Asheville’s Newest Not-for-Profit Brings Ancient Himalayan Yoga and Meditation Wisdoms, Traditions to Blue Ridge Mountains

Plans to Introduce Initiative in Asheville Area Schools to Help Students Plagued by Pandemic-Surging Anxiety and Depression

ASHEVILLE, NC – APRIL 17, 2023 – A powerful lineage of Himalayan yoga and meditation, whose origins date back centuries, are coming to the Blue Ridge Mountains by way of Asheville’s newest not-for-profit – House of Yoga, hosting its debut fundraising event in partnership with LoveShinePlay on April 30th (9:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) at The Venue (21 N Market St, Asheville, NC 28801). The event proceeds, says House of Yoga CEO Joe Falco, will go towards the launch of a community initiative with Asheville schools that will engage students in ancient Himalayan yoga and meditation as a means of helping them cope with and overcome anxiety and depression, which saw a dramatic surge during the pandemic. 

With unstable learning environments, prolonged isolation, emotional exhaustion, and other factors, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on the mental health of our young people, according to Falco. The mental health crisis among children reared itself early in the pandemic, with data showing that from March to October 2020, emergency room visits for mental health-related issues increased nationwide by 30% among children 12-17-years old, and 24% among children ages 5-11.

“We are planning to go into local schools to teach very special classes on Vishoka meditation and yoga, and showing young people how they can use these ancient wisdoms to find healing and peace,” added Falco, who studied yoga and meditation at the Himalayan Institute. “The concept of Vishoka promises a Sorrowless Joy - ‘Vi’ meaning ‘without’, and ‘Shoka’ meaning sorrow, grief, or pain.”

The fundraiser will provide attendees with the opportunity to experience the Himalayan wisdom and teachings themselves, says Falco, who notes that this ancient practice helps everyone to step outside of the suffering caused by the duality of our very existence. “We want our future donors to directly know and experience the same powerful teachings, so they understand just how much impact these practices will have on the youth.”

He said the event will unify satsang (spiritual discussion), Yoga asana (in an accessible slow flow vinyasa style), meditation, mantra, and community gathering – along with live music – to create an exceptional, one-of-a-kind spiritual experience.

“This event will be a fantastic opportunity for every spiritual seeker, no matter what stage of their practice, to collectively gather with those looking to elevate their consciousness and contribute to greater community action. All it takes to attend is an open mind,” says Falco, who has more than 7,000 hours of teaching experience across the practices of Yoga, Meditation, and Ayurveda, including multiple accolades from the Himalayan Institute.

Tickets to the event can be purchased at Eventbrite.com under House of Yoga. A single ticket is $75, or $140 for a pair. At the conclusion of the event, Falco says there will be an additional hour to connect with fellow seekers.

As with the Himalayas – known as a sanctuary for spiritual pilgrimages – Asheville similarly has a long history as a destination for spiritual development and healing. Its history spans from the indigenous Cherokee, who believed the Blue Ridge Mountains held a sacred healing energy; to the epitome of Western wealth, with affluent visitors (such as the Biltmore’s) opening sanatoriums and health resorts to seek relief from tuberculosis and other ailments in newly industrialized cities during the early 1900s; to present-day Ashville as a center for arts and alternative spiritual practices from a variety of traditions. 

The Westernization of the traditions of Yoga and Meditation often spark images of $99 brand-logo leggings; lessons of radical self-improvement with little focus on community; and commercialized classes and retreats out of financial reach to those who often need it most. On the flip side, the original Eastern traditions are often viewed by the West as unfathomable concepts and practices that can only be mastered by ascetics and renunciates. 

“These paradoxes and polarities highlight a key and unavoidable experience of being human,” explains Falco. “We all hold common the experience of duality. For the scientific-minded, think Newton’s Law. For every action, there is an opposite and equal reaction. For every over-stressed, well-to-do person, there is a possession-less, serene yogi. For every feeling, there is an opposite and equal feeling. With love, comes hate. With joy, sorrow. 

“But there is a way out of the pain caused by the endless turning between these opposites. There can be a sorrowless joy achieved through practicing Vishoka meditation, no matter what your life looks like.” adds Falco.

House of Yoga plans to develop other programs that will have the maximum impact and do the most good for all in the greater Asheville community. Falco says their long-term goal is to open a Meditation Center in the area that is accessible to all walks of life. “House of Yoga believes that no one group or person should be excluded from discovering the path to sorrowless joy,” he says.

“Bring a Yoga mat, any props you’d like, and an open mind towards greater connection,” says Falco. “We look forward to meeting, and sharing our mission with, the Asheville community.”

For more information on House of Yoga, you can check out www.HOYNC.org.   

_{Press Contact:} 

_{Nick Mangione}

_{(914) 760-2118 (c)}

_{[email protected]}