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Sustainable Flow
Written By: Donna Rhodes | Issue: 2016/07 - July | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography
Yoga teaches humility and co-existence when it comes to taking care of our Crown Jewel, the Chattooga.
Ashby Underwood, Yoga teacher and owner of Yoga Highlands, is all about the flow. When the inner (the mind, body, and spirit) are in sync with the outer (nature/environment), we are in the flow.
It’s one thing to apxpreciate this metaphor; it’s quite another to manifest it in the real world. Ashby, along with Mary Abranyi, owner of Cashiers Valley Fusion, have done just that. They declared “July A Yoga and River Awareness Fundraiser Month” for the Chattooga Conservancy.
The Conservancy, based in Clayton, Georgia, protects the wild and scenic land/headwaters of our Chattooga River, dubbed the Crown Jewel of Southeastern rivers. Highlands and Cashiers are sisters in this venture. They are home to Chattooga’s two fountainheads.
The Chattooga, part of the Savannah River Basin, is 60 miles long and travels through three states and three national forests. It is the longest and most biologically diverse river in the Southeast. It is also the salamander capital of the world.
But protecting our crown jewel isn’t cheap. The Conservancy’s initiatives require funding, which comes mostly from individual donors, a.k.a. community. Ashby and Mary make it easy for Highlands and Cashiers to donate at collection stations in each studio during July.
The highlight of July’s fundraiser is on July 30 at 2:00 P.M.
Ashby says, “We will meet at the Iron Bridge and award our contribution to Buzz Williams and Nicole Hayler, Conservancy people who live to protect this invaluable river.”
The public is invited. Hike the area (bring snacks) or simply feel the rush of the river as it heads south on its journey to the Atlantic.
Before July 30, stop in for a yoga session and get in the flow with an inner (give with your heart) and outer (give with your checkbook) experience. For more info on the Conservancy, visit chattoogariver.com, or donate by mail to Chattooga Conservancy, 9 Sequoia Hills Lane, Clayton, Georgia, 30525. For Yoga info, visit yogahighlands.com and cashiersvalleyfusion.com. It’s time to get in the flow.
