“If a living system is suffering from ill health, the remedy is to connect it with more of itself.” —Francisco Varela The explosion of research in neuroscience confirms the importance of touch and contact for human development and well-being—for regulating our emotions and our physiology. The Rosen Method  uses recepti…

The latest buzzword in wellness these days is mindfulness and for good reason. It has been shown to reduce stress, decrease anxiety and provide a greater state of happiness and peace of mind for those who regularly practice it. With its upcoming programs and events, combined with the skills of several of its practition…

Co-written by Marsha Smith, MSW, LCSW and Margaret Olson, LMT, CMLDT, NCTMB Marsha: Bodywork practitioners would like clients to be in touch with their bodies and connect with their felt experience. We would like our clients to listen to their bodies’ signals, because we trust their bodies to give them information to g…

Co-written by Marsha Smith, MSW, LCSW and Margaret Olson, LMT, CMLDT, NCTMB Margaret: When I first began my mindfulness practice in earnest, it never occurred to me to intentionally incorporate it into my massage practice. I found that I would slip into mindfulness from time to time during massages, but I somehow belie…

To Schedule Your Appointment Appointments are made by contacting practitioners directly at the numbers or email addresses listed. Core Members Bill Epperly, PhDMindfulness meditation is a powerful tool for cultivating peace of mind and present moment awareness. It is a path to embodiment, healing, and awakening to onen…

My life has been a journey of healing and growing driven by impacts from my own personal suffering, suffering of those in my inner circle and the suffering across humanity. I have recognized there is a connectedness with suffering; one’s suffering ripples out to others more than we can imagine.  Ultimately, I was not w…

Connecting Survivors of Guru and Teacher Abuse Heartwood offers a safe, compassionate space to heal and connect after physical, emotional, financial, spiritual, and sexual abuse in Buddhism. We are a community-based center in Evanston, Illinois committed to providing holistic health and meditation services. Our center…

Welcome to the Heartwood Sangha! We are a group of practitioners and students dedicated to bringing the buddhadharma into the our modern American culture in accessible, relevant, and creative ways. Whether you are new to Buddhism and looking for guidance along a path that can lead to less suffering in your life and the…

“The best thing to do when it is raining is to let it rain.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow Photo by Josh Hild (Pexels) What does it mean to let it rain when it’s raining? (Or snow when it’s snowing 😉 My answer points to a core tenet of Craniosacral therapy. Yesterday I was feeling agitated, angry, and distressed. I went t…

Give mindfulness a try. Not knowing what the future holds is one of the reasons why people feel anxious right now. That’s why it’s effective to try to be in the present moment, practicing meditation and mindfulness and focusing, which encourages you to notice what’s happening with your feelings in the moment in a compa…