I visted this center long time ago with my friends to learn meditation. Not only helpers but also…read moreall members were welcomed us and so sweet ppl they were. They came to us like family and always wanted help and care us. what a amazing considerate, deeply open minded ppl in this center. Helpers are so enlightened man and highest level members wisdom was suprisingly touched my mind , I could finished my spiritual journey with happiest mind. After back to my home , we practice together by virtual online meditation with guided session. Thank you Heartland meditaiton. You guys make me changed a lot. Gratefuly learned how to expand my conscious like Universe mind, no worries.no anxiety any more, biggest mind without negative mind. I wanna keep going this with these guys~Thank you so much from bottom of heart always. .

It was a lovely online meditation experience organized by Alex our community manager. Great way to…read moreunwind a Friday evening. Thank you Nam for a wonderful session!!!

Every spring I get over to the Womanspace campus just to explore the gardens. While I am not a…read moregardener (ugh - chore!), I love to be outside in the beautiful nature and the volunteer grounds and gardening team here do a wonderful job! It is almost impossible to believe these acres exist in the middle of the city. I missed the labyrinth on this trip but that just means I need to come back again soon. This is my favorite place in Rockford!

First be assured if you are a guy you will be welcome the art classes! With the name some are a…read morebit apprehensive about participating. This is a program that will address a wide range of skill and level. The offerings are diverse from clay (including fired pottery) to watercolor, acrylic, drawing, and mixed media. Instructors vary with a wide background. Class size is small enough to receive personal attention. It is a very nurturing environment so you can feel comfortable experimenting. In addition to traditional arts, they offer a wide range of programing to explore many facets of creativity as well as growth.

If you're reading this review I'm assuming you already know the basics (what Vipassana meditation…read moreis, that the courses are completely free, etc); if not go to the website! I liked this center. The surroundings were beautiful, with walking paths meandering through ponds and meadows, stately trees and abundant wildlife (and cats!). Saw dozens of rabbits, geese, frogs, birds I'd never seen before, even a beaver one morning. It was nice and grounding going for a walk after a more intense meditation session. The meditation hall was serene and peaceful, and they had shelves full of cushions for students to use. I also liked that they had private rooms (though it was suite-style, so you shared a bathroom with another person). The volunteers and teachers were all very helpful and kind, and everything -- the rooms, dining area, meditation hall -- was kept very clean. Things I didn't like as much. There was a crack under the main door in the women's side of the dormitory, which meant insects were always coming in. Each time I came back to my room I did a thorough bug scan first! And it was in rural Illinois, surrounded by farmlands, which meant that there was nitrate in the tap water. They had tanks of clean water in all the areas, so drinking wasn't an issue, but it made me a bit paranoid brushing my teeth or taking a shower. Also, just a general note on the practice itself. In the West the practice of meditation has been flattened and appropriated into an innocuous stress-relieving hobby, which can lead to negative consequences. If you go far enough down this path you will experience really weird shit, it has the same power to rewire your brain and take you to altered states of consciousness as taking psychedelics. So if you're not in a stable and grounded place in your life, not prepared to take it seriously and practice dhamma, or if you have mental health conditions, then imo this course is probably not the best fit. There are other meditation traditions and centers, take something that is less intense and more interactive and supervised; or just take up walking or gardening instead. Let's see, what else? This course is very tough! One of the main reasons I was able to get through it, I think, was that I practiced yoga, otherwise there was no way I'd be able to sit upright and motionless for hours every day without my body rebelling. As it was, near the end of most sessions I would get aches and pains, but I was able to walk and stretch them off during the breaks, and return refreshed for the next sitting. Some people who took this course didn't do yoga or stretching, and from what they said, they were in constant pain during the last days of the course. It says admirable things about their determination that they finished, but why be in more pain than you have to be?

I feel like it's almost trivial to write a review for Vipassana center. I will try to limit this…read morereview to the center itself rather than Vipassana the path,the experience of which words cannot describe, and transcends the need for a Yelp review. However, let me just say that this place is great. The weather is crazy, and the tap water is not drinkable, and you won't find tempurpedic mattress in the dorms. Occasionally wind will blow the smell of manure from farm next door. However, the angry geese are kind of fun to look at but not attacked by, and the birds all seem to sing their own tune. All jokes aside, I am grateful that there's a Vipassana center relatively close the city I reside in. The people are very friendly. The place is pretty. It offers tons of course times, and it is a great way to try out the technique.

One of two Sinhalese Buddhist temples in the Chicagoland area, and the only one with a monk that…read morespeaks fluent English. Like a lot of immigrant places of worship, there are two main groups who come here. There are Sri Lankan Americans like me who are here for family and ethnic reasons, and there are American converts who are here seeking. I recommend this temple for both. We don't think of a dead body as very significant, when someone dies, it's a part of life and another turn in the wheel of life, samsara. Life is essentially, impermanence. We handle grief by almsgiving in honor of the deceased, called dhanas (don-nays) which I held both here and in Sri Lanka. The head monk, Bhante Sujantha helped me understand the traditions of my people at the same time he helped me immeasurably with the complex feelings I had after my father's passing (he suffered a lot, I was unable to ease his suffering, American hospitals are not a very good place to die, and we didn't have the best of relationships). The Blue Lotus Temple is also a good place if you're searching, they have classes that will help you, whether you're looking for an alternative to American Protestantism, or you want to learn how to meditate and reduce anxiety. Unlike many other religions, Buddhism does not require you leave your original faith behind, it's more about kindness and mindfulness (in its original meaning). Find Bhante Sujantha on Tik Tok or Instagram, he's better than formal therapy or a good addition to professional sessions. If you can visit the temple, if you can afford to donate, you should also know that Bhante Sujantha is a terrible businessman, but I guess that's how the good clerics are, right? I know about the classes because I came early to my first Dhana and I listened to Sujantha teach, or rather try to teach mindfulness and compassion. Then, after they were done and politely asked to leave the chapel part of the temple for my service, about half the class stayed in and talked very loudly even after having my service started (being streamed live to relatives in Sri Lanka, England, Canada, and Australia) ironically going on about mindfulness and themselves. You can lead an elephant to water, but you can't make her drink I guess. Life is a journey, don't travel alone.

The blue lotus is an amazing Buddhist Temple located a few hundred feet of the historic Woodstock…read moreSquare. We have come here many times for various events and greater with some Beautiful statues and stained glass windows which make for an peaceful yet beautiful building from the outside. The community is wonderful of folks here. May peace be In our community is a reminder outside one of the entry doors. Truth in that radiates from the Blue Lotus. Today we visited for their Saturdays Vietnamese and Sri Lankan Lunch FEAST! A delicious collection of various food on menu which changes weekly. Love it here... don't miss this hidden zen gem!

Had a great experience getting a personal yoga session with Debra. We started off with some…read morerestorative and finished off with some fun aerial tricks. I'm not new to yoga but even with the knowledge I did have, Debra expanded my practice more than most have over the past few years. Great pointers, adjustments, tips and just overall education on the movement into the pose, and not just rushing in to the pose. Yoga is called a practice for a reason. If you take the time to learn the poses correctly, your body learns where to go, like a bungee cord. It's also hard to unlearn bad habits, which I'm excited to do with Debra! The light therapy massage table is also a must try, felt so good on my spine and the heat was perfect! #yogaforlife #yogis #yogapose

From the owner: Yoga Tree Wellness Center is Kenosha's newest and only Yoga + Aerial AND Fitness studio…read more We are a CommUNITY of people who are committed to strengthening our Mind, Body & Spirits! We have a variety of classes and teachers and it is our mission to make Yoga & Fitness accessible and affordable for ALL! We are not your typical yoga or fitness studio. Our classes and teaching style are unique. We recognize that our Mind, Bodies and Spirits are integrated into who we are and our classes reflect that. We emphasize and take the time to teach you how to align your spine, focusing on your breath and activating the proper muscles versus just going through motions of poses or exercises. With this emphasis, you will be able to progress further in your wellness journey and keep your body injury free. We have a variety students from near and far and what we often hear is, "This is the first time anyone has ever taught me how to do that!" We also offer Energy Healing, Drumming, Gong & Singing Bowl Meditation, Kirtan, Workshops, One-on-One sessions, and our Migun Massage Bed! You will experience the difference here and we look forward to meeting you!

Soulful and bliss are two perfect words to describe this small studio. As a long time yogi, I was…read moreexcited to try out this new Barrington studio. I've been to many yoga studios, especially for living in New York City, but it's rare to come across a studio so personal and intimate. They really made me feel right at home. My instructor, Emily, was kind and warm. She effortlessly directed a yin and yang class with such serenity and grace. Both my body and soul felt rejuvenated. I'm very eager to come back again to this studio. They have a first time free class promotion, so be sure to check it out!

I have never felt so spiritually enlightened as I did after my first session. If you want start a…read moreroad to inner peace, knowledge for finding answers within yourself for your life's path, clarity and happiness, I urge you to try any of The sessions available at SoulBliss Studio. Life-changing, to say the least.

How rejuvenating it is to spend time with nature here at Woodland. Cheryl is an angel host, and…read moremade us feel so comfortable. Accommodations like an excellent hotel. We were also so grateful for the library and the attached solarium for insightful reading. So many books on spirituality really opened my mind - even just reading the titles was enriching, which was important bevause you want to read so much! The minute you turn into the driveway, you are transported to another world, deep in the beautiful woodlands with native grasses and flowers blooming in spring and summer. We also had the good fortune to experience this wonderful retreat in autumn and winter - so worth it to come every season! I'd give six stars if I could - extra for the stars you see in the sky at night.

From the owner: Woodland Spiritual Retreats for women offers individual private retreats and guided retreats for…read morespiritual renewal. We are set on six wooded acres with native plant gardens and wooded walking trails in a spacious and comfortable retreat space. We uniquely host only one to four women at a time who register together. We additionally specialize in spiritual renewal retreats for women serving in a wide range of ministry roles. Day only retreats for up to twelve women are offered with the option of creating your own retreat or participating in a programmed retreat theme. Base rate is $65/night. Hospitality is at the core of our mission. Contact us for your retreat in all seasons!

It's a great please to learn to meditate. The teacher is…read moreextremely loving. There is a sense of community that helps you feel welcome. Highly recommend!

This is such a calming , loving , and enlightening safe space to come…read more The venue is beautiful and there were very nice and helpful people directing us . The speakers were nice and informative. The sessions were helpful as well. I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I definitely would recommend.