This past week I had the chance to interview a licensed massage therapist, yoga instructor and private holistic chef, Delaney McBride. While she may be the daughter of the legendary Martina McBride, that doesn’t stop this lady from getting to work, work, work. Between her three current job titles, Delaney’s schedule is quite full. Even so, she’s made time in her day on August 17th to share her wellness tips and tricks with us at our Body + Soul event.
To get to know a bit more about this triple threat, we asked her some questions and found out a little more about her life in Nashville!
The Nashville Edit: How do you start a typical morning?
Delaney McBride: I definitely need a cup of coffee to get my day started. At first, I felt like it was just a ritualistic type of thing, but after some trial-and-error, I realized that I totally crash around 4 pm if I don’t have one! In another sense, I just need to wake up gently. If there’s ever a morning where I oversleep or don’t have enough time to settle into my brain before I get going, it can be challenging to feel comfortable in my mind or body for the first half of the day.
TNE: Speaking of mornings, what is your morning routine like? How does it set you up for a healthy day ahead?
DM: On a perfect day, I meditate for 15 minutes before I do anything else. I’ve found it’s the most beneficial to do it before I check my phone, make my breakfast, or do anything else that would cause my brain to start becoming really active. After that, I’ll do a quick yoga flow, maybe only 10 minutes, just to stretch out my limbs from the night’s sleep before. Once I’m feeling good in my body, I’ll make a cup of coffee and either listen to a podcast or music while I make breakfast — something light, like an egg and toast and a bowl of fruit. Then, if I have the day off, I try to do something active, such as hiking, a yoga class, or kayaking on the Harpeth. Like I said earlier — if I’m not able to have this morning routine, then it can be more of a challenge for me to have a “healthy” day.
TNE: Where do you stop in Nashville for a healthy breakfast for the mornings you don’t feel like cooking?
DM: I absolutely love Crema‘s avocado toast. It’s so delicious — goat cheese, microgreens, olive oil, mmm! That plus a cup of coffee is definitely my healthy go-to breakfast. Although I do have to say, my less-healthy breakfast staple is cheese eggs, raisin toast, bacon, and grits from Waffle House!
TNE: What about for coffee/tea?
DM: Crema’s coffee is really my favorite in town, next to Portland Brew‘s dark roast. I also love to go into Highgarden Tea in East Nashville to pick out different herbs and tinctures for anything under the sun!
TNE: How does being a holistic chef affect your view on Nashville’s food scene?
DM: I’m a huge advocator for balance in your diet. I think it’s really important to incorporate as many plants into your diet because gut health affects absolutely every other part of your life. But, sometimes I like to ask, even if this might not be “good” for my body, is it good for my soul? Cheeseburgers are my absolute favorite food, so there’s no way I’m going to deny myself one every once in a while if I know it makes me happy! I really like that Nashville has a balance of healthy and indulgent options. If I’m wanting to have vegan or other some other “clean” meal, there’s a plethora of staples and new restaurants I can choose from. But again, if I’m craving a cheeseburger or some wings, there are so many amazing options!
“I really like that Nashville has a balance of healthy and indulgent options.”– Delaney McBride
TNE: You’re a yoga instructor. Where do you teach? Where can we find your classes?
DM: I just recently became certified to teach Baptiste Power Flow Yoga. I am involved with Small World Yoga, a nonprofit, donation-based, community studio that helps spread yoga to Nashville’s schools, prisons, homeless shelters, recovery centers, libraries and more. I hope to begin teaching there after six months of outreach classes. I also love teaching private sessions for groups of friends, coworkers, or families.
TNE: What classes or yoga studios do you prefer, including/outside your own?
DM: Every teacher at Small World Yoga is absolutely incredible. There are too many to name, but my favorite teachers have to be Liz Vehyl, Chris Byford, Mason Howell and Brooke Widmer. I find such a passion in their teaching and I always leave feeling unbelievable. I also love Emily Young’s class at Shakti and Kelly Cowden’s class at Hot Yoga of East Nashville.
TNE: What is your healthiest daily habit?
DM: Breathing. I know it sounds obvious, but it’s the most important thing you can do during your day. Whether you’re getting frustrated about traffic, or the grocery line moving too slow, someone not responding the way you anticipated, anything — just breathe. Once you focus on that, everything else flows better.
TNE: How do you recommend getting into the habit of meditating daily?
DM: Meditation isn’t the easiest thing to jump into. It can feel overwhelming and intimidating, and it’s easy to feel like you just aren’t doing it right. Just know that if you’re new to meditation, don’t feel like you have to jump into a 30-minute silent, unguided, groundbreaking meditation. Meditate to a motivational TED talk. Meditate to nature sounds. And just remember, distracting thoughts are going to come up. But when they do, acknowledge it, and put it to rest. Keep breathing.
TNE: What is your current mantra?
DM: I have a pretty difficult relationship with self-assuredness. I really care about other people’s opinions and this can cause me to question myself and my worth. These days, I’m focusing on being self-assured, confident, and the power of my strength.
TNE: When did you become inspired to become a licensed massage therapist?
DM: I have been fortunate enough to receive massages since I was a young child. My parents are both really aware of the health benefits of it and I was so lucky to have it available to me. When I was going through a transitional period around age 21, I just didn’t know what sounded good. I knew I liked helping people; I’d been in service industry jobs since age 16, and I knew I liked getting massages. So, I thought why not give it a try? I went to Mind Body Institute for school. When I started working in the clinic and working on other people, I absolutely fell in love with it. Knowing that what I was doing was a special part of someone’s day, seeing how relaxed they were after, and being able to physically help someone who might be hurting has transformed this interest into a total passion.
TNE: What are the benefits of massage therapy?
DM: There are so many benefits! Just to name a few: pain relief, stress relief, increased circulation, boosted immunity, improved posture, improved flexibility, lower blood pressure, muscle and mind relaxation, regulation of blood sugar levels, movement of lymphatic fluid, and so much more. I also recently read it helps in preventing different types of cancer because it helps rich, oxygenated blood flow between your muscles, breaking up toxins that could cause tumors.
TNE: How does our audience get a massage from you?
DM: I am currently working at Franklin Massage Center. I also take private clients. I’m working on getting a business name verified, but for now, you can email greenhouseappointments@gmail.com to schedule something.
TNE: What can our audience expect to learn from you at our Body + Soul event?
DM: My one goal in my yoga class is to connect body, mind, and breath. I don’t want anyone to feel intimidated or like they can’t do it. You are strong in your own body, no matter what your practice looks like. The hardest part is just showing up – the rest is just a practice of movement, breath, and flow. I hope everyone can leave my class feeling more at home in their body and more at one with their mind.
