When I first walk into his office, Abbas Rakhshani offers me a warm, generous hug. “Hugging communicates and transfers energy,” he says. I immediately feel comforted by his calm, compassionate presence. And by the end our interview, I feel like I’ve had a healing session myself. Rakhshani opened the Yoga Wellness Center in South Asheville […]
While teaching women’s-only Dao Flow Yoga class at Asheville Yoga Center, Dr. Saraswati Markus was approached by several women who were seeking natural solutions for their health problems. In response, Markus, a licensed acupuncturist and doctor of Chinese medicine, decided it was time to open her own clinic locally. She opened the Nourishing Life Center […]
When it comes to tours, Asheville is loaded with them. There are tours for eating and drinking, historic walks, comedy bus tours and river rafting events. But this spring saw the launch of something new — the Asheville Wellness Tour. A collaboration between three local businesses, the Asheville Therapeutic Salt Cave, Traveling Yogini and Wake […]
“Let’s watch.” These words commence the evening’s performance at Playback Theatre. Actors come forward, improvising as they go to illustrate a story. Audience members will likely resonate with the unfolding tale because it is, after all, their story. Within this theatrical environment, actors and audience participate in a night of theater and storytelling that can […]
Launched by Caty Carlin and Connie Schrader of the Asheville Center for Arts and Medicine, the Asheville Arts in Medicine Summit is open to artists, healthcare providers and anyone interested in exploring the transformative power of art. The three-day conference takes place Thursday through Saturday, March 6-8, at the Laurel Forum and Karpen Hall at […]
Professor Laura Hope Gill and Dr. Claire Hicks are hosting a narrative medicine workshop series at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Last weekend, a small group of people gathered to learn more about narrative medicine and what it can offer to both patients and caregivers.
Therapist and laughter yoga instructor Lisa Harris shares how laughter can be the best medicine. Photo by Carrie Eidson
Walking into co-luminate — the small, downtown community space tucked away behind Laurey’s Catering and next to Go Yoga — is like entering a friend’s cozy living room, complete with warm lighting, tables, chairs, floor seats, Persian carpets and pillows. Unlike a friend’s living room, however, you’ll notice people scattered around, working independently on their […]
Having celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013, Horse Sense of the Carolinas is an internationally recognized program and the leading resource for Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Equine Assisted Learning (EAP/L) in Western North Carolina.
Laura Hope-Gill’s fascination with story and healing began when she was diagnosed with late-onset deafness. She felt that the language her doctor used in delivering her diagnosis had nothing to do with her or her story. “The way it was presented to me, my hearing life was over,” she says. “That isn't the case. It […]
Artist Caty Carlin believes that “textile-making is a direct connection to healing,” adding, “Cloth was the medium through which I found sacredness.” And while textiles are Carlin’s preferred mode of expression, she maintains that the therapeutic process is in the creation of all art, regardless of the medium. She hopes to harness this healing power […]
A bike? A car? An ELF? It’s not the magical little creature we know from folklore. ELF stands for “Electric, Light, Fun.” It’s an OTV or Organic Transit Vehicle, and it was created by Durham, N.C.-based company Organic Transit.
