Author Lynne Forrest will present a three-hour workshop Sunday, March 10, at Jubilee! Community in downtown Asheville. The goal, she explains, will be to help participants “get in touch with the limited story they are believing about themselves in the world, and then I will give them tools to see it in a different light.” The event is a fundraiser for Woman to Woman WNC, which promotes women’s self-empowerment.
Today, at least 17 faith communities in Buncombe County and Mars Hill are offering shelter and assistance to immigrants living here without legal papers, according to Melody Pajak of the nonprofit Faith Communities Organizing for Sanctuary.
Health and wellness are always important topics in the life of our community, and this year was certainly no exception to that rule. Though developments in the proposed acquisition of Mission Health by for-profit HCA Healthcare of Nashville garnered a share of attention equivalent to the potential sale’s importance to the region, plenty of other wellness stories also made news.
Local author Rebecca Lile shares a message of God’s love for everyone in her new children’s book God’s Diner.
“We have been shouting about climate change for a long time, but now, we feel like it’s going to take more messaging in a different way,” says Avram Friedman of the Canary Coalition, a Sylva-based environmental activism group. “We’re showing people that we’re so committed to this, it’s so important, that I’m willing to fast for 10 days to get this message across.”
Joel Edelson only meant to sell books to pay for college. Instead, going door to door, he became the first Jew many of the folks in a rural area he traveled had ever had met in their lives. “I became an ambassador for Judaism,” says Edelson, president of the Mountain Synagogue in Franklin, recalling his […]
Mealtimes can offer the ideal setting for establishing or expanding a mindfulness practice.
The Skinny Beats Sound Shop owner discusses his approach to sonic therapy.
Deepening our awareness of what’s going well in our lives is a simple practice that’s also profound, say a variety of local wellness practitioners and helping organizations. Benefits can include an improved mood and sense of well-being and possibly even better physical health.
As a sacred fire burns, two holy leaders from Canada will share insights gleaned from their lives as resilient survivors and indigenous leaders at the Voices of Wisdom gathering near Weaverville Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 17-18.
To help prison inmates along the path of personal change, a local woman-owned business supplies meditation mats to create a space for contemplation and rest inside the prison walls. Carolina Morning Designs, located in the Toe River Valley south of Burnsville, has modified its products to meet correctional facility requirements.
With a far out feeling, voting has begun for the beloved annual Best of WNC awards. Only you can decide who’ll be feelin’ it in the new summer of love, when winners are announced this August. You have until 11:59 p.m. on the night of Saturday, April 28 to complete your ballot and make sure your voice is heard. […]
For faith leaders wondering what they can do to improve security, law enforcement agencies across Western North Carolina offer assessments and training to help places of worship ensure the safety of those who gather under their roofs.
Longtime Montreat resident the Rev. Billy Graham died on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7:46 a.m.
A strong spiritual rudder can help young people navigate life’s problems long after they’ve sailed into adulthood, youth ministers say. In Asheville, some churches have changed the way their programs target young people, giving them not only a place to worship, but also a place to find community and learn life skills.
Ashevilleans have a history of seeking, and many local residents have taken that search to spiritual pilgrimages along the Caminos of Europe. Now, Asheville has its own 16-mile Camino, a path that can take people walk without paying airfare.
This time of year, religion almost seems to corner the market on celebrations of peace and unity, but Kwanzaa offers the opportunity to attune the spirit through a cultural holiday. Many think of Kwanzaa as entirely motivated by a particular religion, but it’s a modern concept honoring seven traditional principles of the Swahili-speaking regions of Africa, and […]
Three local musicians share an interest in helping people in the community explore the healing power of sound and music in workshops and retreats.
“People can think of it as a visual psychic reading, but I can’t guarantee what the messages will be,” artist Racquel Wilkins explains. “Art is for beauty and upliftment. … The soul portraits aim to take people to a higher level where they can see that we’re all connected.”
While Asheville thrives on a diverse spiritual life, shifting demographics and evolving notions of religion’s role in daily life have many historic congregations reconsidering the part they play in local culture — and how best to address a changing community’s concerns.
Local professionals within the Western North Carolina healing arts and music circuits — Jeff Schmitt, River Guerguerian and Caroline Padgett — will join together to hold an immersive sacred music-making retreat. The three-day event takes place Friday-Sunday, Dec. 8-10, at Laughing Waters Retreat Center in Gerton. “About a year ago, I started a conversation with the three […]