Hello Thursday.
April 25 2024
This is a part of our Q+A series. Know someone we should interview? Nominate them here.
Asheville is home to many talented creatives, and today we’re talking to one of the most inspiring of them all: Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis.
Omileye is a clinical mental health counselor + author. Her latest work, a picture book for children of color about yoga, meditation, and self-love that she wrote + illustrated, My Heart Flies Open, comes out today. Read on to find out which locals she most admires, how she hopes to see Asheville change, and the role yoga plays in uplifting the local community.
We love that we can hear the joy in this photo. I Photo courtesy of Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis
What's your name, title, and 3-5 things you want people to know about you?
- Omileye Achikeobi-Lewis, M.Ed. and LCMHCA. I am a mom, artist, author, trauma-focused counselor, kids yoga teacher, mindfulness teacher, and diversity facilitator.
- My name means “Water Gives Me Joy, Honor, and Dignity.”
- I was born in London to a Jamaican mother and Trinidadian father.
- I have 2 kids (15 years apart), and I am doing my Masters and Doctorate in Daoist Chinese Medicine.
Your children’s book My Heart Flies Open comes out today. Tell us about the book and your vision around it.
- My Heart Flies Open came out of a deep passion to see more diverse and representative issues of children of color within the yoga and mindfulness communities.
Achikeobi-Lewis credits yoga with providing peace in stressful times. I Photo by Kai Lendzion
How can yoga play a role in supporting and uplifting the local community?
- Yoga, especially when practiced with lots of breath work, is an overall tool for finding peace, discovering wisdom, and a place called home within ourselves.
Name 3-5 other local movers + shakers you’re watching.
- Katie Dalton of TAPAS
- Copland Rudolph of Asheville City School Foundation
- Honey, founder of DIFFERENT WRLD
What’s your favorite book?
- My all time favorite book is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
Use the buttons below to share this story with all your mindfulness-minded peeps.
Show
- Julien Baker | Tues., Sept. 7 | 8 p.m. | The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave. | $20+ | Indie rock singer + songwriter. 🎤
- Buzz Asheville TV | Tues., Sept. 7 | 6-8 p.m. | Rabbit Rabbit, 75 Coxe Ave. | Free | Watch the latest music videos from Asheville artists. 🎥
TryThis
- Literacy Together Volunteer Orientation | Tues., Sept. 7 | 5 p.m. | Virtual | Free | Learn how to help those struggling with literacy. 📚
- Acupuncture Happy Hour | Tues., Sept. 7 | 4-8 p.m. | Dr Loop OMD - Chinese & Ayurvedic Medicine Clinic, 188 Charlotte St. #1A | Free | Explore Chinese or Ayurvedic medicine.
Learn
Sports
- Asheville Tourists Vs. Rome | Tues., Sept. 7 | 6:35 p.m. | McCormick Field, 30 Buchanan Pl. | $12+ | Cheer on our Tourists as they take on the Rome Braves from Georgia. ⚾️
Plan Ahead
- Fringe Summer Nights | Wed., Sept. 8 | 7:30-9 p.m. | Sly Grog Lounge, 271 Haywood St. | Free | Experience eclectic and innovative art + performances.
We have a monthly guide filled with events + activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.
Weather
- 82º | Partly cloudy | 24% chance of rain
Community
- The City of Asheville’s Business Inclusion Office is launching AVL Pathways to Grow, a training program for established women + small business owners of color to grow their businesses. Wanna learn more? Register to attend an informational event either Mon., Sept. 13 from 12-1 p.m. or Fri., Sept. 17 from 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Drink
- Prost. The 12th annual Asheville Oktoberfest is set for Sat., Oct. 2 from 2-6 p.m. at Pack Square Park. Along with plenty of beer + cider, there will be music, food, a costume contest, chicken dance + other Oktoberfest games. Tickets, which are now on sale, will be capped at 1,000 guests to make space for social distancing.
Arts
- “How to Turn Poison into a Meal,” a new multisensory art exhibit from local artist Coco Villa, opens at the Elizabeth Holden Gallery at Warren Wilson College Thurs., Sept. 9. Featuring video, textiles, movement + more, it celebrates the artist’s female familial connections and invites viewers to do the same. Catch it through Oct. 2. 🖼️
Cause
- IFB Solutions Captain’s Choice Golf Tournament will take place Sept. 24 at the Grove Park Golf Club in Asheville. In addition to raising funds for blind children to attend summer camps, the event will feature blind golf champion Phil Blackwell. Get all the deets here. 🏌️
- SC-based 501C3 nonprofit The Greenlaw Foundation is raising funds through individual + community donations to help support struggling veterans. Donations are tax deductible and can help change the lives of veterans in need. Ⓟ
DYK
- Starting today, the Brevard Academy Charter School will offer a stand-up comedy club for middle school students that teaches joke structure and performance. Learn more about this fun + comical new venture in this podcast. (WNCW)
Finance
- This no annual fee cash back credit card has a wildly easy $200 bonus offer after spending $500 in the first 3 months. (Read: That's like getting 40% cashback on your next $500 spent.) Bonus: 0% interest on purchases for 15 months. Ⓟ
DealOfTheDay
- Affordable Bedding, Inc. | 10% off entire purchase the week of Labor Day | Mention AVLTODAY at checkout to receive discount | Expires Sat., Sept. 11, 2021 Ⓟ
We love this vintage image of 2 fearless mountain women Galacking, aka collecting the evergreen perennial Galax. Locals historically used Galax to treat cuts + kidney problems, but they also sold it to urban florists who prized its waxy, heart-shaped leaves as a base plant for floral arrangements.
While the foraging of Galax is now heavily regulated — due to an increase in unsustainable and illegal harvesting — it was once a viable way for locals to make money. So next time you happen upon this sweet little plant, be sure to admire its history as an Appalachian plant staple while also letting it remain safe on the forest floor. 🌱
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