Downtown business district draws Yogafly to Eighth Street
By Anna-Claire Terry
Staff Reporter
When Peach Friedman brought Yogafly to downtown Opelika on South Eighth Street, she hoped to add to the sense of community Opelikans have. “I have been in business in Auburn since 2012, and I opened in Opelika on February 1. What brought me there is how inspired I was by how downtown Opelika is working to grow and develop small businesses,” she said.
Friedman has had an appreciation for yoga since she was a child because her mother was also a yoga teacher and owned a yoga studio. “I have been doing yoga pretty much my whole life,” she said. Friedman is originally from Charlottesville, Va., and has traveled the world studying different types of yoga.
She said so much of her passion for yoga is because after suffering from anorexia and eating disorders, yoga helped her through recovery. She now uses yoga to help other women recovering from eating disorders. “Yoga does not replace mental health counseling, but it does have a therapeutic affect,” she said.
Friedman said she is looking forward to diving into downtown Opelika and watching the sense of community that yoga can create. She also said yoga class is a great place to make friends. “ Our studio in Auburn has a really strong community where people meet up for class and then go get coffee or lunch afterwards,” she said. “My hope is that we can develop the same sort of culture in Opelika… A place where people can come to class together and then go out afterwards and support local businesses; more foot traffic and more community.”
Yogafly is an alignment based studio, meaning that focus is placed on the natural intelligence of the body. Teachers are highly educated and trained with knowledge of body biomechanics. “We are great for people with special needs or injuries,” Friedman said. Classes are offered at all levels from beginners to advanced. The first month of classes is $30, then, a month of unlimited classes is $99. Drop-ins are welcome for $15. For more in formation, visit www.yogaflystudio.com or call 707-7503.
“I feel like yoga is truly my greatest passion, and I’m definitely doing what I am meant to be doing,” Friedman said.