Calendar of Events and Classes

Upcoming ASHH Certification Courses

March 9, 2010 Traditional Herbalist Certification begins
Tues & Thurs 6-9pm & 1 weekend/month

A 9 month life changing, experiential journey into the art and science of Herbalism. Hands-on classes in gardening, beekeeping, medicine making, and plant ID bring the world of holistic healing to life. Learn to integrate Eastern energetics with abundant, sustainable Western herbs. Appropriate for both developing professionals and those seeking greater attunement with themselves through the plants. ~400 hour certification $2800 if paid by March 1st, or $3000 by payment plan.

March 24, 2010 Fundamentals of Herbalism begins
Wednesdays, 6-9pm & 2 Saturdays/ month

A rich, comprehensive introduction to the world of herbal and holistic healing. Linear evening lectures and hands-on herbal experiences on Saturdays in a variety of lush regions of the Blue Ridge Mountains. ~70 hour certification $650.

Upcoming Short Classes at ASHH

Living Well Inside and Out Series w/ Mary Morgaine Thames

Tuesdays from 7-9pm $13 each

Tues. Mar 9: The Spices of Life

Herbs used for culinary purposes around the world, their medicinal value and how their essence enhances our life experience will be the focus. Bring your favorite spice to class.

Tues. Mar 16: Natural Beauty

Let your beauty emerge with the support of herbs incorporated into a regular beauty-care routine. Men, come be beautiful, too! Bring a hand towel for your herbal face wash experience.

Tues. Mar 23: Cultivating your relationship with weeds

What are weeds and how can we get along? Come meet some common weeds of Appalachia and learn to befriend them. Bring in a plant just peeping out with spring.

Tues. Apr 13: Starting the Medicinal Herb Garden

Would you like to grow your own medicine? Guidance on planting a medicinal garden, easy to grow herbs and where to get them will be shared. What plant are you most excited about growing?

Tues. Apr 20: Earth Mama Celebrations!!!

It is Earth day, earth week, come let us gather in her honor, learn the story of this day and activities to do on your own as well as a shared ceremony with singing and prayers for a bright future. A vegan desert will be served.

Tues. Apr 27: Harvesting Ourselves Correctly

We are seasonal creatures yet we have forgotten when to do what, especially with food. Let’s take a look at the wheel of the year and the foods and actions that align within it. If you can, bring a food that is in season to class.

Friday March 12th
6-8:30pm: “Your body is trying to get your attention. Are you listening?” w/Cynthia Hynes, D.C

Learn to use the first two of twelve universal healing rhythms in this hands-on workshop. Find anchors to peace and power within your body. Discover where you store your wisdom and why you have been missing so much of its truth. Wear comfortable clothes. Bring a yoga mat or blanket. Simple exercises, based on somato-respiratory integration, for all ages and physical conditions. $40

Cynthia Hynes, D.C. has taught body education and wellness workshops throughout the country for the past nine years. She graduated summa cum laude from New York Chiropractic School in 2000 and is certified in Network Spinal Analysis. She dreams of helping people move and live in harmony with their inner resourcefulness guiding their decisions toward a healthy lifestyle.

~Awakening of Desire Sexuality Series w/ Kelly Avena Bowers

Mondays from 6-9pm. $25-$30 Sliding Scale per drop-in class;
$90 for 4 classes, or $160 for the entire series.
All classes are clothing on and hands-off.

~Mon. Mar 15: The Erotic Body - The Anatomy of Sexual Desire

Explore the anatomy and physiology of sexual response.

~Mon. Mar 29: Tasty Temptations

Making Elixirs, Cordials and Edible Aphrodisiacs

~Mon. Apr 12: Enhancing Desire

Herbal, Flower Essence & Essential Oil Aphrodisiacs. Make and take home aphrodisiac goodies!

~Mon. Apr 26: Succulent Sex: Lubricants, Oils and Topical Stimulants

All about making and purchasing slippery lotions and potions

~Mon. May 10: Passionate Play: Exploring Pandora's Toy Box

The art of toy selection, care and play, as well as how to nurture your erotic imagination.

~Mon. May 10, 8-9:30pm- Spycey Party: Sex Toy Demo Party w/Spyce- Sexual Facilitator and Erotic Performer

Free and open to Public!

~Mon. May 24: Fantasy to Reality: Exploring Sexuality through Erotic Art, Photography, Writing and Film

Discover your sexual fantasies and desires through the exploration of erotica

~Mon. June 7: Embodying the Sensual 6-7:30pm; and Burlesque 7:30-9pm

Nurturing your Sensual Side through Movement and Belly Dancing with Avena, and Burlesque with Corky Bordeaux of Bootstraps Burlesque. Dress comfortably.

~Mon. June 14: Eros through the Ages - A Brief History of Sexuality

Explore attitudes, beliefs, cultural practices, spirituality, artwork, media, politics and laws in relationship to sexuality.

Sat. Mar 20, 1-5pm- Qigong for Spring Wellness w/Camilo Sanchez, OMD, LAc

In the spring time life energy wakes up from hibernation and begins to flow out. In the process the body also gets rid of toxins and mucus accumulated during winter. According to Chinese medicine, the liver function is increased during the spring time to detoxify and cleanse the body. Join us to learn time-tested Elixir Qigong TM exercises to support your liver energy during the spring. $45-65

With twenty years of clinical and teaching experience in acupuncture and Chinese medicine, Dr. Camilo has shared his life long study of the Taoist healing methods with thousands of students throughout the United States and South America.

Camilo is Doctor of Oriental medicine, licensed acupuncturist in North Carolina, and recognized teacher of Chinese medicine and Qigong.

In 1982, the recognized Himalayan yoga master Swami Satyananda Paramahansa initiated Camilo into the authentic tradition of yoga, while in residence at the Satyananda Ashram in India. He was introduced to the arts of Taoist healing and Tai Chi in 1986, under the tutelage of his teacher Sifu, Dr. Richard Browne at the Southeast Institute of Oriental Medicine (SEIOM) in Miami, Florida. Subsequently, Dr. Sanchez has studied with various notable Qigong and Tai Chi masters both in the States and abroad.

Camilo received the true transmission of the Tao teachings and Tai Chi under his primary teacher Master F. Paolillo, in the tradition of masters Kay Chi Leung and Li En Jiu, which traces its origins to the Chen family village, the source of Tai Chi practice. His Bagua Zhang lineage comes through Master Hing Lun Kwan, a student of grand master xx. He has received personalized private instruction from Master Zhang Xue-Xin in the lineage of Grand Masters Hu Yaozhen and Feng Zhiqian.

Dr. Camilo has been in the faculty of the Acupuncture and massage College in Florida, and the Atlantic University of Chinese Medicine. He is founder and director of Tao Healing Arts in Charlotte, North Carolina, where he provides custom-based healing programs, services of acupuncture and Chinese medicine, and authentic instruction of Tai Chi, Elixir Qigong™ and Taoist Yoga.

Dr. Camilo developed Elixir Qigong™, a registered method of Qigong exercises designed to awaken the healing energy potential within the body, and Taoist Qi-yoga, a system of Taoist yoga exercises to activate the body’s twelve main pathways for life energy and healing.

Dr. Camilo Sanchez can be reached for treatment programs, seminars and private instruction at the Tao Healing Arts Center in Charlotte, NC.

** 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health w/ John Joseph Immel Fridays from 6:30-8:30

A specialty of Ayurveda, diet & digestion play an enormous role in any self-healing program. Through this series you’ll discover: The relationship between your body, digestion, and food; How to experience and use food medicinally; Manage, design and create an effective diet for self healing; New tools for healing chronic digestive disorders of the stomach, gall bladder, small intestine, and colon; Perspectives on food allergies, parasites, and the effect of food on emotions. $25 Each Class, or Entire Series for $225!

Joseph is the founder of leading Ayurvedic dieting website JoyfulBelly.com. He promotes practical Ayurveda as a folk medicine tradition at diverse locations nationally from local yoga studios to world renowned Yale University. He is a lecturer at the Appalachia School of Holistic Herbalism, director of Ayurveda for Yoga Spirit Studios and writes for the Light on Ayurveda Journal. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University where he was also a teacher of mathematics, business and software development. Joseph studied Ayurveda under Dr. Vasant Lad and in India. He runs an Ayurveda clinic in Asheville, NC. Prior to Ayurveda, Joseph worked on public health projects with a particular focus on South Asia & the Middle East. He continues to manage a public health project using mobile communications for clean water in Bangladesh. Joseph studied the language and culture of Bangladesh over ten years and is fluent in Bengali. He loves Bengali art and spent a year filming folk music in the streets of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. He is also a student of Sanskrit.

**Fri. Mar 19: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Introduction to Ayurveda and Dosha for Digestion

**Fri. Mar 26: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Foods to Build Digestive Strength: Concepts of Agni & Ana

**Fri. Apr 2: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Improving Digestion with 8 Healing Qualities of Nature

**Fri. Apr 9:10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

The Six Tastes and Their Digestive Effects

**Fri. Apr 16: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Anatomy & Healing of the Stomach, Small Intestine, and Colon

**Fri. Apr 23: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Harmonizing Digestion with the Blood, Spleen, Liver, and Kidneys

**Fri. June 4: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Seven Step Plan to Eliminate Food Cravings

**Fri. June 11: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Yoga Poses and Breathing for Digestion

**Fri. June 18: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Detoxification and Cleansing Programs

**Fri. June 25: 10 Weeks to Optimal Digestive Health

Herbs and Treatment for Digestion

Lighten Up! The Alexander Technique w/ Theta Drivon, M.AmSAT

Free Intro: Tuesdays March 30, and April 6, 7:30-8:30pm

Classes: 6 Wednesdays starting April, 12:30-2pm and
6 Thursdays starting in April, 10-11:30am
$35 drop-in classes; 6 for $175

Feel more at ease in your body! Learn poise without stiffness, grace and power with less effort, alert focus with less strain. The Alexander Technique helps you identify and prevent harmful postural habits that cause stress, pain, and under-performance. This awareness is an access to presence, ease, and joy in all that you do. Classes will explore more ease in computer work, walking, standing, yoga, exercise, breathing, all forms of movement--bring your questions.

Theta Michele Drivon, Certified Alexander Technique Teacher
A proven self-care method, the Alexander Technique is a set of skills that you learn to relieve pain, prevent injury and enhance performance. In a course of lessons, an Alexander Technique teacher leads you through a practical process in which you learn to release muscular tension and restore your body's original poise. You develop greater awareness of limiting movement habits, and learn to release compression to move with ease and expansion. As you address your entire body — not just segments — you learn to improve your overall functioning, enhancing the benefits of bodywork and fitness practices.
Theta Michele Drivon is certified by the American Society for the Alexander Technique (www.amsat.ws), meeting international standards for teacher training (1600 hours over 3 years). She teaches group classes, private and semi-private lessons in West Asheville, NC. 828-712-2804;
www.altMD.com/Specialists/ConsciousAlignment

Chinese Medicine, Western Herbs w/ CoreyPine Shane

Thursdays, April 1- May 6, 6-8:30pm $25 Each Drop-In Class, or $130 For Entire Series!

Chinese medicine offers an incredibly accurate and beautiful system of holistic diagnosis. Learning how to use this system to assess health and disease and then plugging in our local herbs produces powerful results. This class will cover the basics of Chinese medicine and how to use Western herbs in this system based on their taste, actions, and traditional use.

Sat. Apr 3, 11am-3pm- Wild Herb Identification w/ Robin Allison

Learn the basic skills necessary to properly identify locally abundant medicinal herbs. We will explore methods using field guides, discussing plant families, as well as profiling a handful of our locally growing medicinals. $30-45 Sliding Scale

Sat. Apr 17 & Sun. Apr. 18, 2-5pm- Celtic Tree Lore w/ Crystalline Ruby Muse

Have you ever wanted to learn about trees significant to the Celtic peoples, lands, and traditions? For the ancient Celts, trees were a vital source of tribal culture, spirituality, and physical well-being. In each of two three-hour classes, we will study eight historically sacred trees, making a total of sixteen. We will explore their spiritual significance and any lore surrounding them, as well as their practical uses, nutritionally and otherwise. We will look at, touch, smell, and taste specimens and/or their medicines to help us connect with and enjoy these tree beings. $20-30 sliding scale

Sun. Apr 25, 1-6pm- Forage and Feast w/ Marc Williams

This is a two part class. The first part will include a plant walk and harvest of selected plants that may be used for food, medicine, or both. The second part will focus on the preparation of a meal from the plants that were harvested. This class will provide a holistic understanding of what it takes to bring sustenance from field to fork. Special attention will be given to how understanding patterns within the plant world can allow one to demystify the “green wall” and begin to have confidence in the usefulness and abundance of plant resources all around us. $30-50 Sliding Scale

*Foundation of the Astrological Chart Series w/ Rachel Frezza

Fridays 6:30-8:30 $20-40 Sliding Scale Each Class

Knowledge is Power. In Foundations of the Astrological Chart we will focus on unlocking that power for ourselves and others, by learning the three key ingredients of the Birth chart: Houses, Signs, and Planets.

*Fri. April 30: Foundation of the Astrological Chart Series

There are three basic ingredients which combine to make up an astrological chart—houses, signs, and planets. In this class we will dive deep into the ingredient of Houses, and get a firm and in depth knowledge of its energetics and archetypes.

*Fri. May 7: Foundation of the Astrological Chart Series

There are three basic ingredients which combine to make up an astrological chart—houses, signs, and planets. In this class we will dive deep into the ingredient of Signs, and get a firm and in depth knowledge of its energetics and archetypes.

*Fri. May 14: Foundation of the Astrological Chart Series

There are three basic ingredients which combine to make up an astrological chart—houses, signs, and planets. In this class we will dive deep into the ingredient of Planets, and get a firm and in depth knowledge of its energetics and archetypes.

*Fri. May 21: Foundation of the Astrological Chart Series

This week we will be doing chart readings for each other and the class. This class will focus on learning astrology with the intention of assisting ourselves and others to actualize the true potential that each one of us holds.