CNS in Asheville, North Carolina, USA
The Prama Institute (PI) started off the new year in January with a kiirtan concert featuring the well known kiirtan artist, Jai Uttal. The concert held on Friday night at Fuerguson Hall on the Asheville Buncombe Technical College campus attracted 300 participants. Jai Uttal conducted a kiirtan workshop in downtown Asheville on Saturday at One Center Yoga for 35 participants.
The Prama Institute Wellness Center which had opened in September continued to hold a monthly detox weekend with different themes. The January theme was Super Immunity for Winter and Beyond; February focused on Ayurveda and March on Highly Nutrient Foods. These programs while varying the content for an in depth nutritional education all included juice and vegetable broth graduated fasting, yoga, meditation, stress management and social support group sessions. The social support groups involved journaling, group discussion and supporting each other’s efforts at accomplishing individual health and life style changes. The PI Wellness Center completed construction of an additional private bedroom on the second level to increase our residential capacity to 10 individuals. The PI Wellness Center is now opening up our schedule to accommodate daily appointments on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Upcoming Programmes include a Yoga Detox and Rejuvenation Retreat (10 Days), with Dada Dharmavedananda and Ramesh Bjonnes, June 7-16, 2013. This comprehensive, week-long program will teach simple, effective techniques to take charge of one’s own health. Yogi and naturopathic expert Dada Dharmavedananda will give first rate, hands-on teachings in how detoxification and rejuvenation really works.
The group rentals for our Winter months at the PI domes included a number of yoga studios, Willmington Yoga, Blue Lotus from Raleigh, Asheville Yoga Center and Charlotte Family Yoga.
We have just conducted a work weekend in April that completed the landscaping for three areas of gardens in the rear of the PI and developed four raised beds for our Spring vegetable garden. The Women’s Welfare and Development Foundation (WWD-F) completed work on their greenhouse construction on their land and added a hydroponic system for year-round production.
Construction of the first community residence is nearing completion on the eco-village where those working on the Master Unit will live. When completed this house could accommodate two families and several single individuals. Preparation for the construction of a second house on the 25 acre eco-village next to the MU in now underway.