Category: Community Member

 By Angela Gorman”I had been wanting to get my 200 hour certification for a while but was very skeptical of doing it virtually. I was blown away by how well the instructors at AYC adapted the teacher training to the virtual world. They did a great job of making it feel like a community and a safe space which was so important to our learning, and gave support to the group and individuals. This has been a strange time in […]

Asheville Yoga Center Supports Building Bridges One of the most inspiring aspects of a yoga practice is that it encompasses all human beings regardless of background, race, gender or opinion. Your practice is a safe place to let go of all the things that do not serve you in order to give thanks for yourself exactly as you are. It is a space for bodies of all shapes and sizes to find peace. As a yoga center, Asheville Yoga Center […]

Asheville Yoga Center Supports Veterans Services of the Carolinas in February In the dark of winter, we are embraced with a month centered around the warmth of love. With Valentine’s Day as one of the focal points of February, we are reminded to show love to those who mean the most to us. In yoga class, you are constantly surrounded by love. You can feel the kindness and compassion of your instructor as they bring their warmth and guidance to […]

Raising Awareness and Support for Carolina Resource Center for Eating Disorders “Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve… You don’t have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” — Martin Luther King. Yoga teaches us to serve on and […]

Practice Karma Yoga in Your Life One of the surest ways to find happiness in life is by curating a servant heart. The Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Indian text, views karma yoga, the Hindu path of service to others, as the gateway to spiritual fulfillment and life-long happiness. It is centered around purifying your heart by learning to act selflessly in service of others. Through this type of yoga, we can learn kindness and compassion without any expectation of personal […]

Instructor of the Month: Kimberley Puryear Taking one of Kimberley Puryear’s classes is to get an hour-long education in authenticity and self love. The moment you lay out your mat in her Tuesday evening Yin class, you are welcomed by Kimberley with a smile (usually followed by a funny one-liner). Although the class is always packed, there is a sense of individual attention paired with the comfort of being surrounded by people looking to find balance in their body and […]

What is your “Yoga Story”?  Lori: My yoga story is different from Thom’s… I began “doing” yoga about 25 years ago with Cindy Dollar at a studio where I taught step aerobics and body sculpt called Sport Dance.  I decided to give it a try because I felt so tight and inflexible from weight training… the moment I tried it, I was hooked for good!   I have to admit that at first it was a physical thing, and I […]

Michael Johnson is a compelling mix of creative yoga instructor and curious student of the mind. The root of his interest in meditation lies in its ability to help with neurological disorders and for developing wellbeing. Michael’s worldview and meditation practiced changed when he read Buddha’s Brain by Rick Hanson and Richard Mendius. In this book, they explain how we can literally reshape our brain for greater happiness, love and wisdom through a combination of modern science and ancient teachings. Implementing […]

What is your “Yoga Story”? I doubt if I will ever be finished with the story, or, I hope not. Yoga is the one activity that touches all senses, when open to it, both mind and body. I am grateful for how the practice has helped me to grow in being compassionate to the journey I am on. Why do you practice yoga? To learn about myself and for the physical and mental challenges of the practice. What is your […]

I ran across a book on yoga in my early 20s, bought it and pretty much set it aside. Higher education and career were at the forefront of my mind and purpose. Jump several decades into the future when career becomes secondary, and it’s time for me to focus on me.  Yoga is back in my radar as more than the casual interest and occasional class over time. My practice evolved and I began to teach, and study for YA […]