Fi ndi ng

(Your)
Peace
St
or
y
an
d
P
by ho
To tog
dd ra
Bu phy
sh

Y oga is peace of mind, body and spirit. Its uni-

versal appeal offers many benefits. You may
ask, “Why would I want to explore yoga?” Initially
it may be to become more flexible—to be healthier, to
take your mind away from worries. Yoga can be those
things, but also something more—or maybe something
less. Practicing yoga is a truly effective way to unwind, re-
lax and yet be super-conscious of everything and nothing at
once. In those sweet moments, obstacles to peace vanish.
Often considered merely an exercise option, yoga itself
Yoga instructor Valerie
is more a state of calm—though the term yoga can refer to
the actual routine, concept of union or both. Originating in
Midgett lends her
India thousands of years ago, Yoga systems may appear foreign,
skilled hands to Lesley
yet parallels exist between its practices and our daily lives. Just
Hudson, gracefully as some people are more physical, mental, devotional, do good
performing the deeds or combinations thereof, the classical systems of yoga re-
“Inclined Plane” yoga flect and focus on one, some or all of our best temperaments and
pose at Neighborhood tendencies.
Yoga in Boone.

120 High Country Magazine August 2009 August 2009 High Country Magazine 121

“Now more than
ever there is a need
for inner peace.”
M ost styles of yoga taught in the West are derived from
Hatha Yoga, which helps practicioners develop control
over physical and physiological states through specific poses
called asanas, or breathing and relaxation techniques. This
is the yoga we usually hear about. Hatha is a Sanskrit word,
translated “sun-moon,” that means balance. Sanskrit is the an-
cient Indian language of yoga and its teachings, but learning
or using the Sanskrit terms is not required or, in many yoga
classes, not even used.
Yoga’s compatibility with modern day-to-day life recently
dawned close to home. I asked my father Nick how he was do-
ing and what he’d been up to. He told me of his yard work, of
his and Mom’s exercise class at the YMCA and of his new yoga
class. He wants to stay healthy, be relaxed, pain-free and main-
tain flexibility. He found a yoga-for-seniors class near his home
and attends when he can. Now that’s inspirational, considering
he began yoga just prior to turning 80.
Throughout human existence, one could nearly always say,
“Now more than ever there is need for inner peace.” And for
122 High Country Magazine August 2009
some, tough times become a personal wake-up call to find calm
within turmoil. We go on diets, exercise kicks, stir our religious
fervor, explore hobbies, hug trees—all good things, yet often
transitory. By working at happiness—as if it is somehow outside
ourselves or distant—we may be placing it on a shelf just out of
reach. Perhaps things are easier than we think. Along comes yoga
and it says, “Hey, we all already are a very beautiful complete
living being, capable of much, and all we have to do is remain
calm.” Yoga reveals this quite naturally by simple practice.
Finding out about yoga is easier than ever these days. You may
hear about it from friends or family. You can take a class from a
qualified teacher, find out about it in books, the Internet, from
libraries, local or international yoga centers, television or videos.
The High Country features several local options for exploring
yoga. In downtown Boone, Valerie Midgett has dedicated her life
to sharing yoga with the community in a grand way. She and her
husband Ed have, by design, built the Neighborhood Yoga center
on Water Street from the ground up exclusively for yoga.
Yoga in our contemporary Western culture of a new millenni-
An Interview
with Valerie Midgett of Neighborhood Yoga of Boone
Why did you build Neighborhood
Yoga in Boone?
My hope was that if I built it that
they would come. They have come
and that has been great. I feel that
if people want to find us they will
find us. It was less about building
a studio and more about building
community.
How did you get into yoga?
What brought me into yoga—
what brings a lot of people into
yoga—was the physical part. It
was a great balance for some of
the other physical things I was doing
like dance. It wasn’t until years into
the practice I realized there was so
much more to yoga than the physical
benefits. And that’s when it opened
up a whole new world to me. That is
the road that keeps me coming back to
yoga again and again and will keep me
in yoga as a lifelong practice.
Of course I still love the physical. I’m a
very physical person and that part appeals
to me—all the postures. It was not until later
that I found out there was this whole other
world of emotional, spiritual, ethical aspects
that are all yoga. What I’ve found over the years
is that what I learn on my mat during my asana
(postures) practice, whether it be compassion,
whether it be non-judgment, acceptance, all of
the things that I explore and learn from my yoga
practice I can apply to the rest of my life. So that
it is not just this self-serving practice for me but
one that affects everybody around me as well.
What it allows me to do is take my yoga off
the mat. Through my asana practice I can hone
in on those things. I can practice mindfulness,
and then from there I can take that into the world.
Rather than react to the world emotionally, in-
stead I can act with mindfulness and integrity.
And that is what my yoga practice has brought
me. That is what is most dear to me.
To me, everything is yoga. Everything is yoga!
It is that idea of union. So I think that in every
aspect of our life we can learn through yoga.
Whether that union is with your own body, your
mind, your breath or with your inner self, the di-
vine self. Whatever it is, it is all yoga. I think it
just teaches us a lot of these lessons.
What about options for seniors?
We had a 95-year-old woman in class re-
cently and she was my inspiration as a teach-
er. Her daughter brought her here. As far as
someone coming here who is 80 years old, I
would send them not to the basic class be-
cause basic does not necessarily mean gentle;
I would suggest that they go to the gentle class.
The gentle class can be for anybody. It can be
for an octogenarian, it can be for somebody that
is recovering from an injury, somebody who has
just experienced childbirth or maybe just some-
one with a very limited range of motion. It is not
just for the elderly. But there is a difference be-
tween basic and gentle. In basic we really take
time to break down very specific alignment for
individuals within the postures. Not that we are
not doing that in gentle but we’re taking a differ-
ent approach and emphasis.
I would also like to address our teacher-train-
ing program. Some individuals go through the
nine-month training specifically to teach, while
others are more interested in deepening their
own practice and experiencing some of the oth-
er aspects of yoga including the philosophical
and spiritual aspects.
Those teachers are now going out into the
community and taking yoga way beyond the set-
ting of the studio. They are teaching at places
like Watauga Youth Network, Crossnore School,
OASIS, the pubic schools, Hospitality House,
with breast cancer patients, pulmonary patients
and in the Latino and Hispanic community and
beyond. They are teaching in all different aspects
of the community. That of course really reflects
the studio in such a positive light and demon-
strates where yoga can take people. There is a
yoga class and teacher out there for anyone who
keeps an open mind about it. You’re never too
old or too young. Our youngest students here are
newborns or actually not even born yet. We do
pre-natal and mama-baby yoga.
We are also part of a nonprofit chapter called
Karma Krew. We go out into the community every
month. We take yoga into the community and do
a service project with a particular organization.
So we have been to the community gardens,
we have been up to Beech Mountain to Genesis
Wildlife, up to Elk Knob doing trail maintenance,
we’ve been to OASIS—the list goes on and on.
That is part of our community service project.
In addition to about 15 classes a week in vari-
ous levels and styles of yoga, we also do an an-
nual yoga retreat, this year in Maya Tulum, Mexico
from November 21 to 28.
Is there anything you would like to share
about yoga in general?
I would like to leave you with a quote from one
of my teacher’s teachers, Swami Satchidananda:
“Yoga is not about how flexible or how strong
you are, but instead it’s about having an easeful
body, peaceful mind and useful life.”
Namaste.
August 2009 High Country Magazine 123
 Many yoga poses are not difficult.
Octogenarians Nick and Dorothy Bush
practice “Mountain Pose” which improves,
posture, balance and self-awareness.
um is evolving and taking on many forms,
some more authentic than others.
Yoga techniques emerged as procedures
to restore wholeness. Yoga is not a reli-
gion and is practiced by followers of all
traditions as well as by those of no affili-
ations. Anyone can practice yoga. One of
the clearest explanations describes Yoga as
a unification of attention and awareness
with our essence of being.
124 High Country Magazine August 2009
Yoga is classically taught from teacher
to student of any age, interest and back-
ground, from many levels of motivation
and abilities. Originally it was passed
down through oral tradition, and then
sometime around 2,500 years ago a
scholar from India is credited with writ-
ing a revealing, concise but comprehensive
manual on yoga known as Patanjali’s Yoga
Sutras. This guidebook in its first threads
of wisdom basically explains: Yoga is a
calm mind, which reveals peace. Other-
wise, stuff happens.
The book goes on to elaborate on yoga’s
components: leading a responsible whole-
some life, exercising your mind and body,
relaxing and ultimately being clear or
realizing we already are clear once calm.
The eight components of yoga are: ethical
living, moral soundness, healthy posture,
breathing with vitality, worthy focus,
openness, meditative calm and oneness.
Meditation is also yoga. Meditation and
yoga techniques encourage healthiness
of mind and body. Roy Eugene Davis, a
Western authority on yoga stated, “Medi-
tation and yoga are natural processes of
withdrawing attention from external con-
ditions and directing it inward to a cho-
sen focus of concentration. Side-benefits
of regular meditation and yoga have been
widely reported. These can include stress
reduction, strengthening of the body’s im-
mune system, improving powers of con-
centration, memory and slowing of bio-
logic aging processes. For these reasons,
regular meditation and yoga are now in-
creasingly recommended by many physi-
cians and other health practitioners.”
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A Simple
Meditation
Technique
Meditation is also yoga. Meditation and
yoga techniques encourage healthiness of
mind and body. Here is a simple meditation exercise.
1. In a quiet place, find a comfortable
upright-seated position.
2. Close your eyes, breathe and relax.
3. As you breath in, mentally recite,
hear or feel “calm.” As you breathe out,
mentally recite, hear or feel “peace.”
Any word or phrase you relate to
can be used in the technique above.
Synchronize the word or phrase with your
natural breathing rhythm for 10 minutes
or more. Try it every day for a week, then
longer if you like. Should you at any point
in meditation find yourself residing in
thought-free silence, just abide there in the
stillness and leave off the technique.
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August 2009 High Country Magazine 125
 Blowing Rock EstatE JEwElRy

Below: Master sitar musician Hasu Patel and her student

Todd Bush reunited for a tour of yoga ashrams of India
this year are shown here in Baligai. Hasu performs
concerts and workshops on yoga’s connection with
music. Photo by Anil Patel

Celebrating Our 22 Anniversary

nd
167 SUNSET DR. • BLOWING ROCK, NC 28605 • 828-295-4500

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BUYING, SELLING,

OR DEVELOPING REAL ESTATE, CONTACT
TODD A. RICE
Top: Meditation retreat attendees in “Cobra Pose”
during morning Hatha Yoga classes. This pose or
posture can be done a number of ways, including BROKER / REALTOR
gently without much stretch. Like many yoga BLUE RIDGE REALTY AND INVESTMENTS , LLC
poses, the “Cobra Pose” is best practiced while
observing physical limitations and under the
guidance of a qualified teacher.

Above: Roy Eugene Davis explains a specific type of

yoga known as Kriya Yoga, which uses intentional

G rowing up as a Catholic boy ques-
tioning the norm in the transitional
1970s, I reveled in yoga and Eastern phi-
losophy books furnished by my well-read
brother Bruce. The 1970s were an early
era for yoga when it gained a more pub-
licly accessible popularity in Western so-
ciety. Transcendental Meditation, Bible
and Gita study, yoga classes, metaphysical
explorations and nightly reads from Auto-
biography of a Yogi captivated my teenage
attentions.
In 2007, I attended a weeklong medi-
tation retreat, which also offered daily
Hatha Yoga classes by guest teacher
Norma Chirolla of the Yoga Institute
of Atlanta. After a week of training and
Norma’s instructional video in hand, I
refined a more serious home practice.
Being a homebody regarding anything
that resembles exercise (other than hik-
ing, biking and swimming), home study
works out best for me (though each time
I get around a real teacher or am in a
classroom setting, it’s obviously a more
effective track for proper form). Two dear
friends, Caron & Jack Krier, formerly
of the High Country, now teach yoga to
nearly 400 students a week in Florida.
During our visits together they graciously
suggest postures and adjustments to my
practice, which have also greatly helped.
My next major boost came while trav-
eling in India this past January, where
I learned the time-honored Sivananda
90-minute daily yoga routine. This partic-
ular routine includes: relaxation, breath-
ing exercises, sun salutations (a flowing
warm-up series) plus 12 postures—some
actions to restore the practitioner’s awareness to
wholeness.
easy and some more challenging. DEVELOPMENTS , EXQUISITE HOMES ,
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India is another story in itself, where
yoga is life. One example reflecting this
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Bengal in beautiful Pondicherry. Each sun- MOBILE : 828/ 773-9491
rise finds forms of folks silhouetted on the
EMAIL : TRice@BRRI.net
shoreline expressing yoga, meditation and
breathing exercises side by side. www.ToddRiceRealEstate.com
LICENSED IN NORTH CAROLINA AND TENNESSEE

126 High Country Magazine August 2009 August 2009 High Country Magazine 127

B ack in the states on the grounds of
a meditation retreat my wife Lo-
rie and I recently attended, an idyllic,
pre-dawn spring morning complete
with birdcalls and a gentle sky glow
awakened us from peaceful slumber.
Venus was piercing the eastern sky
through tall pines and our window’s
wispy sheers. We spent a fun, relax-
ing, even enlightening week learning
of yoga, meditation and Ayurveda—
an ancient Indian science promoting
complete health.
Each day’s events began with half
an hour of meditation and an option-
al hour of Hatha Yoga, followed by a
wholesome breakfast. The meals, all
delicious, organic and vegetarian were
all served with much love by staff and
volunteers. This retreat, like many yoga
Like many yoga studios, the windowsill and
surroundings of Neighborhood Yoga reflect a
unique mixture of east meets west. After all, yoga
represents a union.
128 High Country Magazine August 2009
centers (or ashrams) in India, manages
to run on a donation basis without even
suggesting amounts.
Morning talks introducing and in-
structing various meditation practices
were given by Roy Eugene Davis, the
director of the yoga center. A teacher
of yoga meditation for more than 50
years, Davis was born on a farm in Ohio
and began his interest in yoga by read-
ing books from his local public library.
One book in particular, Autobiography
of a Yogi, attracted him at age 18 to head
west to California to meet its author.
There he found and later became initi-
ated into Kriya Yoga and how to teach
it by Paramahansa Yogananda, whose
landmark book, originally published in
1946, introduced millions worldwide
to yoga—myself included. Yogananda
Namaste
Finding your peace can be anywhere. These
exquisitely spun tales of his turn of the
century childhood discoveries of the
seemingly plentiful and amazing yoga
Pondicherry, India residents and visitors greet
the day at water’s edge. May your happiness,
masters of India he encountered. The however you know it, be with you always.
book explains the teachings of yoga
while releasing the imagination and
inspiring inner exploration.
T hrough study, classes, meditation
and practice, the highlight of it all
for me was to share in yoga with my
Dad one fine day and look over at him
as we concluded. With both of our
hands joined prayerfully, we sat con-
nected to what connects us all. “Na-
maste” we whisper. This wonderful
blessing or greeting that means I bow
to that in you, which is the same as that
w
in all of us.
For More
Information
(on the resources mentioned in this article)
Neighborhood Yoga: Roy Eugene Davis, Hasu Patel,
www.neighborhoodyoga.net Meditation Retreats and CSA Sitarist and classical
212 Water Street, Boone, N.C. 28607 www.csa-davis.org Indian music/yoga
828-265-0377 P.O. Box 7, Lakemont, Ga. 30552-0001 workshop facilitator.
cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline
706-782-4560 http://www.hasupatel.com/
Monthly Classes on Foundations cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline
of Yoga by Todd Bush Sivananda Yoga Centers Worldwide
cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline cutline
www.meditateom.com/csahcnc/ www.sivananda.org
There are additional yoga instruction options in the High Country.
For listings - please check local newspapers and the internet.
August 2009 High Country Magazine 129