Infocus: with Fort Green founder Bannie Williams
Image by Jill Haapaniemi
“I believe it is so important to surround yourself with like-minded people and those who elevate and support one another. Whether it is a studio or friendship community, the sense of being part of something where you can truly be yourself and be accepted is so special.”
Bannie Williams is someone dear to my heart. We first met when we were five months pregnant at yin yoga teacher training. Now three years later, a million playdates, a text stream that could write a novel, we are still on the same journey. An international model turned qualified nutritionist turned yoga teacher turned entrepreneur, Bannie is the founder of Fort Green Yoga - a sun-drenched haven in Northcote, where the Radiant Birth course is held.
When you have a dream that calls for you - you simply have to follow it. A once dingy apartment tagged with graffiti and carpeted floors you wouldn't dare walk on, Bannie and her partner Nick renovated the space together, took a chance on a lease and then opened their doors over four years ago.
For people who practice yoga, you’ll know that a yoga studio is so much more than a place to move. In the four corners of those walls, people's lives are transformed. The couple have nurtured a boundless feeling of community in their space. It was a pleasure to interview Bannie about her business, her growing family of four and what community means to her.
Image by Jill Haapaniemi
Community is such an essential part of your job owning a studio. Can you please tell me what community means to you.
I believe it is so important to surround yourself with like-minded people and those who elevate and support one another. Whether it is a studio or friendship community, the sense of being part of something where you can truly be yourself and accepted is so special. Since becoming a mother, my time and energy has become so precious and being surrounded by those who “get it” in my fellow Mum tribe gives me a great sense of support and reassurance.
The community we have cultivated at our studio Fort Green just keeps growing and it is so beautiful to witness. From our teachers to students - we have witnessed many friendships grow within the walls of our studio. It feels pretty special to facilitate and be part of.
Did Fort Green manifest over night or was it an idea that had been sitting back mind for a while?
When I first started practising yoga, I fell in love with the studio I practised at. It was a constant safe space as I moved and evolved through a number of life challenges and transitions. Yoga is so much more than the Asana (physical salutations), and as Yahna described, a studio can be the place where people’s lives are transformed.
I became fascinated by the concept of being attachment to a physical space and started to manifest owning a studio of my own.
My vision was for a space to feel like a home away from home and a studio where the community comes first. No egos- just yoga. I became passionate about the concept and weaving the studio philosophy into a beautifully designed and considered space. The idea was thought out carefully over a few years as my experience running and managing a business became stronger.
It wasn’t until I met my now husband Nicholas (a graphic designer at the time), who encouraged me to bring this idea to life that it started to evolve. We searched for a space and took a leap of faith in securing a lease on what we could only describe as a crack den on High Street. We could barely walk around the space with all of the trash, shopping trolleys, graffiti and broken glass. It became a family project with the support of my and Nick’s parents- my father-in-law physically built the space with Nick and his designs. The transformation was an epic labour of love and we are still pinching ourselves that we saw the potential the space had and created Fort Green.
So it is safe to say, I still get chills and tingles when our members tell me they have the same devotion and attachment to the space we created, as I did to my former studio. It really is a dream come true.
Image by Jill Haapaniemi
Holding space in a yoga room takes a lot of energy. Can you tell us what it was like teaching in those early motherhood days? Do you feel like motherhood has altered your practice?
I went back to teaching quite quickly after having Daphne (around 4 months) and whilst it felt right at the time, I experienced some conflicting emotions. On the one hand, it was empowering to be back in our studio and reunited with our community. An almost somewhat relief to have time out from the baby bubble. An opportunity take a slice of my former self back. Teaching was quite draining my mental and physical energy. I was running on empty from sleep deprivation and breastfeeding around the clock. So inevitably, it was really challenging to hold space for others when I barely had a minute to myself (what is space when you are a mother). After a few weeks, I focused on quality over quantity in my teaching. The fewer classes meant I left my teaching with the same sense of fulfilment and joy I had before becoming a mother.
As most mums know, time to yourself is a precious novelty. So these days, my yoga practice is much slower (I much prefer a Slow Flow class over a Vinyasa), so I can take my time and not feel rushed in my practice. Although when I am on the parenting clock or “passing the baton” with my husband, I opt for a 45-minute Pilates or Barre class to maximise my movement and time on the mat.
You’re favourite kind of class…
At the moment, Barre classes at Fort Green are a huge part of my movement practice! Barre in combination with Yoga, Pilates and Ballet and a fantastic way to cultivate strength whilst practising breathwork and pelvic floor engagement. The support of the Barre enables me to work deeply into my glutes, pelvis and thighs to maintain strength in my pregnant body and to actively prepare for giving birth again.
Congratulations, you are soon to be a mum of two. Both with Daphne (your first) and this pregnancy, you have experienced crippling morning sickness. Can you tell us some things that helped you get through this period?
Thank you! Ah yes- what a slog pregnancy symptoms are. My pregnancies have been particularly challenging with morning (all-day) sickness up until around 20-24 weeks. I was diagnosed with HG (hyperemesis gravidarum) with my current pregnancy, which I believe I also had with Daphne. HG is severe vomiting due to pregnancy hormones without being able to keep any fluids or food down, which significantly increases the risk of dehydration, weight loss and malnutrition (sad face).
It was wildly challenging to manage being pregnant with a toddler to care for whilst being bedridden and weak. The support of my husband, an incredible hands-on Dad, was a saviour during this time and took time off to care for and nurture us.
Thankfully my OB prescribed me safe medication treatments. When I started to feel human again, I could parent, prioritise nutrition and very slowly incorporate gentle movement back into my days.
On top of this, eating small regular meals, having loads of rest and natural nausea remedies such as ginger tea were all daily practices.
Image by Jill Haapaniemi
Three words to describe your birth.
Empowering, Physical and Proud.
The word Mother means to you…
Love, gratitude and selflessness. Being a Mother is the most important job in my world. Sometimes when I hear my daughter say “Mummy”, I still can’t quite believe she is talking to me. Whilst at times it is the biggest test of patience and utterly exhausting- it is the greatest gift of all. I have an incredibly close relationship with my Mum and it fills my heart with overwhelming love, pride and honour to raise our children and be the Mother hen in our family.
The word daughter means to you.
Daphne- the love of our life. & the great honour and devotion we have to raise a kind, strong and independent woman.
You love to cook. Can you tell us your ideal meal that makes you feel nourished?
Having a background in nutrition and being a mother who loves to cook, I absolutely thrive in the kitchen. I cook for my family most nights and whilst it sounds cliché, we love to eat healthy and nourishing food. A few of our staples are Mexican Spiced Beans, Broccoli and Feta Ragu pasta, homemade veggie pizzas on flatbread (Daphne loves this especially) or a basic BBQ with salads.
Of course- smoothies are a staple in our household. Why else would I have written a smoothie book, ha!
Advice you’d give your former maiden self.
Never take time for yourself for granted. Whilst nothing can prepare you for the selflessness of Motherhood, soak up every minute of guilt-free “indulgences” like sleeping through the night or going to the toilet solo. Ha!
Follow Bannie’s journey here.