Earlier this month, survey company WalletHub marked Asheville as one of the “Fattest Cities” in the country. Asheville ranked No. 43 among the 100 most populated U.S. metro areas for obesity levels, weight-related health problems and environmental factors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, meanwhile, reports that the South has the second-highest regional rate […]
Although New Dawn Midwifery closes at the end of March, safe and supported birthing options abound in the Asheville area, including hospitals with obstetricians, hospitals with midwives and the WNC Birth Center, which is set to open this spring on South French Broad Avenue. Professionals across the region continue to advocate for education and support as the keys to making choices during childbirth. […]
After 19 years of providing Asheville women with pregnancy and gynecology services, New Dawn Midwifery is closing. Jan Verhaeghe, founder and president of New Dawn Midwifery, is retiring. “We are making referrals for providers, and we are offering care up through March 31. We have enjoyed every client in our practice,” Verhaeghe says. The center offered prenatal […]
Healing Touch and reiki are energy-work modalities that are finding their way into complementary therapies offered in many mainstream medical settings, including hospitals, hospice and veteran care.
When used together, yoga and physical therapy can speed up healing for limited/impaired populations.
Caregivers and organizations in Western North Carolina — including community health centers, acupuncturists and herbalists — are helping people without insurance receive the care they need. Indeed, many providers say access to health care is a basic human right. People in every corner of the state should be covered and have access to care, says Benjamin Money, CEO and president […]
Workplace health initiatives are cropping up in Western North Carolina. Large hospital systems such as Mission Health and Park Ridge, as well as business owners and organizations like the Western North Carolina Medical Society, are starting to think “inside” the box: They’re creating in-house wellness programs that help employees lose weight, lower stress, get more exercise […]
As mindfulness-based healing modalities with prison populations gather attention in the public eye, and research supports their effectiveness generally, more volunteers are coming forward in Western North Carolina to create wellness among incarcerated people.
The ability to think clearly and make decisions is exactly the reason for choosing healthier foods in the morning or any time of day, say Laura Buxenbaum, Paul Barrett and Jackie Dobrinska.
What happens when you lose your job, your husband leaves you, and your mother dies — all in the same week? What happens when you accidentally run over and kill a 12-year-old boy biking to your daughter’s birthday party? Mandy Atkisson was the person called in to help with both scenarios. Atkisson is the chief developer […]
A bed of cotton candy-pink crystals shift underfoot as you walk toward one of seven reclining chairs, complete with pillow and fleece blanket. The crystals are salt, and the entire room is filled with them: Large rocks form a mosaic on the walls, and tiny stones fill a net along the ceiling, interspersed with small […]
Sierra Hollister, 49, has been offering Kundalini yoga classes to the community since 1995. (Photo by Kate Lundquist)
Blythe Brown, a 27-year-old youth yoga instructor and art educator, offers a creative movement and meditation experience in Asheville. (photo by Kate Lundquist)
A rain stick creates a soothing ambiance as the students settle onto the props at Asheville Community Yoga. An African kalimba evokes a delicate higher tone while the didjeridoo sends a strong, fluid sound around the circle. It’s Friday afternoon, and Robin and Corey Costanzo’s restorative yoga with didjeridoo meditation class aims to help people […]
Robin and Corey Costanzo, yoga instructor and somatic psychologist, respectively, offer a unique opportunity for Asheville residents and visitors to relax and rejuvenate.
“Pets are never caught up in the drama of being rushed like we are. We need to spend time with our pets and create a presence with them,” says local yoga teacher Kimberly Drye. (pictured: Drye and Mercy)
Sarah Jean Couture, 31, invites students to explore other cultures in order to travel inwards to find adventure and peace. Here, she demonstrates exalted mountain pose at Jonas Gerard’s gallery on Clingman Avenue.
Heidi Vaught has only been teaching yoga in Asheville for a short while, but she says she's ready to bring the Anusara style (a system based on hatha yoga) to the area’s thriving yoga scene. Hailing from Louisville, Ky., she brings two new classes to the Asheville Yoga Donation Studio. “I like the idea of […]
Dr. Robin Saraswati Markus, a 48-year-old holistic gynecologist and yoga instructor, offers a wealth of knowledge and integrative healing for women. (Photo by Kate Lundquist)
Jessica Lee, 28, is the Online Content Director for Clear Channel. Here, she demonstrates ardha uttanasana, or halfway lift, at Asheville Yoga Center. This is the 12th post of a yoga-pose series by freelance writer and yoga instructor, Kate Lundquist. Photos by Kate Lundquist.
