Saturday, January 18 and Sunday, January 19, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

This course builds on the knowledge, skills, and insights acquired through the Therapeutic Touch Foundations course and regular TT practice. This course supports and enhances the learners’ evolving and deepening understanding of Therapeutic Touch practice. It includes more hands on practice, reflective inquiry, and self-inquiry exercises.  We will explore in-depth approaches for assisting individuals with a variety of health challenges. And, as always, peace and healing is the nature of the class for all who come. This course satisfies the second class required for the credential of Qualified Therapeutic Touch Practitioner (QTTP).

Please bring a vegetarian sack lunch each day. Tea, water, and snacks are provided for breaks. Bring a shawl or throw to keep you warm. 

Marilyn Johnston-Svoboda, RN, EdD, QTTT, is a retired professor of nursing and is a member and educational trustee of the Therapeutic Touch International Association. Janet Dean, RN, QTTP, a registered nurse and a Qualified Therapeutic Touch Practitioner, has devoted nearly 20 years of her career to hospice care. She is author of Peaceful Passages: A Hospice Nurse's Stories of Dying Well . Lisa Leamy, RN, BSN, QTTP, is a Therapeutic Touch Practitioner at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and presents for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of DuPage.

$100 per person (includes a booklet and handouts)

Register here

Saturday, January 25, 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Nurture your spirit through rhythm and meditation. Based on a blend of traditions, this Spirit Circle draws on our most ancient roots to creatively raise group energy. Astrological influences will be included as well as honoring Chinese New Year, which celebrates an end to the coldest days and prepares us for the upcoming planting season.

Each round will begin with a chant or Native American style flute song. Rhythm instruments will gradually come in until the drumming reaches its natural conclusion. There will be a few moments of silent meditation, taking in the energy that was raised and then sending it out as prayers and blessings. The energy will then be grounded. This is a safe place to connect with your deepest wisdom, honor your inner guidance and create more love and light for yourself and for the universe. You are welcome to bring your own drums, rattles, or rhythm instruments as a limited number of shared instruments will be available.

Karen Tlusty-Rissman is a musician, astrologer, artist and celebrant of Spirit. She currently leads a variety of meditation classes in the western suburbs and has facilitated sacred circles for over 35 years. She weaves the common threads from many Earth-centered traditions as well as astrology, aromatherapy, and energy work to provide participants with a direct connection to their inner Source. Karen plays the Native American flute, concert flute, bass guitar, Tibetan singing bowls, and gong. She is available for private consultation, meditation classes, musical performances, and lessons. Visit songoftheplanets.com.

$20 in advance, $25 at the door

Register here

Saturday, January 25, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Pain is not meant to be tolerated; it's a catalyst for change. Join us to explore the fundamentals of Thai bodywork developed over 2,500 years ago by Buddhist monks. Comprised of deep compressions and assisted stretching, its focus is to balance circulation so the body may heal itself. This introduction will demonstrate basic principles and techniques that can be used to alleviate your own chronic aches with ease. Please bring a yoga mat or blanket and a tennis (or similar size) ball.

Jessica Amorosa has studied Thai bodywork and Buddhist medicine in depth for over five years. Passionate about her work, she visits Thailand yearly to study with her teacher. She recently returned from her most recent trip, and has resumed offering Thai bodywork healing sessions at the Quest Book Shop.
TS members: $15 • Nonmembers: $20 • $25 at the door

Register here

You can also join Jessica for her Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Changing Your Life class beginning Wednesday, February 26.

Resting in the Natural Process of Quieting

Friday, January 31, 7:00 p.m. – Sunday, February 2, 3:30 p.m.

Breathing is an opportunity to come home to our bodies and simple realities. This retreat will explore mindfulness centered in breathing as a meditative path. As we settle into moment-to-moment experience, the breath guides us into further sensitivity and quieting. As we rest in inner calmness and clarity, we gain insight into the sufferings we must let go of. This process need not be as hard as our habits make it. Benefits include an increase in comfort and joy, along with expanded curiosity and inquiry.  

Santikaro has been practicing and teaching this path of meditation along with broader Buddhist teachings that inform it for more than three decades. He adapts his teacher’s meditation guidance to the needs of Americans today, especially here in the Midwest. With his wife Jo Marie, he looks after Kevala Retreat, a refuge for silence and contemplation in southwest Wisconsin (www.kevalaretreat.org).

As space is limited, early registration is encouraged.

Schedule

Retreat sessions, meals, private lodging—$350
Retreat sessions, meals, shared lodging—$250
Retreat sessions, meals—$175

Register here

Join Santikaro on Thursday, January 30 for his talk Buddhist Perspectives for Times of Anxiety & Conflict.

Saturday, February 8, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.

Experience Native American drumming with the power and intensity of the full moon, as Topa Tate, a Mescalero Apache teacher, leads you through beautiful Native American traditional native drumming and medicine songs. Tap into the powerful energies emitted by the full moon and its meaningfulness. 

Increase your vibrations and feel the empowering effect of drumming with purpose and fortitude. 

There will be a gentle breathing exercise and a wonderful creation story told about the ceremonial aspect of drumming. Open to the healing energy of a native song with drumming through the traditional aspects of the sacred circle. Please bring a drum or rattle if you have one.  

Billie Topa Tate’ is the founder of MSI Wellness Center. She is Mescalero Apache and is dedicated to “Creating a Sacred Place One Person at a Time” through the indigenous native teachings of her teachers. Topa Tate’ has lectured and taught at Northwestern University, The Cancer Treatment Center of America, and more. Her work has been published by several magazines, and is the author of several meditation recordings. She is dedicated to being of service to anyone who is seeking wellness, mindfulness training, and spiritual growth. 

TS Members: $35 • Nonmembers: $40 • $45 at the door  

Register here

Join Billie for her talk A Native Guide to the Spirit World on Thursday, February 6.

Saturday, February 15, 10:30 – 4:30 p.m.

Based on the concepts presented in his Thursday night lecture, "A Cosmic Perspective on Human Consciousness," Pablo Sender will lead a series of guided meditations geared toward attuning our individual consciousness with its universal roots. The retreat will consist of four short presentations explaining the different techniques to be used, followed by 30-minute practice sessions, which will start with guided meditations before passing into silent work. 

Pablo Sender, PhD, became a member of the Theosophical Society in his native Argentina and has presented Theosophical lectures, seminars, and classes around the world. He is the author of Evolution of the Higher Consciousness, and his articles have been published in several Theosophical journals. Learn more at his website: www.pablosender.com.

TS members: $60 • Nonmembers: $70 • $80 at the door

Register here

Join Pablo for his talk A Cosmic Perspective on Human Consciousness on Thursday, February 13.

Friday, February 21, 7:00 p.m.

Relax and bathe in the sounds and frequency of crystal bowls. Their vibration brings harmony to the etheric, emotional, and physical bodies, shifting the brain into higher states of consciousness, slowing down thoughts, and opening the heart to healing. Deeksha, or the Oneness Blessing, creates balance in the hemispheres of the brain, releases fear, and invites the higher frequency of love to enter, allowing us to reconnect with our spiritual essence.  

Yolanda Lozano has over 20 years of extensive bicultural training in the healing arts from master teachers in India, China, and the United States. She integrates breathing techniques, toning and chanting, meditation, movement, vibrational energy healing, and self-care while listening to the True Self within. For more, visit www.yolandahealinghearts.com. 

Wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a mat and/or blanket to lie on. 

$30 in advance, $35 at the door

Register here

Saturday, February 22, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

T'ai Chi Qigong Shibashi is a gentle, beautiful, flowing exercise routine that is energizing and deeply relaxing, bringing health and vitality to all who practice it. The gentle rocking motions and stretching movements improve circulation and digestion and reduce physical tension. The controlled breathing reduces stress and anxiety, helping calm the mind. It also helps regulate heart rate and blood pressure, boosting energy. T'ai Chi Qigong Shibashi is a gentle, yet highly effective exercise routine that is suitable for adults of any age or fitness level. You will be guided through simple forms and exercises to improve balance and flexibility, enhance breathing and circulation, and relax both body and mind.

Please wear comfortable clothing and flat shoes. 

John Robertson has nearly 20 years of experience practicing and teaching T'ai Chi Ch'uan and qigong and is a student of Taoist philosophy. He is a Level 7 Certified Qigong Instructor with the World Ki Gong Club and a Certified Advanced Instructor and professional member of the National Qigong Association. John owns Seven Stars Martial Arts in Winfield. (www.7StarsMA.com). 

TS members: $60 • Nonmembers: $70 • $80 at the door

Register here

Register for John’s class Yang Style Simplified T'ai Chi Ch'uan (24 Postures) class beginning February 10.

Saturday, February 29, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.

Dreams arise from a larger field than our everyday consciousness inhabits, and often come to us in a language and landscape all their own. By engaging with our dreams, their meanings can reveal what we need to know for greater health and wholeness. Learn the unique symbolic language of dreams, why we should pay attention to them, and how to better recall dreams. We will also discuss willing participants’ dreams in an engaging, interactive group process to help reveal their deeper meaning.

Please come with a pad of paper and pen as well as a recent dream written out. If it’s long, perhaps write out only the part that has the most energy for you. Though we will not have time to work everyone’s dreams, all participants will leave with insight into their own dream worlds.

Susan Pannier-Cass is an ordained interfaith minister, kundalini yoga and meditation teacher, and is the spiritual director at the Claret Center in Hyde Park. She is a student of the Jungian Studies Program (JSP) at the Jung Institute in Chicago. For more information, visit www.sacredsoulfood.com.

TS members: $30 • Nonmembers: $35 • $40 at the door

Register here

The Ten Dharmas of Naropa

Friday, March 6, 7:00 p.m. – Sunday, March 8, 3:30 p.m.

Of all lineages of enlightenment training in Tibet, one of the most popular and powerful is that known as Naro Chodruk, "The Six Dharmas of Naropa," which was translated into English in the 1930s as "The Six Yogas of Naropa." In fact, the six are always taught in connection with four supplementary Dharmas, making ten in all. The most important of the ten is tummo, or "Inner Fire." In this retreat, Lama Glenn Mullin will provide teachings and guidance that will establish participants in the basics of this yogic training.

Lama Glenn Mullin trained in Tibetan Buddhism in the Himalayas for 15 years, and has published some 30 books on Tibetan Buddhism. He has taught Buddhist meditation for the past 30 years, often touring for six months of the year through North America, Asia, and Europe. He also leads pilgrimages through the sacred sites of Nepal, Tibet, and Bhutan each year. For more visit www.glennmullin.com. 

As space is limited, early registration is encouraged.

Retreat sessions, meals, private lodging—$350
Retreat sessions, meals, shared lodging—$250
Retreat sessions, meals—$175

Register here

Join Lama Glenn Mullin for his talk The Bodhisattva Ideal in Today's World on Thursday, March 5.

Friday, March 13, 7:00 p.m.

At the core of all healing, meditative, and spiritual pursuits is the goal to expand an individual’s awareness. Experience a uniquely layered, multi-dimensional tapestry of sounds designed to relax and invigorate you simultaneously. Permeate your mind and body in a colorful environment of ambient and ancestral sounds of five large gongs and other sound tools. This guided meditative and transformational musical journey will help you identify your limiting beliefs and transform them into limitless possibilities. 

Please bring a pillow and blanket and/or mat to lie on. 

Marian and Gabriela Kraus have studied gongs with renowned master teachers and bring a colorful life history with their European and Latin American origins. Their inherent musical abilities, years of studies in psychology, metaphysics, and life-coaching as reflected in health and wellness-related programs, work together to facilitate a uniquely illuminating and inspiring experience. For more, visit www.delamora.life. 

$30 in advance, $35 at the door

Register here

Saturday, March 14, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Immerse and deepen your connection to yourself, your essence, and spirit through shamanic practices that can become a part of your daily living. Through special ceremonies, journeys, rites, and rituals, we will deepen and expand the notion that shamanic living is indeed a testament to animism and a practice of direct revelation. With practice, this way of life will help you access your own inner guidance. We will experience and practice together with partners as well as in the larger group setting. 

Christina Pateros is a painter, spiritual guide, healer, teacher, and steward of spiritual journeys to sacred lands. She owns a healing practice and also creates fine collectible paintings available through galleries and by commission. Her shamanic practice offers cleansing and clearing of beings and spaces. For more information, visit christinapateros.com and whispering-stones.com.

TS Members: $65 • Nonmembers: $75 • $85 at the door

Register here

Saturday, March 21, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Upanishads are knowledge-based texts that unfold the true nature of ourselves, and in so defining this nature, also analyze and present the nature of the world as well as the ultimate source of it all. This knowledge is not ordinary in that these texts not only tell you that you are free from all limitations; they also prove it. We will discuss various verses in the tradition of first listening (sravana), then reflecting through questions and discussions (manana), and finally contemplating (nididhyasana). The workshop will also include some meditation practices (upasanas) that serve to sharpen and steady the mind. 

Janani Cleary began her pursuit in Vedanta as a yoga teacher in New York City. She then completed an intensive course in India to obtain her teaching certification and has shared knowledge and insights with students for several decades. She has been engaged with various Vedic cultural centers and other venues across the country, including participation in a White House conference. She also served as an advisor to the movie Gurukulam (2016), a documentary on what it is like to be a student in an ashram. Learn more at her website: www.optimummeditation.org.

TS members: $60 • Nonmembers: $70 • $80 at the door

Register here

Join Janani for her talk Know Thyself: Ancient Techniques for Self-knowledge on Thursday, March 19.

Friday, March 20, 7:00 p.m.

Join us for a special evening to renew and rejuvenate yourself for spring following the vernal equinox!  Contemplate the rhythms of nature and consciousness and your relationship to Light in mind, body, and spirit as you refocus, find clarity, and begin to emerge from winter. Enliven and welcome the energy of Spring with a selection of cleaning, gently energizing movements to enliven your body and mind. Experience third-eye opening breathwork to activate your intuition, followed by gentle, accessible movements to activate the energies of your chakras and your body, as well as mantra meditation and deep relaxation. 

Yolanda Lozano has over 20 years of extensive bicultural training in the healing arts from master teachers in India, China, and the United States. She integrates breathing techniques, toning and chanting, meditation, movement, vibrational energy healing, and self-care while listening to the True Self within. For more, visit www.yolandahealinghearts.com. 

Bring a meditation cushion and/or yoga mat for floor seating and relaxation, if desired. Chairs are also available. 

TS Members: $15 • Nonmembers: $20 • $25 at the door

Register here

Friday, March 27, 7:00 p.m.

Become immersed in the rich tonal vibrations of three harmonious gongs as you detach from the pressure and content of the mind. Evoking physical, emotional, and spiritual responses, the vibrations of the gongs work on multiple levels to stimulate, heal and transform. After a gentle, seated yogic warm-up and meditation to prepare the mind and body, relax and be embraced by sound.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing and bring a mat and/or blanket. In the communal spirit, we'll share a cup of homemade Yogi Tea afterward.

Jenny Bergold (Jagatjeet Kaur) received her Kundalini Yoga instructor and gong training through the Kundalini Research Institute and Spirit Rising Yoga. Maureen Milliken (Haripal Kaur) is a yoga instructor, sound practitioner, Reiki Master Teacher, and shamanic facilitator. Ela Geske received her Kundalini Yoga instructor and gong training through the 3HO Foundation (KRI).

$30 in advance, $35 at the door

Register here

Saturday, March 28, 10:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

On this daylong retreat, we will explore Remembrance (Zikr or Dhikr), the most significant practice in Sufism, in both theory and practice. The day will begin with an exploration into the spiritual and cultural contexts that are embedded in famed Sufi poet Rumi’s work. These include symbols, metaphors, analogies, stories from the sacred texts, and, most importantly, Rumi’s own life and longings. We will then explore embodiment practices to turn Rumi's sacred poetry and teachings into portals for spiritual awakening and transformation, including:

• Sacred remembrance practices (singing and movement)
• Guided heart-centered meditations and movements
• Sacred reading practices, journaling, and offerings
• Exploring the spiritual and cultural context and idioms in Rumi's work

 Pouria Montazeri grew up with Rumi’s poetry and teachings and is fluent in Persian. He draws from his 28 years of experience with Sufism, Advaita Vedanta, and other mystical and contemplative practices as well as his experiences as a teacher, spiritual director/coach, speaker, poet, mindfulness instructor, sangha guide, mentor, and filmmaker to support himself and others to live more creative, peaceful, and meaningful lives. He wrote, directed, and filmed Shams & Rumi: The Fragrance of Axis Mundi, which won many international film awards. For more, visit www.footprintsofrumi.com.

TS members: $60 • Nonmembers: $70 • $80 at the door

Register here

Join Pouria for his talk Seeing Beyond Forms: Cultivating Spiritual Maturity on Thursday, March 26.