Calendar of Events

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Celebrate the light of Summer with a one hour Summer Solstice Sound Bath! A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
For the meditation, we will feel the warmth of the sun on your skin as you bask in the suns gentle rays imagining the light penetrating your body with healing energy.

Note: Please bring a mat/blankets/pillow since you will be lying on the floor.
Wear comfortable and flexible clothing.
Choose your space starting at 6:15 pm, doors close promptly at 6:30 pm.

NOTE: Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd. (see map in comments).
There is a boardwalk walk way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

Drop in to your center and move from there. This is a perfect time to pull cards and see what this next season may have to offer.
We are excited to have Bobbi Rose back offering tarot card readings on our back terrace or if it’s too cool out it will be offered in the atrium.
Reserve your session [email protected]

Democrats need to be more actively messaging and to overcome the makers of fake news with the truth! Join this ongoing group of writers working together on Letters to the Editor and Opinion Editorials. We’ll discuss the issues we care about most deeply and craft a plan to respond to events as they occur in real time.

The group meets the first and third Monday of each month for writing, responding to one another’s work, scheduling submissions, and exploring media outlets across the state.

“Rant with purpose. Support with facts. Propel action.” – Myra Schoen

We’ve heard your valuable feedback, and now you don’t have to hear us! Beginning May 4, 2021, the period between 8 and 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday morning of every month will be reserved for “Meditative Mornings,” a pause for quiet time in our gardens and on our trails. During this time, our working garden crew will abstain from using leaf blowers, mowers and other equipment so you can be sure to enjoy the sounds of birds and the wind in the trees.

Take advantage of half-price parking on the first Tuesday of every month and come out to the Arboretum to enjoy a Meditative Morning!

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Tuesday, 7/2 at 6:00 pm – Dark City Poets Society Workshop Circle (outdoors in the garden, weather permitting.)
Dark City Poets Society is a completely free poetry group that is open to writers of all ages and experience levels.
Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6:00-7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) feedback group.

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Center your mind, body and spirit with a soothing Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 6:15 PM, doors close promptly at 6:30 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

5 week series. Every Wednesday from 6:30-8:30, beginning June 5. Class cancelled July 3. Ending July 10.

Poetry is the written act of paying attention. Paying attention to words, rhythm, and writing but most importantly the worlds that inspire you to write. Namely, your world.

“Wanted: a needle swift enough to sew this poem into a blanket.” -Charles Simic

Have you ever swooned at the thought of exploring your full expression, only to shuffle around the house more determined to rearrange mothballs than get something on paper?

Poetry is undoubtedly a practice, but it doesn’t have to be an intimidating sport for Creative Gods alone. The only “ask” is to take note and notice of your life.

We’ll help develop the work itself, together.

This full-bodied beginner’s poetry class will help you shift from “Oof, I could never…” into “Wait, where’s my journal?!” by tuning into your world: to the color palette of grass, to coffee-shop conversation, to the twitch in your left elbow. If you want language for the volcanic prayers of your soul or to describe your partner’s voice whispering “I love you” at 4am, we’ll get there. This class weaves the elements of poetry, forms of poetry, guided discussion with peers, and the works of prolific poets all into a multidisciplinary play space. Plus, oodles (oodles!) of writing time to build personal confidence and craft. This class immerses itself in artful experimentation across mediums, paired with a toolkit of technical writing skills. It’s the ultimate permission slip to be a beginner.

“Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance.” -Carl Sandburg

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

Flower-Pounding Workshop & Private Salt Cave Session Merging nature, art, and wellness!

Come spend a morning enjoying the beautiful gardens of Asheville Salt Cave.
Learn the art of flower-pounding and design your own reusable canvas bag.
Following the instruction and creation time, we will transition inside the Salt Cave for a healing meditation session.
Our morning will finish with an herbal tea sampling and an opportunity to walk the newly constructed labyrinth in the garden.

Register now:
Space is limited. $80 per person Tickets are nonrefundable once purchased. Please be mindful of your volume as you move about our entire space, as others are in healing sessions.

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

oin Reiki Master Teacher and Yoga Nidra Facilitator, Kate Wargo of Woven Light LLC in a soothing Yoga Nidra (Yogic Sleep) practice guiding you into the “in between”; that space between being awake and being asleep. Within this space, a dream will be induced taking you into a state of consciousness that can bring about immense healing in your conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind. The cave will transform into a “Nidra Nest” with comfy reclining loungers, blankets, and bolsters to fully support you, whether sitting or lying down, for the entire experience. Release stuck emotions, rest, and rejuvenate!
$56 per person

Come in from the heat and immerse yourself with the healing vibrations of a Sound Bath!
Join your host Kristin Hillegas, for a one-hour Serenity Sound Bath and experience a deeply immersive, full-body sound and vibrational experience. A sound bath can cleanse your soul, restore your balance, surround you with peace and tranquility and stimulate healing.
Note: Please bring a yoga mat/pillow/blanket since you will be lying on the floor. Wear warm, comfortable, and flexible clothing.
The Sound Bath will take place upstairs in the Education Building. Choose your space starting at 12:45 PM, doors close promptly at 1:00 PM.
This service is being offered on a Love Offering basis. Donations allow us to continue to provide these immersive experiences.
Accessible parking is available in the Center for Spiritual Living Asheville upper parking lot. The entrance to the upper parking lot is off of S. Bear Creek Rd between Science of Mind Way and Sand Hill Rd.
There is a boardwalk walk-way from the upper parking lot to the building entrance.

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

In 2014, a group of Vietnam combat veterans began meeting at the Charles George VA Hospital in Asheville to participate in a unique creative writing program. The focus was capturing their stories through essays and poetry to find the voices war had taken from them. The hope was to reclaim a sense of their shared humanity, build camaraderie and find some degree of healing.

To continue this work, the NC Veterans Writing Alliance Foundation will be offering free creative writing classes at the East Asheville Library in June and July. The goal is to provide healing through the art of creative writing to all veterans in our community.

Join other veterans for this series of classes on Tuesdays at 4:30 p.m. from June 11-July 30 at the East Asheville library. To sign up, please e-mail Ron Toler at [email protected].

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

We’ve heard your valuable feedback, and now you don’t have to hear us! Beginning May 4, 2021, the period between 8 and 10 a.m. on the first Tuesday morning of every month will be reserved for “Meditative Mornings,” a pause for quiet time in our gardens and on our trails. During this time, our working garden crew will abstain from using leaf blowers, mowers and other equipment so you can be sure to enjoy the sounds of birds and the wind in the trees.

Take advantage of half-price parking on the first Tuesday of every month and come out to the Arboretum to enjoy a Meditative Morning!

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

We invite you to unwind and find your center with us for this powerful session. Let this melodic and beautiful Sound Healing Concert lull you into a deep meditation, all while resting inside the majestic salt cave. This session is a performances by our very talented friend from Skinny Beats Drum Shop and Gallery-Billy Zanski. Come enjoy the sounds of singing crystal bowls, unique African instruments, and various drums. The music will vibrate throughout the walls of the Salt Cave, reaching and healing the deepest parts of your soul. $60 per person If it is full online please call (828-236-5999) as we may have a few extra seats that can be purchased.

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM

Join us for a morning of wellness. Enjoy outdoor yoga + sound therapy in the beautiful Peace garden of Asheville Salt Cave. This 60minute class includes brain-nourishing breathwork, centering meditation, body opening posture flow and lengthy guided relaxation under a sound bath by Billy Zanski of Skinny Beats. Open to all levels. Bring your own mat if you are able.

After the session, enjoy a walk along the Salt Cave’s outdoor labyrinth and add on a Tarot Reading with Bobbi Rose. To schedule your reading, email Bobbi at [email protected]

For those interested in Tarot Readings: Reverend Bobbi Rose is an experienced tarot reader and spiritual guide with over 20 years of experience. She is passionate about helping individuals gain self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and creative thinking through the power of tarot. Bobbi Rose’s expertise in tarot extends to both personal and business contexts, where she facilitates growth, empowerment, and practical life solutions. Her approach is warm, intuitive, and personalized, ensuring each reading is a transformative and memorable experience.

Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM