In this town, if you haven’t had an acupuncture appointment, massage, energy-healing session or herbal consultation, it’s more than likely you know someone who has. Modalities that were once thought of as hokey, or at least incompatible with the Western medical model, are becoming less alternative and more mainstream — so much so that Mission Hospital, Park […]
Gemstones and tea might seem an unlikely combination, but to local jewelry designer Jen Aly, they make perfect sense together. “They are two of my favorite things,” she says. Aly decided to combine them for her workshop Gemstones and Tea: Set Your Intentions for 2015, which will be held at Dobra Tea on Sunday, Jan. 18. Aly, […]
WHAT: Southeast Wise Women Herbal Conference WHERE: Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain WHEN: Friday-Sunday, Oct. 10-12 Bound by shared womanhood and a passion for natural healing, more than 1,000 women will gather in Black Mountain for the 10th annual Southeast Wise Women Herbal Conference. Over the past decade, the event has grown to become the […]
Kristine Kaoverii Weber is a big-picture person. So although she’s the creator of Subtle Yoga, she spends less time thinking about yoga studios, complicated poses or the latest yoga pants and more time thinking about the current state of health care. It’s also what has led her to begin teaching behavioral health professionals how to […]
Over the last few weeks, a range of local notables have been participating in the “Ice Bucket Challenge.” Started by the nonprofit ALS Association to raise money and awareness to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a lethal disorder also know as Lou Gehrig’s disease, participants agree to be dumped with a bucket of ice water. […]
“Our goal and passion is to make sure older adults have equal access to the opportunity to age with independence, health, well-being and choice,” says Wendy Marsh, executive director of the Council on Aging.
Buncombe County usually ranks high in the state for healthy behaviors and quality medical care. Unfortunately there is one area where we are dead last: immunizations. The percent of Buncombe County kindergarteners who have not received all their required immunizations is about five times higher than the North Carolina average. Most of these children’s parents claimed a non-medical reason for not vaccinating their children. Our goal at Buncombe County Health and Human Services is to assure that parents and our community understand the benefits of immunizations.
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 […]
From the EPA Headquarters: EPA Releases Final Risk Assessment on Trichloroethylene (TCE) Agency begins process to address potential human health risks WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final risk assessment for trichloroethylene (TCE). The assessment identified health risks from TCE exposures to consumers using spray aerosol degreasers and spray fixatives. It […]
Buncombe County officials joined with community partners May 13 to unveil a new plan to curb domestic violence.
Kristin Scott’s mother had strong preferences about her own medical care as she neared the end of her life. She was able to make those wishes clear in an advance care directive, sometimes called a living will. When she passed away two years ago, Scott, facilitator for the WNC Health Network, says, “It was so much easier for us knowing what she wanted.”
It was the first day of spring. I packed away the last of my sweaters and scarves in the boxes labeled, “stuff to wear when it’s too cold to do anything.” Cleaning my apartment, I noticed dust in the corners of my kitchen floor and piles of stuff I hadn’t bothered to look at in months. When I opened my refrigerator, empty containers and a carton of expired milk stared back at me. It was time to dig deeper and continue my spring cleaning beyond my floors and countertops. It was time to cleanse my body.
“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 […]
As spring weather returns to Asheville, so does the risk of dangerous levels of ozone pollution. To raise awareness and help notify the public when ozone levels become hazardous, environmental agencies will start issuing daily air quality forecasts Tuesday, April 1, for Asheville and other metropolitan areas across the state.
The Asheville wellness scene only gets more vibrant as the spring months approach. Take a look at some of these upcoming, healthy events in WNC from learning to use weeds as medicine to walking for a cause.
Roxann Colwell knows the challenges of raising a child with special needs firsthand. Colwell, who has a 30-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, created the Family Support Network of Western North Carolina 15 years ago as a parent-to-parent support and mentoring program for caregivers of children with special needs. The organization offers a community resource guide, hosts support groups for families and establishes support networks for parents whose children have received similar diagnoses. From July 2012 to July 2013 the Family Support Network served 901 families.
Powerlifter Jennifer Payne pushes her limits in life and sport. Photos by Josh Vaughn
This week, physician and nutritionist, Alan S. Baumgarten, will present a new thirst-quencher to local beverage-enthusiasts: a drinkable probiotic supplement called H2PRO Immune Health. The lightly flavored product will be available at Katuah Market’s grand opening on Saturday, Feb. 22.
As cold and flu season lingers on, herbal medicine is “definitely a frontline treatment,” says Ceara Foley, director of the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism (ASHH). Jamie Sparks, owner and director of Herban Farmacy, agrees, and shares what she has been offering customers in her herbal CSA. Both women tout the healing powers of herbs for winter wellness and offer different suggestions for herbal remedies.
Local yoga teacher Kimberly Drye gives us some insight as to why many Ashevillians are choosing to spend their Valentine’s Day on the mat.
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.
