Lara Falberg has been one of my greatest role models as I've been a fresh whippersnapper in the yoga world.

Lara Falberg | Photo by Alyssa Gualtieri

I've been inspired by Lara since the very first class of hers I took—she is passionate and can read a room like most cannot. She casually drops the f-bomb. She is just so damn cool!

So many of us in our community look up to Lara for her honesty and no-bullshit way of being. She is brave and down to earth, a real woman to look up to.

Here's more about her!

KS: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU FIRST TRIED YOGA? WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION?

LF: I was about 28, living in Atlanta, and my intro to yoga was a Rodney Yee DVD in my living room. I thought it was hard, but liked how I felt. Then I started going to a Bikram studio. I hated it, but again, loved how I felt after. So this got me exploring other styles of yoga, eventually finding my home in the Vinyasa style.

KS: HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU DECIDED TO BECOME A SERIOUSLY SERIOUS YOGI?

LF: I’m always very serious about everything I do. ;-)

When I realized it was a passion, and a life path, then I started thinking about how I could take teaching out of the studio and off the mat.

I obtained my 200 hr in February of 2006. August of 2008, I put out a DVD called Yoga Dose. From that point forward, I’ve been having a blast studying and exploring who I want to continue to be as a teacher and a student.

KS: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE LAST ARTICLES YOU'VE WRITTEN?

LF: For the last six-seven months, I’ve been writing for yogiapproved.com and healinglifestyles.com. I love both of these websites and the larger yoga community it allows a person to build.

I’ve written a Four Agreements series, and love to write about sequencing and music, and what you can tell about a person just by watching them do yoga.

10 PERFECT SONGS FOR YOUR YOGA PLAYLIST

KS: WHAT author has had AN IMPACT ON YOU AND YOUR PERSPECTIVES about YOGA OR LIFE IN GENERAL?

LF: I love Pema Chödrön. She writes about uncertainty and change. Her language is beautiful and relatable.

KS: ASIDE FROM BEING AN INCREDIBLE YOGA TEACHER AND YOGI, WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE THINGS IN LIFE?

LF: I think most of us like simple pleasures. I adore being around dogs. I enjoy playing Frisbee with my partner. I always want to be drinking wine and talking with people I love. I love writing and travel, and could spend hours everyday listening to music.

I like cleaning and purging crap I have, but don’t need or use. It’s immediate gratification, and that’s satisfying. Plus, I like the purity aspect.