Asheville Awake Podcast

After 30 years in the fashion & beauty industries, our guest, Anastasia Piper shifted to the non-profit sector in Development. Then, she coached and consulted on building community through positive change and transition. Formally the creator of Spirit of Change in Los Angeles and San Diego, California, Anastasia recently moved to Asheville, North Carolina to expand into Spiritual growth through Healing Transmissions as an inspirational intellectual medium. Her mission is to empower individuals to take responsibility for their own healing and creativity empowering themselves and their community. She connects to the spirit world through her lineages and is used as a vehicle for messages to empower and uplift. Individual sessions can be booked online at HeavenlyMusings.org. In this episode, we get a sneak peek into her latest project entitled "From Fashion to Enlightenment: A Grace-filled Life." What is “From Fashion to Enlightenment”? It is a personal perspective. An empowering journey of how Anastasia worked her way from the cover of Woman’s Home Companion 1947, through the fashion and cosmetic companies of Yves St. Laurent, Estee Lauder, Lancome, Gianni Versace and Gucci. Then on to 15+ years of service in the non-profit sector serving with The Muscular Dystrophy Association, Save Venice and The PRASAD Project…and Beyond! The work took her around the world where her passion for the diversity of people’s lives was able to flourish. She shares her experiences with lots of laughter and original personal photos. It is a fun and introspective journey for all who attend. Some highlights: • Growing Up in the Business. • Remembrance of Fashion Icons and Friends. • Traveling and Expanding One's Vision. • 1990 The Year That Changed Everything • Creating a New Life and Choosing Happy! Upcoming Events: Anastasia will be hosting a monthly internet radio show on Claudia Pureco’s Quantum Network. The program is called “From Fashion to Enlightenment: A Blessed Life”. It will start on: MONDAY, AUGUST 12TH LISTEN TO RADIO SHOW HERE: https://www.cview1111.net/anastasia-hayes-piper.html ----------------------------------- In this episode, we discuss: 1. Co-creating your life and choosing joy. 2. Accepting change and the “joyful unknown”. 3. Receiving from the Universe and allowing it to “be”. 4. Building a community of lightworkers to co-create the telling of her story. 5. Mastering alchemy in everyday life in order to change the world. 6. Trusting the messages from Spirit and refining intuition. 7. Collective energy versus individual energy. Show Notes: www.ashevilleawake.com You can find Anastasia at: www.HeavenlyMusings.org

It wasn’t until she quit her day job, got quiet and still, and asked the Universe to bring more purpose and meaning to her jewelry that artist Margaret Goodson Graham really began to make what she was meant to make: Centering Pendants. Her new line of work is incredibly inspiring. Drawing from her experiences with yoga and meditation, her journey in art began at a young age: appreciating artwork by M.C. Escher, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Ansel Adams on the walls of her childhood home; looking forward to hand painted and hand carved ornaments from her Grandma at every Christmas; and watching her older sister draw. She received a B.A. in Art from UNC Asheville in 2002, concentration in ceramics, taught herself to make jewelry in 2006 and took a metalsmithing class in 2009. She made Gritgoods Jewelry for 10 years, selling online, in galleries and at many festivals in the Southeast. The idea for Centering Pendants came to me in the Fall of 2016 after repeatedly asking the Universe for more purpose and meaning to my jewelry. I physically created the first pendant in January of 2017, and I still wear it weekly. Centering Pendants are a work of art and a functional tool: A functional tool because they serve as a mindfulness aid. When you touch your pendant, your fingers slide to the middle and meet in the center, creating a well-known hand mudra (gesture) in the yoga/meditation world. Connecting the tips of the fingers can calm and center you, lift dull energy, and brighten your mood. When your fingers find each other in the center of the pendant, you also find your center (your Self). If you find yourself frustrated and too busy to meditate or do yoga, this pendant will help remind you to take just a few deep breaths to feel mindful and calm. It only takes Seconds to Center. You can connect with Margaret at https://mgoodsongrahamstudios.com.

Annie Riker is an artist and designer who loves exploring mountains, forests, coffee shops, and the unknown. She works from her home studio and lives with her husband and son in beautiful Asheville, NC. For 15 years, she served clients in design firms and ad agencies, and for a big nonprofit in Washington DC. After the birth of her son, she felt a strong desire to spend more time with him—but that meant making the tough decision to leave her big career behind, and it also made her realize how attached she had been to her professional identity. She spent the first year of her son’s life as the primary caretaker while trying to get in a little drawing time during his naps. As much as she adored her new beautiful baby, she felt a loss of identity and missed having time to create. Over time, she gave permission to herself to have both. With dedicated morning time to herself to create art, she feels like a better mother. And having afternoon time to play with her son makes her a better artist. She’s currently working on a personal Asheville illustration project called “100 Reasons I Love Asheville,” which is self-initiated, but in tandem with a global creative movement called “The 100 Day Project.” #The100DayProject is open and free to anyone who wants to create and share something of their own choosing each day for 100 days. Annie loves this 100-day challenge because the energy of knowing so many other people are participating keeps her accountable with a strong reason to follow through (which is hard with self-initiated projects!). While some might see posting daily as a lot of pressure, she feels a release of pressure to make something "perfect" because she just has enough time to keep making and see what happens and maybe edit later. This is Annie’s third year participating in the project. Last year, she created #AnnieChoosesJoy which was an inspirational handlettering project. The year before that, she created #PaintingsOfThingsIKept , a series of watercolor paintings of items that she and her husband kept in their house after going through a 6-month “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” decluttering process. We discuss: 1. The importance of sharing one’s story. 2. Annie’s story of becoming an artist and designer. 3. What it means to follow your heart in the design world. 4. Owning the role of “expert” and what happens when you step into your greatness. 5. The Joy of Stickers 6. Balancing Motherhood and the Call of an Artist Show Notes: The 100-day project is first known to have been started by a famous designer | Michael Bierut Elle Luna, author of | The Crossroads of Should and Must NPCA Logo Project | https://www.annieriker.com/npca-logo NPCA Magazine Cover | https://www.annieriker.com/national-parks-magazine-cover-illustration Franny’s Farm Goat Yoga | https://frannysfarm.com/goat-yoga-asheville/ Stickers: Annie never thought she’d get into stickers so much, until she moved to Asheville and discovered it was part of the culture! It has been a really fun way for her to be able to share her art with everyone in an affordable way. And sharing her art brings her just as much joy as making the art. You can currently find them locally at: Zen and Now | @zenandnow_asheville Asheville Community Yoga | @ashevillecommunityyoga Duncan and York | @duncanandyork ETC Consignment Asheville | @etcconsignmentasheville Mountain Merch |@mtnmerch Baked Pie Company | @bakedpiecompany Bad Craft Black Mountain | @badcraft828 You can follow Annie’s latest work on Instagram @annieriker or visit her website at www.annieriker.com to see her full portfolio.

Owner and founder of Namaste in Nature, a brilliant Asheville based company that creates unique experiences that combine yoga, meditation, and hiking into one guided trip. Lauded by Forbes, Asheville Citizen-Times, Mountain Xpress, and Romantic Asheville as “the thing to do when you come to Asheville”. This 'hippie job' that Miranda created for herself is quickly becoming a household name in North Carolina and beyond. And that has everything to do with Miranda Peterson. She is a powerful manifestor and a savvy slash conscientious business owner. She’s passionate about creating mindfulness and yoga experiences for hikers of all levels. What better way to experience yoga for the first time than at the top of a beautiful mountain among some of the oldest mountains in the world, second only to South Africa's Barberton greenstone belt? And Miranda and her team take care of all the planning and details so all you have to do is show up, be present, and absorb all the healing benefits of being immersed in nature. You can connect with Miranda at www.namasteinnature.com OR www.mirandapeterson.com Visit www.ashevilleawake.com to see the detailed Show Notes. Thanks for listening!

Whether she’s serving as a cultural ambassador in Thailand, studying traditional Indian Classical Music in India, leading a song circle, or reading Zen Tarot cards at Earth Magick downtown, Meredith’s path is one that embraces wholeness and cultivates divination in the present moment. In this interview, we weave our way through a myriad of topics that permeate the human condition and invoke the truth about the sweet creature that is our body and the role of the mind as a hurricane like receptor of information that can sometimes dull the voice of the heart. In this open-ended conversation that occasionally morphs into song, we dive into our cultural devaluation of the body and deconstruct our conditioning about what it means to be a diviner and how a Zen Tarot reading can be another example of opening a portal to our wholeness. Meredith shares what it means to work with the cards in the present, inviting us to be the question, rather than ask a question about our future. In this way, we are transported back home to ourselves while being held in Meredith’s nurturing poetic aura. Meredith has worked intuitively with the Osho Zen Tarot Deck for 13 years. She is deeply influenced by the teachings of Non-Violent Communication, Tantra Yoga, Thai Buddhism, and Nature Herself. You can bask in her glow most days from 2-7 at Earth Magick at 80 N. Lexington Ave in downtown Asheville. We discuss: 1. What Osho Zen Tarot Cards are and how you work with them. 2. Being the question vs. asking the question. 3. The joy of song and coming back to our wholeness. 4. The healing power of the parasympathetic nervous system. 5. Being still in order to know love. Connect with Meredith at: http://earth-magick.com/tarot-astrology-asheville/ OR https://www.facebook.com/aphiemezentarot/

Joy Resor is a local author and founder of Joy on Your Shoulders (J.O.Y.S) is an evolving company dedicated to inspiring changes in ourselves to create changes in our world. Joy healed into her given name after 53 years, and her being and work in the world are called to inspire peace, love, and joy. Her books are blessing readers all over the place - hooray! 1. Go In Joy! An Alphabetical Adventure, a book of essays and poems to inspire joy. 2. Go In Joy! Venture to Your Center - Journal Prompts to Enliven Your Joy and... 3. Designed to SHINE! Read Aloud Rhymes for Any Size Heart, a fully-illustrated book of topical rhymes that are wise, rhythmic and fun! J.O.Y.S. offers inspirational, handmade wares of cotton Batik with positive messages, which make wonderful gifts. Order by e-mailing joy@joyonyourshoulders.com, or through the website https://www.joyonyourshoulders.com

Sam Kearney a professional artist, nerd, and neurodiverse human who loves to cheer on other creatives! She believes the world always needs more beauty, more color, and more contrasting and interesting perspectives. If you’re an Appalachian nerd hiker, you may know her work from Fox & Fir Design (www.foxandfirdesign.com), an environmental project that helps support eco-non-profits across the Southeast. After more than a few heartfelt coffee/tea chats with creatives from all different mediums and backgrounds, she noticed that there’s a lot of common themes that we as makers tend to grapple with. So, drawing from years of personal experience, trainings, and therapy (again, not a therapist, different chair) she's excited to show you what she's learned that has helped inspire artists to work with their own inner demons in creative ways with her newest project Sharp and Squishy (www.sharpandsquishy.com)

Recorded in Chaing Mai, Thailand, this episode explores the subtle healing magic that is Thai Massage or Thai Yoga Bodywork. An instrumental teacher in the field of Thai Massage, Michael Sitzer dives deep into what Thai Massage really is, what it's like to lead a retreat in Thailand, and how the practice of Thai Massage can be a spiritual path. Michael has been exploring and sharing exceptional bodywork for two decades... Starting his professional career with a ten-year immersion at the Kripalu Yoga Center in Lenox, MA, he became a senior therapist in their Healing Arts department as well as a core faculty member of their School of Massage. He is professionally trained in Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Clinical Massage, Kripalu Bodywork, Traditional Thai Massage, Breema Bodywork, Positional Release Therapy and Yoga Therapy. His signature session is in ‘Thai Yoga Bodywork,’ which blends all these modalities into a creative and therapeutic healing art. Michael began his studies of Thai Massage in 1998 with an intensive offered by Ananda Apfelbaum at the Omega Institute. He then journeyed to Thailand to meet her teacher, master Pichest Boonthume. Michael has returned to Thailand more than 10 times to further his practice. He has also worked closely with Kam Thye Chow, Ken Nelson & Jonas Westring. After leaving Kripalu in 2010, Michael relocated to Asheville to teach ‘Clinical Massage’ at AB Tech College and began offering continuing education courses. Michael has developed a complete Thai Yoga Bodywork certification training including a manual, a DVD & an online video course which has been presented at Kripalu Center and across the country beginning in 2000. Michael is well known and respected for his heart-centered approach to his treatments, his workshops, and his life. Michael's passion for therapeutic touch and inspirational teaching motivates him to continue to share this work around the world... Connect with Michael at www.thaiyogatrainings.com

Jessica Chilton of SPARK (www.JessicaChiltonSPARK.com) is a Business Coach and Expressive Arts Therapist who has helped thousands of people around the world to love and liberate their truest self and unleash the work they’re uniquely designed to do. Through her signature program, Love Liberate Launch (www.LoveLiberateLaunch.com), Jessica blends business building with spiritual growth, personal transformation, and creative expression to help rising entrepreneurs create the business they were born to lead. Her newest program, Love Liberate Lead (www.LoveLiberateLead.com), is designed for the established entrepreneur who is ready for a pivotal year of significant transformation in their work, life, and leadership. Jessica recently founded The Shift from Fear to Love community initiative because it represents the deeper mission of her business – to shift the world from fear to love, one liberated leader at a time. The 2019 live event takes place on March 31, 2019 at Diana Wortham Theatre in Asheville and is a blend of personal transformation, inspiring performance, community building, and leadership development. Join us at www.ShiftFromFearToLove.com.

Caroline Whatley and Erin McGrady are the team behind Authentic Asheville. They are Squarespace web designers, photographers and travel writers, advocates for National Parks and public lands, adventurers on the lookout for safe and friendly LGBTQ places and spaces, and trail runner enthusiasts with a penchant for craft beer. They love meeting new people. Say hey at www.authenticasheville.com Learn about this amazing couple as we chat about: 1. How Authentic Asheville came to be. 2. The best and worst of van life. 3. What it means to be authentic and LGBTQ life on the road. 4. Tolerance, Minorities, and Awareness. 5. Defining "family" and listening to your heart.

My guest this week is Lightworker Shea Olinger. This testimonial captures it all. “Humble, kind, grounded, intuitive, genuine, these are just some of the qualities that describe Shea. Receiving a massage from her is not simply bodywork. Shea is holistic in her approach in that she tends to both your physical needs as well as your emotional and spiritual concerns. Her touch is magical and her intuitive sense of knowing just what areas of the body are calling for attention and what’s needed during the massage is simply awe inspiring. From her use of hot stones, cupping as well as aromatherapy, you are so lovingly cared for, you feel as if you’re nestled in a very sacred womb; a womb of healing, revitalization and most importantly tender, nurturing care. I highly recommend Shea if you are considering a massage therapist. Five stars is simply not enough to rate the quality of care she provides and the heart-centered healer she is. ” ~ AMMA TANYA We discuss: 1. Shea’s story and how she came to Asheville. 2. The magic of synchronicity. 3. Doing the ‘shadow work’ on a path of self-discovery. 4. What it means to change one’s name. 5. Claiming one’s truth and identity. 6. Thai Bodywork and the message of Metta. You can find Shea at https://mettahearthealingarts.com/

Chronic back pain and the desire to feel truly at home in her own skin led Michèle to take lessons and train to be a teacher of the Alexander Technique. This simple and proven education in the “how” of coordinating body-mind, increases ease of movement by redirecting excessive tension into useful energy. A common result is relief from pain and distress caused by everyday habits, accompanied by a simultaneous increase in awareness/sensitivity while reducing reactivity. Michèle completed the 3-year, 1600-hour training at The Alexander Educational Center in Berkeley, CA and has been teaching individuals and groups since 2009.

Suzannah Tebbe Davis is a contemporary medicine woman who weaves a diverse blend of mind/body/spirit offerings based on over two decades of study in indigenous wisdom traditions and western theoretical practices. Suzannah has also held key leadership positions in social justice issues and systems change. In addition to her private practice, where she offers workshops, retreats, and ceremonies internationally for individuals and groups, Suzannah serves in a leadership role within Asheville Community Roots, a local grassroots movement which incorporates spirituality as a fundamental aspect of activism. For more information: www.yourawakenedlife.net.

As a licensed professional counselor, Pripo offers a diverse practice that balances the connection between mind, body, and spirit. He was a practicing massage and bodywork therapist for 18 years. He lived, studied and worked at the Esalen Institute, a renowned human potential learning center in Big Sur, CA, and is a certified Esalen massage practitioner. Pripo also teaches Professional Ethics courses and Somatic Psychology at the Asheville School of Massage and Yoga. His main goal is to help support people to live in their truth and authenticity. We discuss: 1. Pripo’s Podcast Relationships, Let’s Talk About It 2. Tapping into the body’s wisdom. 3. The intelligence of the heart. 4. EFT & Tapping Solutions 5. Self-Compassion, Self-Kindness, & Boundaries You can find Pripo Teplitsky at www.heartsharecounseling.com

Paige’s warm and welcoming style will invite you to stretch, strengthen, balance, move energy, release stress and tension, and cultivate a sense of wholeness you can take with you back into the world. She specializes in gentle, slow-flow, yin, and restorative yoga, including meditation, relaxation, and simple breathwork. In today’s episode, we explore how yoga can be a source of inspiration and support to nourish the body and mind regardless of how messy life can get. Paige reminds us that yoga is so much more than what we find on the mat.

“I wish that we all remember that while we’re connecting with nature, we ARE nature.” ~ Tanya Casteel Tanya takes us on a wild ride through the world of Shamanic Journey Meditations and Cosmic Spirit Animals. We explore the trickster energy of Raven and dive into the details of her latest project with creating Spirit Animal Tarot Cards. www.tanyacasteel.com We chat about: 1. Capturing Spirit Animals with Cosmic Painting and Shamanic Journey Meditation 2. Tarot Card Deck With Wild Messengers 3. Waiting Just For You – Children’s Book 4. Trusting Your Intuition and Imagination As An Artist 5. Embracing Fun and Remembering To Play

JoJo believes strongly in the use of prayer and sound for recognizing and remembering our wholeness and dedicates his life to the practice of these arts. JoJo has been a student of yoga, meditation, holistic health, chanting, hand percussion, and fire-Tending for 20 years. Using sound in the exploration of consciousness to connect hearts and minds is his gift and mission. JoJo also facilitates sacred cacao ceremonies employing the ancient remedies of Cacao and Kirtan as our faithful assistants to help create a powerful vibration to assist us in reconnecting and remembering who we truly are. The combination of reclaiming chocolate as medicine and bringing voices together in praise of our own divine nature, while feeling one another’s presence throughout, creates a truly magical journey. Don't miss JoJo's latest solo chant activation CD: Prayerful Resonance ~ Relief From Suffering --> Available at:http://www.drcacaos.com/jojo-s-recordings.html?fbclid=IwAR1V5KqwVbVhKkTeKPJm5TKAEuLuD3xJ2x1XWSDfwygL4LnF--5NwGbSp8k https://jojos.bandcamp.com/releases?fbclid=IwAR3I0O37Bq7xlkJlN8tfWJ2OCyBmANHZf0JLS5pcRbbtn3hupijg2M2T_Gg CD Release Party: Friday, December 7th at 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM The Raga Room | 162 Old Lakey Gap Road, Black Mountain, North Carolina 28711 You can find JoJo Silverman at: http://musicasprayer.org www.drcacaos.com

A Yoga Teacher, Naturalist & Aromatherapist, Jessica has spent most of her life seeking balance and living in harmony with nature. She is also a yoga therapist, mentor and an avid believer in the power of holistic living to create the life that you have always dreamed of. Our conversation today was full of awesome topics. We talked about aromatherapy, trees, forest therapy, yoga, Jessica’s upcoming retreat to India, and best of all– I learned about Jessica’s story and how she came to find herself here in Asheville. Asheville Awake is a project dedicated to celebrating all of the amazing members of our community. Jessica is certainly part of the MAGIC that makes Asheville what it is.

Join me as Krystal takes us on a journey that supports and validates the significance of the Sacred Feminine and the importance of women and female values as a way to heal the planet. As a teacher, mother, and healer, Krystal embodies love, wisdom, and compassion. Krystal’s respect for sexuality as sensual, natural and sacred – is empowering and inspiring. We discuss how honoring the Sacred Feminine means especially valuing the innate power and wisdom of woman’s mind, body, and soul, as well as appreciating the “feminine” qualities in all of us. From a planetary level, it means respecting and healing our Mother Earth and waters.

"Where do we find the optimal place of the nervous system and how do we find it? I believe that one of the ways we find it is through slow mindful practices." ~Kristine Kaoverii Weber Kristine and I dive into the nervous system and tease out the definition of yoga. We discuss: 1. The history of yoga in the west 2. Yoga as a way to build resiliency in the nervous system 3. Yoga for population health 4. Slow yoga vs. yoga as exercise You can find Kristine Kaoverii Weber at www.subtleyoga.com Show Notes: Dr. Kenneth Cooper | Exercise Revolution | https://www.cooperaerobics.com/About/Our-Leaders/Kenneth-H-Cooper,-MD,-MPH.aspx Dr. Dan Siegel | Window of Tolerance | https://www.drdansiegel.com Dr. Norman Doidge | The Brain That Changes Itself | http://www.normandoidge.com/?page_id=1259 Dr. M. Catherine Bushnell | National Institute of Health | https://nccih.nih.gov/about/staff/bushnell Dr. Sara Lazar | Harvard | https://scholar.harvard.edu/sara_lazar/home Viniyoga | https://www.viniyoga.com/about/what-is-viniyoga/ Local Teachers: Jacki Lea (West Asheville Yoga), Marek Sawicki (Ayurveda), Eric Seiler,(YMCA) & Margaret Kirschner(Mindful Emergence /Yoga for Recovery)