Rose Lamont and Sophie Spratt are the sweet sisters responsible for the creation of one of the Coasts’ favourite yoga and Pilates studios, Ritual Palm Beach, for which we can all be grateful.

We sat down for a chat with the longtime Gold Coast locals about the realities of working with your family on the daily and why yoga and Pilates are something we should all introduce to our lives, ASAP.

How long have you been Gold Coast locals?
We grew up here on the Coast, so always!

What do you love most about living here?
The lifestyle on the Gold Coast is second to none, we love the pristine beaches, the people, the amazing food, the growing live music and arts scene and of course our prime location being only 45 minutes to Byron Bay and an hour to Brisbane. On top of that we love the diversity of the landscape; within the space of an hour you can be at the beach and then out in the Currumbin Valley or the Hinterland.

Tell us how your studio, Ritual Yoga and Pilates came about?
We began dreaming up Ritual over five years ago, we’ve always shared a passion for yoga and Pilates and our dream was to create a community space offering quality classes and a place where people could be themselves. At the time we were both studying at University so it always felt more like a big dream rather than something that could be a reality. Despite this, we’d talked about the idea so much over the years that when a space came up for rent in Palm Beach we decided to enquire, not thinking we’d actually go through with it, it was more of a ‘fake it til you make it’ kind of thing. Amazingly, lots of things fell into place at the right time, which led to us eventually signing the lease and going for it. It was a huge leap of faith and involved converting a solicitors office with 16 rooms and grey carpets into a spacious, light-filled studio with wooden floors and two rooms, all while we were both in our last semester of Uni. We did this with the help of our Dad, who basically did the renovations himself, along with the help of some of our amazing friends and family who all helped create the beautiful space that is now Ritual. When we first opened up we taught all 60 classes per week by ourselves, today we have 12 incredibly wonderful and knowledgeable teachers plus the amazing community of students who make Ritual the warm, welcoming place it is! Looking back it was a crazy decision that took a lot of hard work and commitment but man has it been worth it!

Why do you think incorporating yoga and Pilates into our lives is so important?
With the proliferation of the fitness industry and rise of social media it seems that collectively our focus is on ‘looking good’. However, it’s becoming increasingly obvious that health is about more than just looking good, it’s also about feeling good and understanding ourselves so that we can have healthy relationships in all areas of our lives. This kind of inner and outer work is exactly what the practices of yoga and Pilates provide, namely they offer physical and mental practices that are a platform for self-exploration and growth. From a physical perspective, they are excellent ways to keep your body in great physical health as they incorporate strength, balance and mobility, but we believe the beauty of these practices lies in their holistic approach to health. We are living in a time where we are being fed lots of information about who we should be and what we should look like and the practices of yoga and Pilates offer an antidote to the obsession of looks. They are for everyone and they invite us to explore the potential of our body-mind complex and provide powerful tools that help us find stability and confidence within ourselves rather than looking outside.

What’s the best thing about going into business with your family?
We can fight like cats and dogs and then just call and say sorry and it’s done and onto the next thing.

What would you say to people thinking about starting their own business?
Go all in, running a business takes 100% commitment. Don’t worry about the ‘how’ just focus on the goal. Find mentors who have your best interests at heart and who can hold you accountable. Make sure your passionate about the work you’re doing, then it’s not work at all! Spend your energy wisely.

Besides classes, what else can people do at Ritual?
Ritual offers retreats, yoga, meditation, Pilates training and lots of amazing workshops spanning over a variety of different topics with some excellent guest speakers from Australia and around the world. We also run yoga philosophy club once a month.

Final workshops for 2018:
Yogic Spring Clean with Brooke Elliston 16/11
Handstand Workshop with Brooke Elliston 17/11
Sound Healing Meditation with Matty Rainbow 25/11
Pain & Consciousness workshop with Mitch Hunter 8/12
Yoga Philosophy Club with Rose Lamont 15/12

What’s happening for the rest of 2018?
We’re in the middle of running our Pilates Matwork course which has been so much fun! After that we’re heading off to New York for a work trip to go check out all of the studios there and undertake some training! Apart from that we are making final arrangements for our Yoga Teacher Training beginning in Feb 2019!

Tell us your favourites on the Coast…
Beach: The Alley
Café: Barefoot Barista, of course!
Restaurant: Etsu Izakaya
How does your weekend usually look: Classes, beach, family, friends 🙂

If there was one thing we Gold Coasters lacked, it was a walk-in cheese room found inside a store that also sells wine and olives and next door to four more beautifully curated retail spaces that literally sell all of your (our) favourite things plus the prettiest of eateries. Okay so we lacked a few things but NOT ANYMORE friends.

Cornerstone Stores opened in Currumbin over the weekend and good luck not emptying your wallet there on a regular basis. The bold brick building has taken up residence on the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Farrell Drive and it is the actual perfect visual representation of all our dreams come true.

It’s tough to know where to start but the beginning usually works so allow us to walk you through the space.

Quince Fromagerie – Food
First up on the left is the new love of our lives, Quince Fromagerie which, as mentioned is home to the walk in cheese room (and coldest place on the Coast right now) plus an absolute next-level selection of wines, locally produced gin, olives, crackers, meats, sauces, you name it. BRB, moving in.

Prae Store – Retail
Next door is Prae Store and it is actually a gift from the Gods. Inside you’ll find the most aesthetically pleasing activewear from the likes of PE Nation and First Base, all the best organic skincare brands, crystals, natural perfumes, cookbooks, jewellery, candles and various other things that will make your life better and also prettier.

Zanzi Hairdressing – Beauty
Moving along we’ve got Zanzi Hairdressing, which is what we’d like our house to look like please. PLUS everything used inside is eco-friendly, there are no magazines (iPads instead – hi 2018), products are organic and the space is beaming out all the super chill vibes.

Borrowed Nursery – Retail
To the right is our beloved Borrowed Nursery and a room filled with greenery. Huge ceramic pots are scattered around the dewy space, a selection of smaller plants run through the middle and shelves stacked with flowing ferns, ceramic homewares, candles and woven lampshades complete the most beautiful of pictures.

Kind Curations – Retail
Continuing on we’ve got Kind Curations, a collection of unique brands the likes of which the Coast has never seen before. And wow are they something. Floaty fashion, ceramics, glassware, candles, stunning women’s magazines, beach umbrellas and eyewear make up the perfectly put together store and if you’re after the perfect gift for your lady loves, look no further.

Little Loves Studio – Retail
Last but certainly not least in the retail department is Little Loves Studio which is definitely what we would call a children and babywear goodies store if we had any business sense whatsoever. Little Loves (so good) is filled with tiny clothing cooler than anything you or I could ever wear, as well as beautiful books and toys to keep forever. We don’t even have babies and want to buy everything.

Stable Coffee Kitchen – Food
Last but not least, on the ground floor, is Stable Coffee Kitchen and you may as well move to Currumbin so this place can be your new local because it is gooooooood.

It’s made up of concrete benches offset by rustic red brick walls, blonde timber seating, an artistic masterpiece by local legend Claudio Kirac and a blush coloured marble table in the centre which was quite obviously put there for Insta-snap opportunities. Everything from the pink and navy takeaway cups to the Stable branded ceramics are pure perfection and the best part is, as a café, they serve food too. Shocking.

Open for breakfast and lunch, the emphasis is on real, good-for-you foods with plenty of love thrown in for good measure. We sampled the Folded Buckwheat Crepe with lemon ricotta, fermented rose honey, seasonal fruit and pistachio and the Sourdough of Valley Tomatoes and Avocado. They obviously looked and tasted as delightful as they sound. You can also pop in for a takeaway salad, of which there are five choices, made fresh daily. Good luck eating anywhere else ever again.

So who dreamed up this magical space? A local family who have lived in the Currumbin area for three generations that’s who. Renee Honey and her husband Ben run Stable, Renee’s mum Kath is the angel behind the fromagerie and brother Luke and his partner Bec created Prae Store.

The delightful family who are extremely passionate about the place we all call home, dreamed up Cornerstones after visiting cities and exploring cool laneways and boutiques and wishing there was something more cultural, intimate and with real substance closer to the Coast.

And after reading that story you can tell we’re very happy they did.

As will you be the minute you set foot inside the bustling little hub that has transformed Currumbin in only a matter of days.

Oh and forgot to mention there’s a big old grassy area where the kiddies (or adults if it’s that kind of day) can run around and have a play.

We’re in love and you will be too.

The end.

LOCATION: 570 Gold Coast Hwy, Currumbin
HOURS: Stores open 9am to 4pm daily and Stable Coffee Kitchen opens from 7am to 4pm daily

Words and photos by Kirra Smith.

So there’s a few ways this stay-at-home business can go. One is that we all eat too much and lay on the floor thinking about all the things we should be doing instead.

The other is that we stay inside but also make inside our new world, bar crawls are now rooms-of-your-house crawls, Friday drinks are FaceTime drinks and exercise will also likely be an inside job.

Which is why we’re all here today. To discuss Gold Coast exercise-based businesses who have taken things online so that we may all stay fit while we have to stay inside.

VIP Lockdown Machine Squad
Run by local legends Machine Life, the online squad is $25 p/w with live daily workouts that can be accessed anytime on your phone or computer, using just your body weight, tips and tricks from the trainers (Jesse and Alyse) and an online community to support you through this time. Trainers help with technique, nutritional guidelines, motivation and accountability so that there’s no slacking off plus you get healthy recipes, live chats, team challenges and tailored workouts for all fitness levels. Join here.

Pilates by Lisa
One Gold Coast gal who has been doing the online thing for quite some time is Lisa, of Pilates by Lisa. Who is offering online pilates classes for all levels of fitness that you can (and should) absolutely get involved in from the comfort of your home with a FREE 10 day trial! Find them here.

Ritual Yoga and Pilates
The ladies at Palmy’s Ritual Yoga & Pilates are in the process of creating an online hub for yoga and pilates classes. They also offer pilates barre classes so you can get that booty all peachy for when we’re allowed outside again. Stay up to date with their progress here.

Currumbin Academy of Performing Arts
Here’s one for the kiddies – CAPA have taken their dances classes online so that’s one way for the little ones to burn some energy. Not to mention they’ll have fun and possibly learn a new skill while they’re at it. Check it out here.

Emily Skye Fitness
No doubt you’ve heard of Emily Skye, she’s been online for a long time now but she offers quite the array of workouts to keep you fit and fabulous. She’s a personal trainer so there’s lots of strength-based workouts, weights and body-weight based exercise. Plenty of variety. Find out more here.

Fluidform Pilates
Full body strength and conditioning is the name of the game at Fluidform Pilates with classes created to have a meaningful and positive impact. Of course, there are all manner of pilates classes on offer and creator Kirsten King is a former Gold Coaster. Get involved here.

We’ll keep updating as we find out about more business moving online but in the meantime, keep moving and take care of yourselves.

Words and photos by Kirra Smith