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As I sat on our final night in Boone, sipping in the last of the misty mountain air, I was both inspired and overwhelmed by its magic, people, and culture.I spent a month in the Blue Ridge mountains. I came away feeling full, having met so many nice people in such a short period of time, counting on my hand the number of people who did NOT wave as we drove the country roads back to our high country cabin each day.
Not only nice, but genuine. People there don't need to adopt the posture of a group. As an observer, I witnessed a person meeting a person, rather than a persona meeting a persona. The energy is unmistakable. What you see is what you get. I was never left guessing or wondering if someone was honest or real. "Withholding" seemed the farthest thing from people's minds. I'd summarize the collective that permeates the mountain culture with one question: How can I be MORE of who I really am and still have a place (accepted) in a community?It has stirred a conversation within me of why people feel the need to be something or someone other than who they are. Is it fear of being unlovable? Insecurities about the "real me?" The escape of judgment? Or simply because they don't know who they are and perhaps are unwilling or don't know how to discover it.As a society we start to see pockets of people that walk, talk, and behave in similar ways. And at the same time, history has shown us this what becoming a "culture" is all about. The question is: What is the foundation on which this culture is built? Is it fear or love? Do we find connection through our surface preferences, our likes/dislikes, or do we find it through our deeper essence within, when our hearts resonate, and we recognize one another and the Divine part that is very much the same?
So I ask myself, "could there be a middle ground?" To be our TRUE Selves and also part of a community? Well, I say "yes" because I've seen it in action in Boone. This town has offered a beautiful example.At this stage in our evolution, could it be possible our purpose is about allowing more Divine Essence to be revealed, to express it through our love for one another and support each other to do the same? To elevate and refine our relationships to ourselves and our communities? And to do it without fear, to do it with the trust we can each be who we were born to be. We can each be a part of a community without compromising ourselves.I think it's time to come back, to return to the simple life of love, connection, and a broad heart.As a yoga teacher, I realized I didn't need to travel to an Indian Ashram and read scriptures; I discovered that the Appalachian culture lives "Namaste."Namaste (Appalachian and otherwise), Anisha
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| Discover the heart energy of Pangu Yoga | |
While Anisha was in Boone, N.C., earlier this summer, she taught Pangu Yoga at the Neighborhood Yoga studio -- and they loved it! Many thanks to Neighborhood Yoga for embracing the practice in your big wide mountain arms!
Join Anisha at an upcoming class!
Check the schedule below to learn where you can practice Pangu Yoga in Raleigh.
 12:00-2:00 pm, Sunday, August 11
2:30-4:30pm, Saturday, September 21
Register at date links above.
St. Giles Presbyterian Church
Adult Center
by-donation classes every other Wednesday
9:30-11:30 am, September 4 and 18
5101 Oak Park Road, Raleigh NC 27612
Bring your yoga mat and a towel/blanket on which to sit.
Email Anisha to register.
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Retreat to New Enlgand
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Pangu Shengong Retreat with Master Ou, October 3-6
Find healing, rejuvenation, and community at our Pangu Shengong Retreat  with Master Ou, Vincent Chu, and Anisha Desai Fraser, the first ever retreat of this nature to be offered.
We'll gather October 3-6, at the Providence Yen Center in Rhode Island. The program, which also will feature Pangu Tai Chi and Pangu Yoga, is available to beginners. All are welcome!
Read more at Ananda Healing Arts website or at Pangu.org. Download the Registration Form.
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YogaFest brings FREE Yoga to City Plaza
| Anisha teaches the September 3 class!
 Sunset Salutations at City Plaza will bring 10 FREE yoga classes to Downtown Raleigh this fall. Presented by YogaFest, the series features downtown area yoga teachers, who are donating their instruction for the classes. For more information, visit YogaFest classes. Sunset Salutations at City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh
10 FREE Yoga Classes
6:00-7:00 pm, Tuesdays, August 13 to October 22
Join Anisha as she leads the September 3 class!
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There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person being themselves. Imagine going through your day being unapologetically you.
~ Steve Maraboli
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