news & features

Free song – available until Feb. 16!

Enjoy “You Can Make the Sun Shine” by GuruGanesha Singh from Kundalini Surjhee

This can truly lift your spirit on a dark day – or keep your spirits high!

Available until Feb. 16 – Made possible by SpiritVoyage.com

Click here to listen to: You_Can_Make_the_Sun_Shine

 

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Client Spotlight – Catherine Johns

Here is an interview with our yoga student, Catherine Johns, for whom we are deeply grateful!

“I’m usually at Heaven Meets Earth four or five times a week. I do a little bit of yoga at home; not as much as I should. And I’m completely convinced that inversion poses are the fountain of youth!”

Yoga is the first physical activity I’ve ever really liked. I had exercise in mind when I first started practicing yoga, but of course it’s much more than that.

There are certainly physical benefits to yoga. I’m stronger, straighter, and more flexible than I used to be. Yoga counteracts the shoulder-slumping-pulling-forward that comes from sitting at a computer, driving, and all the other activities that pull us out of alignment. Beyond all that, my yoga practice helps me get centered, grounded, and relaxed; it allows me to be really present in my own body. The inner work of it is at least as valuable as the doing-of-the-asanas.

Two big things I tell people about Heaven Meets Earth:

• The instructors are very good at what they do, and there are enough of them that everyone can find a class they like. It’s great to have such variety – different styles of yoga, different approaches to teaching, and different personalities. The same class that’s magical for me might be just okay for someone else … but everyone will find a class that’s exactly right for them.

• There’s a much stronger sense of community at HME than I’ve found at other studios … I love my fellow-yogis! There’s also more diversity, and that’s important. A lot of people my age refuse to even try a yoga class because they assume everyone there will be younger and fitter, wearing really cute clothes; they expect to feel self-conscious and weird.

Okay, so we have some cute young things at Heaven Meets Earth. But most of my classes include people of all ages and shapes and abilities; everyone’s accepted. I have some limitations that affect my ability to do certain poses. The teachers are good about offering variations, and I’m very comfortable doing my practice.

When I’m not practicing yoga, I coach women who want to develop a Compelling Presence. ( www.catherinejohns.com) You won’t be surprised to hear that in my workshops and individual sessions, I often recommend yoga classes.”

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In Our Community… ZUMBA FOR DIABETES

~ Dancing w/Suzy Crawford & Friends
~ Refreshments
~ Door Prize

 

Saturday, December 3 –  1:00-3:30pm

Evanston Unitarian Church — 1330 Ridge Ave., Evanston

Minimum Donation of $20 includes a chance to win a WGN NEWS STUDIO TOUR!

Sponsored by:
TYPE 1 DIABETES LOUNGE
www.type1diabeteslounge.com
Merle Gleeson 847.338.2634
merle@type1diabeteslounge.com

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Yoga Mats Donated to the Haitian Amputee Mothers Alliance

Message from Meaghan:
Dear Lisa,

Thank you so much for helping me get to Haiti. With your donation, I was able to learn the stories and witness the resilience of an amazing group of women. I believe that the yoga we did together brought them some peace of mind, in addition to physically preparing them for their new prosthetics.

There is a lot of beauty and a lot of pain in this world, but this experience gave me the inkling that if we approach both with open hearts and a universal spirit, beauty just might win out.

Much love,
Meg

Excerpt from Suzi Gurry’s volunteer story…

We were not first responders with medical backgrounds and we did not save lives. We did, however, lift spirits.  We were a team of compassionate women who had the time, energy and interest in caring for this small compound in Haiti run by our family friend, Gina Duncan. To be honest, we did what comes naturally to all of us. We played mother and friend to every single soul we met . We held babies. We introduced 2 year olds to the magic of MATCHBOX cars and bubbles. We donated 30 soccer balls and played soccer with toddlers. We built a library for the school. We made beaded necklaces, gave manicures and pedicures and taught YOGA to amputees. We applauded a one legged mother who mastered the warrior pose all on her own. We hugged and held hands. We sang and stumbled along with our French . We put babies to sleep. We let babies cry on our chests as they screamed to be held. We got newborns out of their cribs and walked them outside to feel fresh air on their faces. We pushed kids on broken bikes. We photographed the children, the staff and women in the amputee camp, sharing photos with family and friends of the foundation. (click here to read the rest of her story)

The women who participated on the trip: Suzi Gurry, Lory Eger, Madison Eger, Laura Clutterbuck, Tamerin Smith, Megan De Zara, Jeanne Atkinson, and Amy Alport.

Click here to learn more about HAMA.