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Womens Wellness & Education Center Newsletter
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Greetings!
Happy Labor Day!
What are you doing with that extra time on your hands now that the kids are back in school? As your summer winds down and you're looking for things to do for
yourself, please remember to check out our events page on the website.
You just may find that special class or workshop you've been hoping for.
We've got a traditional Hula class starting up this month that you just might love. Just like exercising with the Hula Hoop, Hula Dancing is a fun activity for men and women to exercise the hips, back, buttocks and legs. Please don't forget to check out other ongoing classes and groups at the
WWEC like Empowered Birthing Childbirth Education Classes, the Asheville
Area Music Together groups, MamaTime and the Blue Ridge Meditation
group. If you are looking for an awesome massage, take advantage of
Nancy's coupon offer of $60 for your first time 90 minute massage with her; you
won't regret it. Natalie's $30 for 30 minutes is a sure fire way to relieve
stress as well!
Please make sure you read Ruth's story about her face to face with a bear. It is hilarious! Then we invite you to join our friend Stacey Curnow as she debuts her new book Ravenna at Malaprops Bookstore on Saturday, September 25th at 3 p.m. Ravenna is the fantastical story of a boy and his best friend, who happens to be a talking bear. Bring the whole family for a very special day, complete with bear claw cupcakes, and a special presentation by The Curtain Call Collective, a local children's theatre ensemble. Writer Stacey Curnow and illustrator
Daniel Nevins -
both Asheville residents - will speak about the book, which explores
the joys of love, freedom and friendship.
Speaking of friendship. Any good relationship should be reciprocal, so since we try to make it a point to let you hear from us every month, we'd like to give you the opportunity to let us hear from you. If you've got a story to tell, or you'd just like to say hi, we've got space in this very Newsletter waiting to be filled. Whether humorous, touching or informative, or all of the above, we'd love to hear from you. Why just talk about welcoming you to our community in every issue, when we can welcome you to our community newsletter. We would also, love to post your birth stories, announcements, and pictures!
Until next month, Be well, and have a fun, and safe Labor Day celebration!
Ruth, Trish, Steph,
Heidi, Holly, Mary, Michelle, Nancy,
Natalie, Nicole, and Wendy
Women's Wellness and Education Center
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A Bear of a Day
by Ruth McNair
On my
frantic drive from work at Lake Lure my only thought was getting to my
latest addiction, hot yoga!!
Of course, I
ended up behind a car with a Florida license plate, TOURIST!!!! They
were not impressed with my tail gating and only slowed down to take in
ALL the scenery. It became obvious that all the road rage was not going
to get me to my yoga class where I could let go of such uncentered
emotions. Relief came when I remembered the 6:30 class I could go to.
That brought some peace but I still felt the need to cuss out the driver
in front of me.
Arriving
home I heard my dear dear cell phone ringing and saw that it was Maria. I
had an appointment to give her daughter a massage at 8:30. That would
give me time to soak my sparse yoga clothing in sweat and get to her
house to give the massage. What does a 15 teen year old care if I am
stinking from yoga. Maria was changing my plans and almost my fate by
saying that she would like me to come at 6pm instead. No yoga, I needed
my fix, my 1.5 hours of sweat raining down from myself and the other 15
people in the 100 degree room.
Sacrificing
my own needs, I said I would be there at 6 after a short and boring
run. My usual spot up to the overlook and a few miles beyond.
Faithfully,
my neighbor's dog decided to join me on the jaunt up the mountain. I
had run about 2 miles and was at this point enjoying the pain when I saw
Mia, the dog who had run way ahead come running like a freight train
back in my direction with no intention of stopping. Clueless, I kept
running until I was 4 feet from a raging black bear. She was not happy
and I was scared $@!&*%. It was not until later that I truly learned
the definition of scared.
Haven't we
all been told not to run from a bear? Have we also learned not to climb a
tree, especially one that is only a sapling 4 inches around. Nothing
crossed my mind but getting myself up the tree. As my feet were 2 feet
up so was she. I climbed another 2 feet out of reach and thought now
what do I do. I really thought she would go away. Black bears are
supposed to do that, right. They are the friendly ones. She was pissed
and started woofing at me and backing up to get a running start and run
at the tree. My ears are still ringing as I write this from my
screaming. Now I realize that possibly she was just trying to shut me
up. 4 more times she ran away to turn and come bash the tree that I was
quickly losing my grip. I owe my strength to adrenaline and hot yoga. As
I was wearing short the
only thing that held me to the tree was the skin on the inside of my
legs that was now wearing thin. One time she left and went around a
corner. By now I decided to yell for Jesus who I didn't think was
listening or He was watching and laughing! My grip was tiring and I
pictured myself being mauled on the ground. I could hear my mother
saying, "Why do you do such stupid things when you have 5 kids to
raise." Here she came again with more impatience with my being in the
tree screaming. I wanted to climb 18 more inches to get a hold of a
small branch but the arms were not taking me any where. She again left
to sit on a rock overlooking a pathetic, blubbering,
woman
clinging to the tree. She sat and watched and I cried, gripping
harder with ebbing strength.
I knew I
was going down and had to make a run for it. When she left the rock I
left the tree glancing for my phone that I had thrown at her head. Screw
the phone! I ran like someone does who may be being chased by a bear.
That was a
long 2 miles, looking back over my shoulder for a black mass. Once out
on the road I went to the closest neighbor's and met a women doing yard
work. "I got chased by a bear" I said in tears. She offered me water and
a stump to sit on.
Damm! I
will never run there again. I should have been in my safe yoga class.
Maybe this is Karma for the nasty text I sent last night.
I really
wish this wasn't a totally true story. I even went to check on the dog
who startled the bear in the first place to see if she was hurt. That is
saying a lot for my fair weathered friend who tore off in my hour of
greatest need.
If you do
not believe this story and want to call me, don't bother. That phone
will be up in the leaves forever. I wonder if my phone insurance will
cover bear chases? Don't worry about me on anymore runs in the woods. I
will be firmly planted on my yoga mat!
Epilogue: Since the
day of the story, Ruth has ventured, with reinforcements, back to the
scene of the adventure to retrieve her phone, so if you have her number,
call her!
Ruth is co-owner of the Women's Wellness & Education Center, and a LMBT with the Lake Lure Spa.
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Office Space for Lease
at WWEC
Office space for lease in The
Women's Wellness and Education Center, located near downtown Asheville. All
spaces include marketing through our Newsletter and website, on-site client parking, common reception area, wireless
internet, hardwood floors, and lots of natural light. There is a large
community room on the premises available for rental for your large
meetings or
events. Please visit our website or call Stephanie at 828.333.0598 for more information. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ravenna
Ravenna, a children's book about a
boy and the talking bear he loves, will debut at the Asheville, North
Carolina bookstore Malaprop's on Saturday, September 25th
at 3 pm. Writer Stacey Curnow and illustrator Daniel Nevins -
both Asheville residents - will speak about the book, which explores
the joys of love, freedom and friendship. The debut party will
also feature a children's drama/improv by Chris Martin's Curtain Call
Collective, Ravenna temporary tattoos, arts and crafts and "bear
claw" cupcakes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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September 4th-November 13th Saturday
Mornings 10-11
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 Blood Sugar Imbalance
by Wendy Tran
When we consume a diet of mainly fresh fruits and vegetables, as
well as other whole, natural, unprocessed plant foods, we tend to have
much better blood sugar control than those who eat more processed foods
and high fat animal foods.
We set the stage for many diseases when our blood sugar level becomes
too high. Two factors affect this condition - first is the blood sugar
itself, known as glucose, and the other is from high levels of the
hormone insulin, which the body produces and releases into the
bloodstream in response to high blood glucose levels.
When a high level of glucose is in our bloodstream, it interacts with
various protein structures, such as those lining our artery walls.
These structures become "cross-linked" as a result, causing them to
become stiffer and less flexible than they once were. As a result of
this decreased flexibility, the arteries now do not work as well as they
should. When our artery walls become stiffer and less flexible, this is
thought by many to be a contributing factor to high blood pressure.
When the protein structures of our skin (collagen) become cross-linked,
we are more likely to develop wrinkles and stiffer skin. And so it goes
with many other structures of our body.
We definitely do not want our glucose and/or insulin levels to get
too high in the bloodstream because they tell the body to make and store
fat, as well as damage blood vessel walls.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, and other whole, natural, unprocessed
plant foods have an abundance of dietary fiber. This helps keep our
glucose and insulin levels where they should be. Whole, natural,
unprocessed plant foods are also, in general, very low in fat. An excess
of fat, especially saturated and trans fats found in animal products
and processed foods, are a major cause of insulin resistance. When the
overall level of insulin in our blood rises, we start to have the
problems of excess insulin mentioned above.
Excess body fat is another major factor in insulin resistance. The
high fiber, low fat characteristics of whole natural unprocessed plant
foods means they are also low in calories, which helps us keep our body
fat at lower levels. Eating a raw diet has many benefits, and these are
just some of them.
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WWEC OFFERED
Classes, Groups and Events
The next class is Saturday October 24th
9am-5pm and Sunday, October 25th,
11am-2pm
Call Trish at 828.333.0598 or visit our
Empowered Birthing Childbirth
Class page
for more information or to register
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The quarterly meeting of The Birth Network or WNC will be held on Saturday September 25th, at the Asheville Pizza Company on Merrimon Ave., following a special, free viewing of the iconic Orgasmic Birth at 10:00 am. If you are interested in
promoting normal birth and breastfeeding, meeting like minded people, and organizing fabulous community events, The Birth Network of WNC invites you to come for the movie, and stay for the talk-back, and meeting afterward. Membership not required, everyone
encouraged to come and bring your babies!
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(Mothers of
Asheville Meeting All--together)
Mamatime is a
safe, non-judgmental space for new mothers to connect with others and develop
"parent wisdom," the internal confidence that makes the parent the
"expert" about their own child and parenting experience.
Mamatime is a closed support group
for mothers with infants 4 months of age and under. Mamatime meets for 14 weeks
and is led by one of our three trained facilitator (Shelley Tom, Holly
Mason, Sarah Gralnick).
Fee: Sliding Scale
$100-$150. Scholarships available! No
one denied due to finances.
For more information
about Mamatime, contact Shelley at
(828) 582-4653 or
shelleyjoytom@gmail.com.
New groups forming now, call Shelley!
photo by Jesse Kitt
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 Introducing Emelia Gray
Dear Trish,
Thank you so much for supporting us
through our child birthing classes. We had our beautiful, healthy baby
girl, Emelia Gray on March 5th, free from any intervention
or drugs. Her birth was such an amazing experience that I wish I could
do it again. Far different from the "traditional" epidural birth
that I experienced with my first child.
I labored all during the night with
a heating pad. When I just couldn't stand to lay any longer, I got
up around 5am and labored in a warm bath. I called [my doulas] around
8:30 am to let them know what was happening and we met them at the
hospital
at around 10 am. I decided on a water birth so I hopped in the tub at
10:30 and Emelia came into the world so beautifully at exactly 11 am.
Honestly, I was the girl in the class
that was thinking, "all this sounds wonderful and amazing but, can
I really do this"?, And I did! And everything you said was true. Her
birth was the most beautiful and empowering, blissful experience I've
ever had.
Thank you Trish, for your classes,
for your wisdom, and for your love of birth. Thank you for empowering
me as a woman to have the birth that I wanted and that Emelia deserved.
In loving gratitude,
Luann, Chris, Eva, and Sweet Baby
Emelia
xo
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Bring a Friend or Refer a Friend Who Completes the
Class and Enjoy $50 Off Your Enrollment Fee! .
Call today for your Special Deivery.
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Thank you for being a part of our Wellness Community. For more information, please call (828)333-0598 or email info@ashevillewomenswellness.com. Our address is 24 Arlington St., Asheville NC 28801
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Save on
New Client
Massage
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Nancy Fraser LMBT
For New Clients Only, $60 for 90 minutes for new clients only.
Nancy can be reached for
information or to make an appointment
at ngfraser@bellsouth.net or 828 242 2798
| Offer Expires: September 30, 2010
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