This beautiful place we call home is full of a myriad of energies.  The community that has formed in the pocket of Asheville is a rich and diverse one.  As the world changes with what can often feel like a rapid pace, our spaces of community can feel uncertain and ever-shifting.  Two spaces in this community that have come to feel like a foundational part of my home in Asheville are the Racial Justice Coalition of Asheville and the Haywood Street Congregation.  I share them with you here in case they might be of interest to you too.

The Racial Justice Coalition has been a supportive force with my antiracism work. I’ve been connected with a solidarity circle, had the esteemed privilege of working with transcriptions of powerful interviews of Black residents of Asheville through the “Every Black Voice” campaign, and I’ve had the privilege of working alongside others as part of the Reparations are Due  campaign, supporting needed change both in this city and nationwide.

Antiracism work is a life-long journey.  Showing up for it, as a white person has been a process of coming in contact with shame, fear, and a lot of unconscious patterns.  The work is some of the most liberating work we can do as white folks and it brings us closer to all of humanity as we move into it.

Another space that I love and cherish here in Asheville is the Haywood Street Congregation in downtown, just about a mile up the road from my clinic space.  At Haywood Street, I have the honor of getting to know friends who are walking through life with courage and resilience.  To be without a home, without access to a kitchen to cook in, and a consistent space to lay your head at night is devastating.  Haywood Street has created a beautiful space called the Welcome Table which invites all people to eat together and be served together.  There are no rules about access to this food.  There is love and friendship and open hearts that are available to listen.  Haywood Street is a space that reminds me of the love that I am deserving of receiving and the love I have to share with others.  

I invite curiosity about these spaces at Medicine of the Heart. I invite conversation about spaces that make you feel connected to community. In the words of Brené Brown,

“Connection is why we're here. We are hardwired to connect with others, it's what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it there is suffering.” 

I believe that learning to connect to new spaces, spaces within us and outside of us that we have feared, shunned, and judged is what liberates us.  Medicine of the Heart is a space to connect with these spaces and allow them to breath and transform.