Rest, Relaxation, and Restorative Sleep Chi Gong focuses on simple, purposeful movements that emphasize deep, gentle breathing, slow, repeated motions, and movement of awareness and energy away from the head (where many of us get stuck with anxiety, repetitive thoughts, or mental busyness). This encourages a feeling of groundedness that promotes relaxation and improved sleep. The form is simple enough to enable students of all ages and skill levels to follow along and learn the form easily. Chi Gong --…

WHOLE PRESENCE QUANTUM SOUL RETRIEVAL Monday ~ April 15 – May 20 ~ 6-9PM Heartwood ~ 1818 Dempster St. ~ Evanston $470.00 by 3/25 ~ $515 after 3/25 This 7-week course teaches how to find and retrieve any missing parts of yourself that you have mistakenly given away or had taken from you. Your senses tell you this has happened if you: Feel someone has a part of you that you want back Find yourself exhausted after interacting with particular…

HOW TO BUILD UP YOUR ENERGY LEVELS Wednesdays ~ May 8 - 29 ~ 6-9PM Heartwood ~ 1818 Dempster St. ~ Evanston $335.00 by 4/18 ~ $380.00 after 4/18 Do your energy levels vary according to the people around you or your mood during the day? Do you want to not give our energy away or let others take it from you? To stay physically and emotionally healthy, you need to: Contact your Soul Connect with your Spirit Cultivate your Energy…

Summer Chi Gong for Health focuses on simple, purposeful movements that emphasize deep breathing, stretching, and gradual building of strength and flexibility. It includes a number of animal forms, so if you’re curious about Stretching Tiger, Standing Bear, or White Crane Flies Over the Ocean, this is your chance to learn! Chi Gong -- the mother of Tai Chi -- is an ancient Chinese form of exercise and moving meditation that strengthens the body, calms the mind, and encourages the…

DNA ACTIVATION LONGEVITY & RESILIENCE FOR BODY & SOUL Monday ~ June 3–24 ~ 6-9PM Heartwood ~ 1818 Dempster St. ~ Evanston $335.00 by 5/3 ~ $380.00 after 5/3 DNA holds the Divine Blueprint of perfection within us. It monitors and manages the growth, repair, rejuvenation and termination of every cell in the body. It is the regulator and timekeeper of each cell’s biological clock. DNA Activation returns purity and health to every cell in your body. It restores cellular…

~ Listening To Your Body ~ ...to help you deal better with chronic pain, health challenges and stress. Do you struggle regularly with physical pain? The class will show you ways to access the resilience, strength and tranquility that are inside you ~ to deal better with the stress of pain and health challenges. Dates: 4 Saturdays-June 15, 22, 29, July 13.(No class July 6) 10 to 11 a.m. Fee: $125.00 Location: Heartwood, 1818 Dempster, Evanston Class size is small…

Looking to take the guesswork out of marketing? Sick of banking on discounts and deals? Have the time to promote yourself but don't know where to start? Wish you could have a solid marketing strategy that actually works? * * * Introducing: The Empowered Marketing Workshop Series A 7-month group consulting program that will build your marketing strategy from the ground up. Join me and a small group of other big-hearted entrepreneurs on a monthly basis to build an honest,…

Chi Gong, sometimes called the mother of Tai Chi, is a form of exercise and moving meditation invented thousands of years ago in China to strengthen the body, calm the mind, and encourage the free flow of the life force.  Chi Gong may help with depression, mental focus, sense of balance, high blood pressure, sleep disorders, and lack of energy.  Properly done, Chi Gong is calming to the nervous system, and is an excellent tool for stress management. Eight Pieces…

“Focusing” on the living-sensing body in clinical practice.  Training in body-centered, mindfulness-based methods for therapists and other healers.   6 CEU’s available for social workers and counselors. Friday Sept 20  9:30 to 4. Heartwood Center  1818 Dempster, Evanston, IL Registration: $130. $115, if by Sept 1st. Space is limited. For more information, please contact:  www.marshasmithcounseling.com  smithhuemer@gmail.com. 847/323-1717  Click here to register. The workshop, based on ‘Focusing in Clinical Practice’, will help you show clients the wisdom and healing that resides inside…

Want to find your calm when times are tough?  Mindfulness and Focusing workshop starts Oct 5.   4 Saturdays, with Marsha Smith, LCSW. Interested to practice more self care in the coming months? You can use simple mindfulness and focusing practices to feel less stress in your life, work and relationships. A 4-session class starting October 5. 9:30 -11. Heartwood, Evanston. Oct 5, 12, 19, 26. Fee: $100. Single group sessions: $30. In a supportive group, you can learn to use…

How to Balance, Strengthen and Nourish Your Chakras The simple formula below is an amazingly powerful energizer, both physically and emotionally.  It puts you in good spirits.  You are in touch with your inner wisdom.  You get more effective with your goals and relationships.  Here’s the formula: Fill out a self-assessment check list for each chakra Learn their basic attributes: location, color, spin, etc.  Add some key words Put that together with easy-to-do movements Your check list tells you which…

Master Course for Shiatsu Practitioners Shiatsu practitioners have a unique requirement as bodyworkers: they have to influence energy in addition to tissue.  This involves a refined understanding of energy as well as a specialized skill set.  This Master Course series of four classes lays out the essential elements for developing that skill set . . . step by step. Using these skills, you can lead your client in the direction they choose for their health and happiness.  These same skills…

Mindfulness and Focusing Class Monthly, 4th Saturday, 9:30 to11 am (next class Nov 30) with Marsha Smith Interested to practice more self care in the coming months? You can use simple mindfulness and focusing practices to feel less stress in your life, work and relationships. Heartwood Center. Registration with Smithhuemer@gmail.com. Fee:$25.  In a supportive group, you can learn to use your resources of mind-body awareness to feel less stress. I also offer one-to-one sessions. Experience shows that you can become…

Winter lethargy got you down? Cleansing Chi Gong for Winter Rejuvenation may be for you! This beautiful, graceful form is designed to help to circulate Chi (the life force); calm the nervous system; enhance brain function by harmonizing the right/left brain relationship; revitalize the heart, lungs, liver, and other internal organs; and calm anxiety by encouraging us to center ourselves. This practice assists the body in ridding itself of toxins and strengthening the body. Chi Gong, sometimes called the mother…

Mondays, 5:30 - 6:30 pm Instructor: Arlene Faulk Website

Tuesdays, 5:30 - 6:30 pm Instructor: Arlene Faulk Website

Gather for a Women's Yoga Circle with Becky Paulin-Liston. For More Information: https://ptandy.com/classes-1 To Register: becky@ptandy.com  

Friday Meditation & Study, Fridays, 6:00pm - 7:30pm Upstairs, enter through east door This ongoing class includes a meditation session (instructions provided as needed), and study of an important Mahayana Buddhist text.   The class is currently studying Nagarjuna’s Letter to A Friend, a powerful classic text on leading a more generous, and uplifted life.    Copies of the main text will be available for use during the class.   Generally led by local teachers and sometimes by group members themselves.  All are welcome, even if not you have not attended any previous sessions and are not a Buddhist.  Suggested…

Sunday Morning Meditation, Sundays 10am – 11:30am Upstairs, enter through east door Includes chants, a reading and sitting and walking “calm abiding” (Shamatha) meditation.  The second Sunday of the month is usually an “Open House Meditation” geared toward newcomers, with a short talk and more extensive meditation instruction provided.  This is an Offering of  Mindrol Ösel Ling Meditation Center.  No charge, but donations are accepted with gratitude.   For more information -  www.mindroloselling.org or email info@mindroloselling.org. Please always email before coming for the first time to be sure the session is…

Mindfulness and Focusing Class 4th Saturday, 9:30 to11 am Heartwood Center Next class Jan 25, with Marsha Smith You can use simple mindfulness practices to feel less stress in your life, work and relationships. Register  Smithhuemer@gmail.com.  www.marshasmithcounseling.com  Fee:$25. In a supportive group, come learn to use your inner resources to feel less stress. Change your doubts about yourself and feel more self-compassion Become mindfully present to be calmer and more grounded Increase your sense of self-esteem and self-acceptance.

Do you ever feel like you are just rushing through your life or life is happening to you but you are not sure what it is all about? Do you feel like you are mostly functioning in survival or reaction mode, often not knowing why you think, feel or behave the way you do? Then join Boundless Massage Therapy and Personal Growth, in conjunction with Solful Gifts, for a Complimentary Presentation that might change Your Life! Wednesday, January 29, 2020…

Casual gathering for anyone with questions about meditation and/or Buddhism or who would like to just connect for a bit with others on the path. All are welcome - whether you are just curious, are new to the path and looking for greater direction, or have been engaged in Buddhist practice and study for a while but perhaps have questions you would like to discuss with others. Tea, coffee, and small treats will be offered. There's no charge, but donations…

Casual gathering for anyone with questions about meditation and/or Buddhism or who would like to just connect for a bit with others on the path. All are welcome - whether you are just curious, are new to the path and looking for greater direction, or have been engaged in Buddhist practice and study for a while but perhaps have questions you would like to discuss with others. Tea, coffee, and small treats will be offered. There's no charge, but donations…

Thursday evening 7pm-8pm: guided meditation, mindful movement, and discussion. Wear comfortable clothing. No meditation experience needed. Donations lovingly accepted.

Tuesday evenings at 7 pm providing a Buddhist-inspired approach to recovering from substance and process addictions.  All are welcome. If you are attending class for the first time, please text Larry for the door code and other instructions at (202)580-9313.  

Auspicious Day Practices The Heartwood Sangha observes several auspicious days each month that are tied to the lunar calendar.  On the eighth lunar day, we celebrate Green Tara, a manifestation to our awakened nature that offers protection from obstacles.  The tenth lunar day is Guru Rinpoche Day in honor of Padmasambhava, the second buddha who brought tantric Buddhism to Tibet and the dispeller of negativities in this degenerate age.  On the full moon day, we offer a feast for Vajrasattva,…

Please note: This series has ended, and a new series will begin in January. Meditación individual y en silencio, todos los niveles de meditadores estarán bienvenidos. Para aquellos sin experiencia, ofreceremos algunas guías antes de comenzar. Los que ya hacen alguna práctica específica, están bienvenidos a hacerla durante este tiempo y en este espacio.  ESTRUCTURA: Orientación y contestación a preguntas. Sesiones de Meditación de 5-10  minutos seguido por compartir de experiencias. FAVOR DE LLEGAR A TIEMPO Una vez comenzada la…

"As a member of the Heartwood sangha for over twelve years, I am stuck by how our lives are meaningful and unfold according to the deep wisdom that resides within us. In my new show "Honoring the Cycles of Life," the subjects of my collages resonate with the cycles of nature as they express their courage in exploring and engaging with their interior and exterior worlds. I hope that listening to my soul's wisdom in the creation of these collages…

Feel stable and strong in your body; peaceful and at ease no matter what life brings. This in-person class helps students identify and overcome movement patterns that contribute to pain. Mondays 9:30-10:30am Open to fully vaccinated students (masks required) Limited to 6pp Location: Community Room at Heartwood Center $20/class or$18/class if you buy a package of 5 BOOK HERE.

Guy Whitney exhibits art works reflecting inquiry into the nature of spirit, energy and the ways they manifest in matter. Join us at Heartwood Center’s Skylight room for the opening of Whitney’s show, “Energy Into Matter,” on October 8, 2021, from 6:00 to 8:30 PM New watercolor works on paper explore realms of mystery and perception of our world in the context of art.  Using a variety of techniques from frottage to dripped wax, Whitney is said to convey states…

This hybrid 3-class series introduces how Yoga techniques can stabilize and improve the scoliotic spine.  Learn breathing techniques to derotate the spine and customize which props you need to practice safely. Tuesday October 26 Tuesday November 2 Tuesday November 9 1:00-2:30pm Limited to 4pp (in-person) and 6pp (virtual live) Unlimited enrollment for those who cannot attend live but want the recordings Location: Community Room at Heartwood Center & Virtual (Zoom) $75 for the entire course Recording of all three sessions…

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Beginning this Saturday (11/6), we will meet in the shrine room at 1PM for a video course with Lama Tsultrim Allione called "Wisdom Rising."  This course will explore the empowered feminine in each of us, introduce us to the mandala principle and its importance to western and eastern psychology, and teach us how to use our practices to transmute the five main afflictive emotions into the five facets of primordial wisdom.  We will meet every Saturday at 1PM for 8…

Band name: The Leah Shoshanah Band Details of the event: Concert starts at 7:30pm. Doors open for guests at 7pm.   Event Description: Leah Shoshanah Band Concert and Open Mic   Join the Leah Shoshanah Band for an evening of funk, rock, folk, laughter, deep thoughts, dancing, lots of feels and some much-needed healing. There will be an open mic after the band plays their set. This very special event is also a celebration for Leah's birthday! Cost: sugg. donation of $10-$30 *a portion…

A Ritual To Dive Into Darkness And Welcome The Return Of The Light 12/20/21 at Heartwood 6:00-8:00 PM Facilitated by Grandmother Winter Jade Forest Whenever we are involved in ritual, we are bringing the past into the present, and from the present, we’re moving into the future. And so, each of us human beings stands as the link between the past and the future. And that is so vital. We find ourselves in a much bigger  story than our own…

Lok Kwan will be teaching Eight-Sectioned Brocade Qigong in the Skylight Room on Saturday, January 29th, 2022 Eight-Sectioned Brocade may be the most popularly practiced form of Qigong. It courses Qi in all the channels and benefits all the organs. You do not need to know anything about Qi: this practice will lead you to that understanding. There will be a morning and an afternoon class: Morning: 10:30AM - 11:45AM Afternoon: 1:30PM - 2:45PM See more details.

Tuesday, February 1, 2022 6:00 PM 7:30 PM As BIPOCS, we are often socialized to place the needs and well-being of others above our own needs and well-being. Yet, it is very important to be able to offer ourselves kindness. Published research demonstrates that greater self-compassion is linked to reduced stress, depression, anxiety, improved health behaviors, and enhances interpersonal relationships. If you would like to learn more and experience practices of self-compassion, come join us for a 90-minute live workshop…

 Reflections of the World in Light, Pattern, and Form Opening Celebration: Sunday, February 6, 3pm-6pm, featuring the music of Leah Shoshanah Wendy Segal is an artist based in Chicago.  Living in Chicago, her original inspiration was the extensive work of the impressionists at the Art Institute.  She was taught to draw by her father, perspective and dimension, at an early age.  By day she works as a business consultant and has had the opportunity to travel the world.  She works…

Join Jay Taylor (Sound Artist / Meditation Facilitator) and Katarina Stanisavljevic (Zen Shiatsu Practitioner / Instructor) for a uniquely healing experience in Heartwood Center’s Skylight Room. Saturday, March 12 7:00pm - 9:00pm Join Jay Taylor (Sound Artist / Meditation Facilitator) and Katarina Stanisavljevic (Zen Shiatsu Practitioner / Instructor) for a uniquely healing experience in Heartwood Center’s Skylight Room. To begin your practice you will be guided through a relaxing and opening movement meditation that will allow you to feel the…

Presented by Heartwood Cultural Awareness Committee Facilitator: Iris Jackson NCC, LPC, MCR March 26, 2022 @ 1pm-4pm, at Heartwood Can We Talk About Race in the 21st Century? “The Relationship Between Blacks and Whites in North America” This seminar focuses on the historical factors of racism in America and the institution of “White Supremacy” as it relates to the inequality, injustice, disenfranchisement, and generational wealth gaps of African-Americans in North America. The facilitator's objective is to provide a starting point to…

For details about the next Qigong Workshop, CLICK HERE.

I discovered these small mid-century train toy train figures in 2019 and quickly became excited about the many ways I could create stories with them.  They demand a kind of close and careful attention to detail and gesture.  Add a Hipstamatic digital camera lens and filters, and they come to life. Julie Marie Myatt: Playwright of Welcome Home Jenny Sutter. Photo by Jenny Graham. I am a playwright by profession and a teacher of playwriting at Northwestern University.  I have…

Using the timeless wisdom of the I Ching Saturday, April 16th  —  11am – 12pm Join us for a FREE Virtual Talk The last two years have caused a lot of us to reevaluate what’s important in our life and question how to find our purpose. The I Ching or Book of Changes, with it’s roots in Confucian and Daoist philosophy, is a great way to access your inner wisdom, answer questions you are struggling with and find direction in…

PLANTING SEEDS OF HEALTH AND HOPE: EMERGING STRONG FROM COVID The past couple of years have been really hard. This pandemic has overwhelmed and stressed us to the max. We’ve lost loved ones, jobs, health and confidence in our  experts and leaders. We are physically exhausted, emotionally spent and soul weary. We need an infusion of energy to nourish our body, mind and spirit . . . to recuperate and carry on. But is there anywhere we can look to…

Sunday, June 12th, 1:30-3pm Heartwood Center 1818 Dempster Ave, Evanston (Parking is available in the private lot behind the iron gate to the east of the building. Enter through the East side door with the door code 108) Donations welcomed.   We live in a fast-paced society with endless opportunities for personal, professional, and spiritual growth. How can we listen to what the energy of the moment is asking of us, to soften and rise within our deepest knowing, honoring ourselves…

Discover the radiance and spirit of the Fire element, the heart of joy! In this workshop, I'll be sharing everything I've learned about the Fire element according to Chinese Medicine. We'll have a meditation practice to recognize the qualities of the Fire element within, and to evoke our natural sense of radiance and joy. Read further details here. Included in this workshop: 5 Element Theory general overview In-depth Fire Element review and discussion Archetype outline Guided acupoint practice Fire element meditation…

Relationship Coaching 101 Tickets on sale at eventbrite. Admission $25. For more information, please email chicago.resiliencecounseling@gmail.com.

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Learn How to Embrace Your "Self-Esteem" Tickets on sale at eventbrite. Admission $25. For more information, please email chicago.resiliencecounseling@gmail.com.

In the Skylight Room, July 23 through September 30 Opening Reception: Friday, September 9, 7:00pm - 9:00pm Kinesis: Based on movement, Kinesis is an attempt to free myself from preciousness and let each painting breathe. Without any plans or sketches, each painting is done in a single sitting. I allow something outside of myself to move me and I work non-stop until the movement has finished. I love every painting in the series, but to let the work breathe I…

Heartwood Community CAC would like to invite you to our monthly Workshop. We hope you can attend this engaging group discussion about race in America particularly relating to African/ White Americans. Topic: How do we begin the healing process after many years of shame? Topic: CAC Race Relationships Time: Jul 23, 2022 01:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87133984750 Meeting ID: 871 3398 4750 Dial by your location         +1 646 876 9923…

Jessica Renner, LCPC, LSOTP, CEO, will be presenting her trauma workshop in the skylight room and via zoom on Tuesday July 26th from 5:30-7:30pm. This event is FREE for Heartwood Members! For more information: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/moving-towards-mastery-creating-competency-through-a-trauma-lens-tickets-372281653447

REGISTER HERE.