Barbara Schauer, Founder, ERYT500 Anahata Yoga, 50+Yoga See the Anahata practice on YouTube here.
Barbara lived with anxiety and depression since childhood. Sometimes it eased back - sometimes months and years were lost. In 2001 Barbara walked into her first Anahata yoga class and met her teacher Ana Costa. Barbara had always had a wonder and respect for yoga and had practiced here and there and on her own. She lived in her mind rather than her body but she had an inborn ground of spiritual life that had already led her to India and into art as her lifes work. Read more...
From the first Savasana, she knew she had found something she hadnt know to ask for. Anahata was a completely different way of approaching life and it supported everything Barbara loved about spirit, heart, beauty, kindness, order, and what she would call ever present holiness - and it started with the body and breath.
Anahata focuses on the heart - expanding, deepening, brightening the heart while honoring the body and clearing the mind. During one of the early classes, though, Barbara felt a dark wave of depression beginning to build. The thought of living through it all again was like drowning. In the gentle forward bend at the beginning of the practice, she could hear Anas reassuring voice describing stress melting away, the breath relaxing the back and head, and anxiety being removed. It seemed impossible, but following Anas instructions as carefully as she could manage, Barbara felt the depression slide off like a load of heavy mud. She almost laughed out loud in class. When she slowly stood up from the pose and took a breath, all she could think was, ”I want this for everyone.”
It was the turning point in her life and she dove in and studied with Ana Costa to become a yoga teacher.
When she arrived in Weaverville in the summer of 2009 to open a yoga studio for the town, the students who appeared at the door had a special request of yoga. They wanted a practice that could help them age well and fully enjoy life by being confident in their bodies, emotions, and spirits. That became a unique focus of her teaching.
Then students confided that the weight their bodies had accumulated was uncomfortable and strange to them and they didnt know how to regain a more appropriate weight. Exploring several ways, Barbara began the 10 Week Weight Loss Workshops at the studio. Using the structure of a yoga practice to steady the emotions and give the needed inner support for change, the program eliminates at the students pace - quickly or gradually - highly refined processed foods and gives guidance in choosing, cooking, and enjoying simple real food. It is a way made to last a lifetime and to treat our bodies and ourselves with self-care and gratitude as the gifts they are. And it works.
She lives with her husband, Jay, in Weaverville. Jay is the creator of the powerful website building engine HotWax. Without his patience and support Weaverville Yoga would never have happened and certainly would not be here five years later. You know how the Oscar winners always have a big long list of thank yous and make sure the person closest to them is on that list even when the orchestra plays the impatient music? That is Jay to Barbara. If you love Weaverville Yoga, a quiet thanks to Jay is in order.
They have three children. Annika is the founder and factotum of Beeswax, a website building community for women, now serving Etsy. Kipper is a well-known and loved DJ and late night host throughout Asheville. Tim is a fine arts student in Montreal.
Barbara has made it her lifes work to bring health, happiness, kindness, and love to others through the teaching of Anahata Yoga.
She still paints - mostly small and mostly gouache. She still goes to India when her heart calls and she often takes retreats at Meher Spiritual Center.
One more story. Why Weaverville Yoga? Barbara was living and teaching yoga in Asheville, quite happy. A friend kept insisting on going to a place called Weaverville where a bakery served lunch. To placate her friend, she went. She looked around the town as she walked to the bakery and she wondered,”Where is their yoga studio? This is such an interesting small town - artistic, light hearted, charming, and current. Where is the yoga studio?”
After lunch, they crossed the street to visit a friend on Florida Avenue who had a landscape design business. Barbaras eyes were drawn to a door with a black canvas awning. ”That would be the place for a yoga studio for the town,” Barbara thought. It was a kitchen cabinet carpenters shop.
Three years later, when the old yoga center on Broadway in Asheville closed, Barbara gathered the teachers who wanted to go on and formed Weaverville Yoga to open in the summer of 2009. All they needed was a place. An agent called and said she had found a spot. Of course it was the small room with the black canvas awning over the door. Our first yoga studio in Weaverville.
We later moved into the old post office at 7 Florida Avenue. Our beloved studio still has the feeling of being given by grace with its beautiful space and light and the sincere, gifted teachers who have come together here to share yoga (and now ballet and Pilates). It is special. Its home to us.
Yoga in a small town. Neighbors meeting neighbors in a friendly place. Yoga with kindness. Namaste! We welcome you.
Abigail Earl Hatha Flow
Abigail truly fell in love with yoga when she was pregnant with her first child in 2017. Yoga has helped her connect deeply to her body, mind and spirit throughout the journey of motherhood. The strength and trust in her body and the awareness of her breath learned through the practice are skills she leans on daily.
Abigail is a massage therapist who values relaxing the nervous system. She loves to bring self-massage into her yoga classes. She loves talking about anatomy and physiology, and giving hands on adjustments and massage are a big part of her classes. Read more...
Abigail takes a joyful approach with yoga. Her calm and clear cueing will guide you with awareness through your yoga flow, connecting you with your breath, and allowing you to feel deeply connected to your body. Her desire is to guide her students to feel more connected to themselves on and off the mat, and to view yoga as a tool to live a more joyful and centered life.
VINYASA FLOW
Syncing your breath and movement energizes your mind, body and spirit while creating space within; a moving meditation. This class offers an active, steady pace, moving through sun salutations, standing poses and balance postures with modifications for all levels. Hands on touch and adjustments throughout.
Emma Gasinski Balance, Yoga w/Lt Weights, Vinyasa Yin
Emma Gasinski is a physical therapist, yoga instructor, and mindfulness teacher based in Asheville, NC. As a physical therapist and a yogini, Emma integrates principles of Western anatomy, physiology, and movement science with the teachings of Hatha yoga and Ayurveda to facilitate healing and holistic wellness for the mind, body, and soul.
Emmas journey into health and wellness began in high school when she was introduced to yoga in a gym class. She then became obsessed with the human body and the mindful connection of movement and breath illuminating our ability to be present both on and off the mat. Yoga has been a deep personal practice for Emma for the past 12 years and she regards Yoga as her “first love” on many occasions. Emma became a 200-Hr Yoga Alliance Registered Yoga Teacher in 2014 and has since taught all variations of yoga including vinyasa flow, restorative, chair yoga, hot yoga, and even laughing yoga. Read more...
Emma then received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2020. She is currently practicing as an outpatient orthopedic Physical Therapist here in Asheville, NC. Her Physical Therapy training becomes evident in her teaching and as a bonus students learn more about their anatomy.
Her teaching style: With a teaching style that is relaxed and supportive, Emma merges her knowledge of anatomy, physiology and biomechanics with specific yoga poses, creating an effective atmosphere for change and healing. It is Emmas belief that the ability to slow down and stay present is an important aspect of healing, and that yoga encourages a mindful state that can heal people emotionally and spiritually, as well as physically.
When not on her mat, you can find Emma at the local CrossFit Box, backpacking through the woods, playing with the pigs at the local farm animal sanctuary, or experimenting with plant-based meals in the kitchen.
Esther Sabatino Tone Stretch Balance Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Hatha Yoga, Full Moon Yoga
My name is Esther and I love yoga. I am amazed by the human body and its ability to heal. I am also a passionate Reiki practitioner and energy healer and I love living in these mountains. They provide a powerful energy that I often tap into. One of my goals as a teacher is to help guide my classes to look inward and find the connection of love and body awareness that yoga brings to the body, mind and spirit. My overall goal to be completely present with my students in any class I teach. Meet Esther.
Esther Sabatino The Healer In the Woods 919-609-4309 esthersabatino@yhaoo.com Facebook & Instagram: The Healer In the Woods
Ian Callahan Yin with Ian
Ian’s yoga journey began in 2014 and evolved into a teaching practice in 2021. Since completing a 200-hour RYT training and a Yin yoga training, Ian has taught Vinyasa, Yin, and Meditation classes. In his yoga, Ian prioritizes a slow, deliberate pace that links movement back to the breath and attends to the body as it arrives on the mat.
Ian’s Yin style class is grounding and actively engages in deep holds and prolonged stillness. Ian encourages students to come back to the present moment through the body-mind connection, intentional breathwork, energetic alignment, and Meditation set to music. Ian is very grateful to share this practice with his new community in WNC.
Julia Malinosky Radiant Soul Yoga Collective
Julias work lies in creating healthy and regenerative community systems. The three essential components are personal, community, and environmental wellbeing. My background is in business administration and communications, working with organizations that promote community health and sustainability. Dedicated and driven to creating healthier futures at a lifestyle level.
I am value driven and motivated by bettering the world around me. Eager to serve. I am rooted in mindfulness and meditation practice with a deep connection to self and the natural world.
Kimber Jones Aryuveda Slow Flow
Kimber was introduced to Yoga and Ayurveda (holistic health from ancient India) in 2011 after being diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Since 2018, she is completely off of all pharmaceuticals and totally symptom free, totally thanks to Ayurveda. Her lifestyle is full of rhythm, ease, connection to nature, and continual growth. She hopes to share this knowledge with her students and connect them to the ancient sciences in a modern and meaningful way. She likes to nerd out and go deep in her classes, you will get connected to more than just your body after practicing.
She completed her 200 hr yoga teacher training at Asheville Yoga Center in 2017, and her 300 hr teacher training in 2021. She also completed an apprenticeship and advanced studies program with Vira Bhava Yoga. She is currently enrolled at the Ayurvedic Institute in Asheville. Read more...
Kimber graduated from the Ayurvedic Institute in June as an Ayurvedic Health Counselor. She has already helped the teachers at Weaverville Yoga with healthy digestion, anxiety, skin issues, seasonal allergies, sleep, and more.
If you have symptoms that Western medicine doesnt seem to have a good answer for, or would like a more holistic approach to your health, and want to nerd out about holistic health, shes your gal. To join her email list or schedule a free 20 min discovery call, visit her website at: www.mokshayogawellness.com
Saturdays 9-10.15 Ayurveda Slow Flow Join Kimber for a slow flow class focused on breath centered movement and getting in touch with deeper layers of you than just your body. This class will incorporate elements of ayurveda, and we will work through and integrate some of these concepts in our bodies- really experiencing them is the best way to learn them and embody them. Example topics include: the 5 elements, the 3 doshas: vata, pitta, kapha and how to identify and balance these energies in yourself, balancing for the season, and actionable tips on how to incorporate ayurvedic healing in your everyday life. All levels welcome.
Tuesdays 9-10:15 Strong Mindful Vinyasa Flow Join us for a slightly faster flow class full of sun salutations, standing series, and balancing poses. Some yoga experience strongly preferred. Even though we will be moving somewhat more quickly, this class still focuses on mindfulness, partnering with our breath, and connecting to our bodies in deep and subtle ways. We will use our yoga asana to make space for stillness and connection.
Tuesdays 10:30-11:45 Align & Flow An all levels flow aimed at nerding out on biomechanics, alignment, and getting into the nitty gritty of feeling into your body and exploring yoga asanas. Some yoga experience preferred, but not a vigorous class. Explore lots of 1-on-1 feedback, hands on assists, and workshopping various postures. Bring your questions!
Lindsey Hanson Hiker Biker Yoga. Hatha. Ashtanga.
Lindsey is a 25-year practitioner of Yoga Asana. Living a Yoga inspired life on and off the mat. Devoting her life to helping others find peace through Yoga.
“Over the years my personal practice has evolved and changed as I have leaned into many linages and styles from Hatha, Vinyasa, Yin, Power Flow etc.. Ashtanga, however, has has been the most powerfully transformational practice for me. The influence of Ashtanga can be felt in all of my classes.” Read more...
“The Breath is the practice. At the center of all my classes is the importance of breath; the tool always available to you on and off of the mat. Expect a high importance to be placed on the breath.”
“It is integral to me that the philosophical side to Yoga is not excluded from the Yoga Asana practice. My classes will always include Philosophical and spiritual aspects rooted in tradition.”
“First, we learn to control the body and then we learn to control the mind. Come practice with me. Lets move and breathe together, an exploration in our undeniable interconnectedness.”
In 2010 I was invited to the Ashtanga Shala. After studying yoga intently since 2000, I was introduced to Ashtanga, and my world changed forever for the better. I’ve always had a deep respect and appreciation for all things Yoga, but Ashtanga resonated with me on a whole new level.
Perhaps the most profound aspect of Ashtanga Yoga for me is its transformative power. As I delved deeper into the practice, I found myself shedding layers of self-doubt, fear, and insecurity, and embracing a newfound sense of strength, resilience, and authenticity. Through the challenges and triumphs on the mat, I unearthed a deeper understanding of myself and my place in the world, embarking on a journey of self- transformation that continues to unfold.
One of the defining features of Ashtanga Yoga is its structured sequence of postures, known as the Primary Series. I found comfort in the repetition and slipped easily into a calmness I had never known by leaning into familiarity.
I am endlessly grateful for the teachers I have studied with over the years. I studied for years with Diana Chistinson who received her certification from the Ashtanga founder Pattabhi Jois in Mysore India. I traveled to India with Debbie Berardi (another profoundly educated teacher who studied for over a decade with master teacher Tim Miller) In India we attended a weeklong Ashtanga Intensive with David Garrigues (another student and master instructor certified in Mysore by Pattabhi Jois). Most recently I attended a workshop with master teacher, David Swenson (you got it, another student of Pattabhi Jois). A special shout out to Josh Plotkin, who trained under Diana C. and Tim Miller, whose instruction proved to be the most resonating of all for me.
It is for these reasons and countless others I am passionate about sharing the Ashtanga practice with others. Guiding people on their Ashtanga journey and providing a path to their own innate ability to transform their lives for the better. I’ve been on this path for two decades; determined to keep the doors open for self-discovery, engaging with other teachers through trainings and workshops, reading modern and ancient texts, embracing all avenues of further education in a quest for my own betterment but also to assure I have every tool available to assist others on this adventure.
I encourage you to try Ashtanga at Weaverville Yoga knowing you are in experienced and knowledgeable care.
Megan Moore Ashtanga, Yoga Basics
Meg’s yoga journey began in 2012 after a feeling of unrootness left her yearning to reconnect with herself and her community. After years of practice, in 2017, Meg completed her first 200-hour yoga certification in Integrated Vinyasa through the Colorado School of Yoga. After focusing primarily on vinyasa yoga as a way to find peace of mind and movement of body, Meg felt drawn towards the Ashtanga lineage of yoga as a way to nurture more of her own inner guidance.
During the initial Covid lockdowns, when most yoga spaces and studios were required to shut down, Meg found it difficult to maintain her discipline and dedication to yoga, even after years of practice and being trained in vinyasa yoga. At the suggestion of a friend (as so often happens), she began taking Ashtanga classes on zoom and eventually moving into an Ashtanga Mysore style yoga practice. Ashtanga provided a prescription for discipline and a way to implement a daily practice that was necessary for Meg at that time. Read more...
After completing her Ashtanga yoga certification in early 2022 at One Breath of Yoga Ashram, Meg felt an even deeper connection to the practice as a way to reconnect to our truest selves and felt a strong desire to share the Ashtanga lineage with others. Having grown up in the Appalachian mountains in Roanoke, Virginia and after over a decade of living out west and abroad,
Meg is delighted to now return to the ancient mountain range that kept her company during her upbringing and to have found a home Asheville, North Carolina.
Off the mat, you can find Meg learning to tend a garden, hiking and exploring the nearby mountains, or reading by the river.
Class Descriptions
Yoga Basics: A foundational yoga class where we will move slowly and focus on awareness of breath and on developing clear and safe alignment in common yoga postures. Modifications will be offered to make poses accessible for all. A great class for individuals who are new to yoga or who are looking to slow down and refine their practice.
Power Flow Vinyasa: A class to build strength and endurance! We will move through the practice beginning with traditional surya namaskar (sun salutations), to standing and seated postures, to finishing and final relaxation. Equal parts effort and ease, this class is designed to cleanse and purify the body on all levels: physical, energetic, and spiritual. Recommended three months of yoga experience.
Megan Zwerlein Hatha Yoga
Megan found yoga as a teenager after seeking help in processing traumatic childhood events. What quickly developed was a deep love affair that offered a window into the soul, a place eager to return daily as a way to connect with her body in a healthy and empowering way.
With supportive teachers within Ashtanga, Iyengar, Anusara and Vedanta Tantric traditions she learned how this practice was way more than physical. Yoga gave her hope for a better tomorrow and broke her from victimhood. Drawn to extensive study of the energy centers, she teaches how a strong foundation of support is an essential building block to create a healthy body, open heart, intuitive mind, and a fulfilling life. Read more...
In 2000 she became a Licensed Massage Therapist, in 2005 a Reiki Master, in 2009 completed her 200hr Certification with The Shambhava School of Yoga at the Eldorado Mountain Ashram near Boulder, CO, and in 2021 gained her 300hr Certification with Amy Ippoliti at Vesselify School of Yoga also in Boulder.
Her classes are dynamic and multidimensional with creative, alignment based sequencing that are driven by collective energy and intuition to bring students back to a fulfilling feeling of wholeness. Challenging for more seasoned yogis, yet accessible to all levels.
Mila Holy 50+Yoga
I have been teaching yoga for over 20 years. I trained to teach different styles of yoga and now focus on helping my students to find their optimal yoga practice whether they want to improve their physical, mental, emotional or spiritual aspects of the practice. I strive to help students to focus inward and to be present by using breathing practices and modifying poses as needed. My teaching style is gentle and therapeutic. I believe that through practice of yoga we can find even stronger connections to all, love, kindness, gratitude, acceptance and tolerance.