EXCLUSIVE: Getting a Dose of Yoga Atlanta Style

Editor's note: In our continuing look at Atlanta-area businesses, today's Wednesday Wellness looks at local residents Lara Falberg and Nicole Jurovics, who are helping shape up Atlanta through yoga.

GOATLANTA: Talk a little bit about your business, how long in Atlanta, etc?

LARA FALBERG: Nicole and I have put an instructional DVD called Yoga Dose out there so people can enjoy a virtual class experience at home, and have the option of two entirely different sequences by different teachers. We believe in that variety/spice mentality. We also figured having students doing various modifications on postures in the DVD with both of us participating as students, and providing hands-on adjustments to the students on the DVD would be the most helpful things to offer to a person doing yoga on their own at home/hotel/tour bus/etc. The DVD came out in August 2008. We are both long-time residents of Atlanta, and both moved here in 1994, and met one another in 1995. We've been friends since the moment we met and it's been so fantastic to explore yoga together.

GA: Are we seeing more people getting involved with yoga?

LF: More people are doing yoga. People are seeking the various forms of yoga out for stress-relief, pain or soreness in their bodies, and because there are vast health benefits to all of the major systems and muscle groups. There are also vast benefits to learning how to simply utilize the breath to calm the central nervous system and to cope with anxiety, depression, difficulty focusing and relaxing, and various other internal conflicts. Anyone can do it, and there are so many styles and levels out there that it is truly a way to move the body that is accessible to anyone no matter their age or ability.

GA: Has the economy impacted your business goals at all?

LF: In relationship to the economy, Yoga Dose DVD is the perfect thing for those wanting to try yoga out in the privacy of their own home, and on their own time table. It's also an excellent supplement to those who already have a regular practice and attend classes at a studio, but perhaps right now can't afford to go to quite as many classes as they wish due to a necessity to be more frugal. Yoga Dose is very affordable ($21.95 on yogadose.net and free s/h), and it's a one-time purchase which is actually less expensive than attending just two studio classes.

GA: For someone interested in starting yoga, what are some steps they should take?

LF: Both Nicole and I started with a DVD at home. Our DVD is perfect for beginners because of the various modifications our students demonstrate in a the postures in our classes. A beginner can see where they can start based on who is doing the simpler modification in the DVD and where they can progress to in observing either Nicole or I or the student who is doing the more challenging version of the posture. It was extremely important to us to make this something everyone can enjoy. There are also beginner classes at every studio, and working with a nurturing and experienced teacher whom you connect with is key.

GA: Where do you see your business a year from now?
LF: We'd love to see Yoga Dose available in some major retail stores such as Whole Foods and Target. Our goal is to reach as many people as we can, and give them a really different DVD experience, and to keep them from getting bored. We had a blast putting this DVD together, and we think it's a great offering for now. We have lots of ideas for more to come. For more information on Yoga Dose and for yoga class schedules in Atlanta, visit: http://www.yogadose.net/.