The CDC’s COVID-19 Community Level for Jackson County, NC is no longer available
Update 5/15/2023
The US government recently lifted the COVID emergency. Local governments are no longer required to submit to status reporting. Because of this, the CDC Community Level is no longer calculated or published by the CDC.
We have lifted our COVID restrictions, but we ask that you use common sense. If you are sick or showing signs of illness, please stay home. If you have not been vaccinated, please maintain social distancing or wear a mask.
If there is an outbreak, or the CDC publishes specific recommendations, we will evaluate and follow prudent procedures. If you feel more comfortable wearing a mask, please wear one! Masks are always welcome.
We have adapted our COVID-19 policy to reflect more general health safety guidelines. Please respect them.
Thanks for your patience over the past three years. It’s been a challenging journey, but we have learned so much from it!
Update 3/31/2023
We have lifted seating restrictions for our classes unless otherwise specified. We reserve the right to limit seating to avoid overcrowded conditions, especially if the CDC’s COVID-19 Community Level is Medium or High. Please plan to arrive at least 10 minutes prior to class start time to be seated.
Update 3/6/2022
We have updated our COVID-19 policy. Masks are recommended for all participants, however, we may relax requirements based on CDC Guidelines, and their weekly Community Level ratings for Jackson County, North Carolina. The masking recommendations are based on community health system load and number of cases reported in the county. Even if the Community Level is Low, please bring a mask with you when you visit, because we may need to accommodate those who are immune compromised, or in response to other circumstances. View our full COVID policy, and check the current CDC Community Level here.
Update 9/12/2021
Because of the rampant spread of more contagious strains of COVID-19, all participants and visitors are now required to wear appropriate face coverings. If all participants are vaccinated, they may choose to dispense with wearing masks, as long as every participant agrees.
Update 5/24/2021
The CDC and the state of North Carolina recently changed guidelines for indoor gatherings. Because of this, we are relaxing our COVID-19 requirements, listed above. We are expanding our capacity for activities to 12 people (number may be adjusted for certain activities). In order to avoid overcrowded conditions, we may require advance reservations for certain activities. While it always acceptable to drop in, please keep in mind that people with reservations will be given priority, and you may be turned away if we are unable to seat you.
Fully vaccinated guests will not be required to wear masks or maintain six-foot distance. We are asking that guests that are not fully vaccinated continue to wear masks and maintain proper distancing. For anyone preferring to maintain social distancing while participating in our classes for any reason, we can accommodate a limited number of distanced seats. Please let us know of any requirements or special requests prior to visiting the center to make sure we can accommodate your needs.
As always, if you have any questions, please contact us by email, or leave a message at 828 356-1105.
Update 8/7/2020
The governor’s latest executive order has extended Phase 2 for the longest period of time yet. The spread of the virus in our country over the past few months has been increasingly rampant and extensive. This, accompanied by a lack of a nationwide effort to coordinate a mitigation plan, makes it unlikely that there will be safer options for months to come. While we hope for the best, we need to be realistic about being able to safely serve our community in our limited space. Rather than relying on executive orders, we will turn to our medical community for a signal of positive change. When hospitals and nursing homes can safely reopen to visitors, it should be safe enough for us to do the same.
We will wait patiently until it is safe to gather again, accepting the current circumstances as “normal” until expanded opportunities are revealed. We appreciate your patience, too. We thank you your personal diligence in reducing exposure by wearing a mask in public, limiting exposure, and staying safe every day, and we ask you to join us in sharing healing energies and prayers for everyone affected by this virus, as well as their families and friends.
Meanwhile, we also thank you for your donations, which help us to meet our ongoing monthly expenses, and we encourage you to participate in our online activities.
No further updates will be issued unless there is a significant change in our ability to maintain our current schedule. Many blessings.
Update 7/17/2020
The governor has extended Phase 2 through at least August 7, 2020. Numbers in Jackson County have been steadily increasing over the past month. In the interest of safety, we plan to maintain our current Phase 2 schedule in place at least through Labor Day. Please review our COVID-19 precautions below (see 5/21/20 update) before visiting The Meditation Center. Thanks for your patience!
Update 6/24/2020
The governor has extended Phase 2 through July 17, 2020. Our current schedule and COVID-19 precautions will remain in place during this time.
Reminder: No classes the week of June 29-July 4.
Update 5/21/2020
The governor has lifted additional COVID-19 restrictions effective Friday, May 22, which will allow us to open for limited services. We want to take a prudent path, so we are proceeding cautiously.
We are prepared to re-open our facility for our weekly Open Meditation and access to our bookstore, beginning Monday, June 1, 2020 (Monday after Memorial Day). To ensure proper social distancing, we will maintain rigid COVID-19 precautions (last updated 6/29/20 – see most recent update, above)
All other in-person activities remain on hold. We will continue offering our weekly Saturday morning Zoom discussions, as well as recorded At-Home Healing Meditations and 3rd Sunday Metaphysical Lessons through at least June 26, when the next phase of reopening will be evaluated by the state.
We want your feedback! We understand that not everyone is ready for “reopening,” and with good reason. We ask that if you are one of our Monday “regulars” that you contact us to let us know whether you will be planning to come to the center on Mondays, so we can gauge our community’s readiness to participate. If there is enough of a demand, we would consider opening on Thursdays, so people can choose which day they come. Please send us an e-mail or call us to let us know whether you would partake of this opportunity.
Update 5/5/2020
Governor Cooper announced today that on Monday, May 8, the state will move into Phase 1 of his re-opening plan. This phase allows some non-essential businesses to reopen with restrictions, and allows larger outdoor groups with proper social distancing. Because this change does not affect requirements for indoor social distancing, the Center will remain closed for in-person activities. If you need something from our bookstore or need to meet with us personally, we can work with you to set up a private appointment, however, for now, we will continue with our current limited schedule at least through the end of May. Once Phase 2 begins (a minimum of two weeks after Phase 1 begins), we may be able to resume some activities with a limited number of participants. Meanwhile, please visit our Calendar, Classes, Meditations and Links pages of our website for activities and other content to keep you inspired during these unusual times.
Update 4/24/2020
The governor had extended the stay-at-home order through at least May 8. In anticipation of the order being extended even further, we are planning to continue our limited schedule of Saturday Discussion/Check-ins on Zoom at 11:00 am and At-Home Healing Meditations (on your own) on Tuesdays at 7:00 pm, and recorded monthly Metaphysical Lessons through the end of May. See the Classes page of our website for details on these activities. If conditions warrant an adjustment to this schedule, we will post changes here. Thanks for your patience!
Update 3/23/2020
We want to give you an important update to our schedule in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we are working hard to transmute energies of panic and fear, we also realize that we have to do our part to slow the spread of this virus.
With the announcement of tighter social distancing guidelines by the governor of North Carolina and by Jackson County effective March 25, we have decided that it would be prudent to discontinue in-person activities until such a time that group restrictions are lifted.
While we are not yet required to close, we want to be good stewards of our community. We want not only want to minimize exposure among our attendees, but also to ease the minds of those who may have general concerns about businesses being open as we work together to “flatten the curve.” While our work is important, we can hardly categorize it as “critical” in terms of the pandemic.
What to expect:
- We will have our Healing Meditation tomorrow, March 24 at 7:00 pm (maximum 8 attendees), after which we will discontinue all in-person activities until restrictions are lifted. The Meditation Center will be closed during this time, but we are available for appointments if you have a specific need.
- We will continue to share inspiring content through our website, social media, and e-mail.
- We always invite you to join us from wherever you are every Tuesday evening at 7:00 pm to meditate on healing our world. Just because we are not meeting in person doesn’t mean we can’t do great things together!
- We also will continue taking names for our Healing Book. Visit the Healing page of our website to add names to our prayer list.
We will keep you updated as this situation evolves. We appreciate your understanding and encouragement. Your ongoing support means a lot to us! Meanwhile, stay safe and keep us, and each other, in your thoughts and prayers.
Update 3/17/2020
We continue to keep an eye on the coronavirus situation here in WNC. We want to share the website for the NC Department of Health and Human Services, which provides guidance at the state level. Please refer to this website, as well as the CDC’s posted recommendations for guidance in planning your activities. Since our small classes are well within the current guidelines for group gatherings, we will proceed cautiously with our programs and precautions as described below unless the state or federal government add further restrictions. Meanwhile, we ask you to continue joining us in sharing healing energies and prayers for everyone affected by this pandemic. Thanks for your diligence!
3/12/2020
We trust that all is well with you, and that you are enjoying your week in a peaceful, sensible way. There is a great deal of concern about coronavirus around the world, and we are taking what precautions we can to keep The Meditation Center as safe as possible.
We plan to continue offering classes on our regular schedule, however, if our facilitators aren’t feeling well, we will take the prudent path and cancel classes for as long as necessary. Any changes will be posted on our website, Facebook, and e-mails.
Of course, we ask the same of you. As much as we enjoy your presence in person, if you (or anyone you live with) are not feeling well, or are showing any signs of cough or fever, please use good judgment and stay safe at home until it passes.
Meanwhile, we have our usual schedule of classes. We are always happy to see you, but if you choose not to be here, we understand. Either way, please keep all of us and our world in your prayers and meditations, especially on Tuesday evenings at 7:00.
Stay healthy, safe and diligent, and follow CDC recommendations, good hygiene, and good science. More importantly, use your power of discernment to avoid potentially dangerous mis-information that is being shared.
In the wise words of Andrew Jackson Davis, “Under all circumstances, keep an even mind!” (And if you have accumulated more toilet tissue or hand sanitizer than you reasonably need, please consider sharing your abundance with those who might be running short! )
Many blessings from The Meditation Center!