Power Flow classes. Because we are the first yoga studio in Warner Robins, we have people who have never done yoga practicing alongside people who have been doing yoga for years. We specialize in showing all people how the practice of yoga can impact their lives.
The name Homegrown Yoga represents my vision for the studio. We open our doors and then grow based on what the community wants and needs. When I opened the studio 2 years ago, I never would have thought it would be what it is today. It has truly become a place of growth and learning for so many people. For some it’s formal learning through our teacher training program. And for others it has been a place of personal growth and learning – whether learning how to sit in stillness or breathe in a difficult yoga pose.
The sense of community and belonging in the studio, however, is what makes me most proud of it and what I believe separates us. As soon as you walk through the door of the studio, you feel it and I hear that over and over again from clients.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I love this question because it relates to one of my favorites stories I once heard in a yoga class. It is about a farmer who is working in the field with his only horse. The horse is so old and frail that the farmer lets his horse go off to live the end of his life in freedom. All of his neighbors say, “what bad luck you have losing your only horse.” The farmer says, “Good luck or bad luck, we shall see.” His old horse rejuvenated from his time away returns back to the farm with 10 wild horses. All of the neighbors say, “What good luck you have. Now you have 11 horses.” The farmer says, “Good luck or bad luck, we shall see.” The farmer’s only son is out working with the wild horses and breaks his leg getting kicked off of one. All of his neighbors say, “What bad luck you have. Your only son can no longer help on the farm.” The farmer says, “Good luck or bad luck, we shall see.” The next week a war breaks out and all able-bodied young men are sent away to battle. Because of the son’s broken leg, he did not have to go. Again, all of the neighbors say, “What good luck you have.” The story goes on and on and on like this.
Opening two yoga studios in towns that had no competition can definitely be seen as lucky. On the flip side, however, it has been slow work to introduce the idea of yoga and the pricing of a yoga studio to many people unfamiliar with it. Similarly, having some of my best yoga teacher’s leave can be seen as bad luck. And on the flip side, it was the impetus to our yoga teacher training program which has proven to be the most gratifying experience I can imagine. So yes, I think luck has had a role but “good luck or bad luck, we shall see.”
Pricing:
- New Student Special: 2 weeks of unlimited yoga for $30
- Single Class: $15
- 10 Class Card: $120 (military discount available)
- 5 Class Card: $65
- 1 Month of Unlimited Yoga: $120 (military discount available)
- Practice Plus (Unlimited Yoga with 6 Month Commitment): $99/month (military discount available)
Contact Info:
- Address: 150 S Houston Lake Road
Warner Robins, GA - Website:http://www.homegrownyogawr.com/
- Phone:478-297-4023
- Email:homegrownyogawr@gmail.com
- Instagram:@homegrownyogawr
- Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/homegrownyogawarnerrobins/
Image Credit:
Ann Steward Photography
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
