Lisa Munjack and Donna Fauerbach bought Verona Yoga in September 2016. Since it was an established business, they spent a few months analyzing the needs of their existing client base, Verona’s needs–and the market for yoga classes in our area. Their conclusion: To take the business forward, they had to take it back to basics.
For Munjack and Fauerbach, who both had long careers in marketing, there simply weren’t enough yoga studios that had the beginner yogi in mind. They noticed that while many people came to their studio with a little bit of earlier experience, many had never really had the opportunity to learn the basics in the very beginning of their practice.
The basics of yoga for all have always been important to the duo, and they emphasize them inside the studio and out. This past summer, Verona Yoga offered free yoga basics classes in Verona Park as part of an initiative introduced by the Verona Wellness committee. “In order to truly benefit from an individual yoga practice, learning the basics early on is instrumental for avoiding potential injury while trying to do something beneficial for the mind and body,” says Munjack.
In the studio, they began with an Absolute Beginner class on Sunday morning. As attendance at that class grew, Munjack and Fauerbach took the next step and created a four-week Absolute Beginner Workshop in which each week builds on the techniques learned in the prior week.
The workshop is intended to give personalized attention for maximum benefits of proper alignment, deeper instruction, and to build confidence for future classes. While the workshop is called Absolute Beginner, it is also a useful program for anyone who needs a refresher, is returning to yoga after being away from it for an extended period of time, or wants to be sure they don’t have any bad habits. Munjack and Fauerbach believe the workshop may also be useful for teens who are interested in building strength and improving balance to compliment athletic activities without putting additional stress on their bodies.
While basics and beginner classes now account for many of the classes at Verona Yoga, the studio continues to offer a variety of classes at a range of levels to meet the needs of their growing client base.
“We consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to be able to share something that has made such a tremendous impact on our lives,” says Munjack about the business she and Fauerbach share. “We are genuinely grateful for the opportunity to share this special place with the community.”
Verona Yoga
546 Bloomfield Avenue
(973) 551-YOGA (9642).
You can also find Verona Yoga on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
