Zen & Now

About Us Asheville Community Yoga is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit center for individual and community transformation offering donation-based yoga, Qigong, mindfulness based programs, meditation, workshops, introductory immersions, teacher trainings, continuing education, yoga in Spanish, yoga for seniors and kids in Asheville, NC. We inspire and empower citizens to live healthier, active, and well-informed lives that contribute to an inclusive and compassionate society. All classes, workshops and events at the center are free for people who cannot afford to pay. For people who are able to pay, the suggested “Love Offering” amount is $5 to $15 for regular classes and $15+ for special events and workshops. The center is funded through generous donations from students, local businesses and organizations. Asheville Community Yoga was built on the foundation of Karma Yoga (selfless service), and all the teachers practice karma yoga by offering their time and talents completely for free. It has become a home for some of the finest teachers in the area and an educational center for recently graduated yogis and yoginis. Teachers would say that the benefits of the community are as much for the them as the people they serve. Asheville Community Yoga has become a melting pot where people from different socioeconomic backgrounds, cultures and ages come together to practice. We see students, seniors, servers, bartenders, public servants, doctors, attorneys and accountants,—among others,—showing up and practicing next to each other. Asheville Community Yoga is not simply a yoga center, but a comprehensive and tightly wedded community with a purpose. The state-of-the-art center is equipped with everything needed for practice – mats, blocks, bolsters, straps. Upon first entering the center, many people comment on its beauty and describe their time here as a “haven” and “mini-retreat.” In only seven years, Asheville Community Yoga has grown from just one person offering free yoga classes two nights a week, to a community of more than 16,000 members with a team of over 65 teachers, a board of directors, and thirteen staff members, offering up to 23 classes daily. In 2015, fundraising for an expansion commenced, and students and donors contributed $235,000 and 1600 hours in labor and expertise toward a 3600 square-foot expansion. A third studio, two rooms for healing arts and small classes, as well as a 125 space parking lot, garden, and 7 additional bathrooms opened in 2017. A healthy foods café will be completed in early 2018. Future plans for Asheville Community Yoga include outreach to local schools, hospitals and rehabilitation centers, yoga for veterans, low-cost childcare, healthy eating and cooking classes, and support groups. With the eventual incorporation of adjacent land and properties, Asheville Community Yoga will become a genuine campus including an institute for the healing arts. The center strives to be a demonstration of what service is and encourages its members to get involved in any way they can. At Asheville Community Yoga, we believe that participating in community and being of service enhance every person’s physical, mental and spiritual health, and radiate a positive influence through surrounding families, communities, and workforce. Our aim is to ensure that the resources of Asheville Community Yoga remain accessible to everyone, regardless of their socio-economic status. Built on a sound financial footing, Asheville Community Yoga promises to remain a beacon for generations to come.