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!!!

I attended this event today, and it was so awesome. I really liked the testimonial, too…read more The short guided meditation by Ray was so easy to understand and follow. I felt so lighter after this meditation, just didn't realize how the time went so fast. I hope they provide this kind of events more often, so more people can join and experience this meditation. Only thing that I personally didn't like was that Ray's voice cut off multiples times during the session, I am not sure if it happened because my connection was bad. But overall I really enjoyed the session today, and I would want to join again!

Just the perfect amount of time to unplug and reset. Beautiful setting. I will definitely be o…read morethis one day retreat again!

Spent the weekend at the retreat center for a Lenten Men's retreat, what a truly great way to…read morereconnect with our Lord. It was peaceful, beautiful, quiet and restful. Truly recommend looking in to a group retreat, a Hermitage (they have 3) or group event site if you are looking for a great site to reconnect and recharge.

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.

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.

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.

It is with profound disappointment that I write this review of the temple. A teacher there,…read moreapparently struggling with severe mental health issues, broke numerous federal laws concerning me--including alleged but witnessed poisoning of my drinks at Starbucks, destroying my paintings at Winestock, visiting my schools and illegally showing my transcripts to others, slandering me, and assisting in getting me banned from several of my downtown Crystal Lake haunts that I could sometimes afford. In addition, he appears to have worked cooperatively to end significant relationships in my life, and much more. Now I find that the head monk at Blue Lotus Temple has merely an associate's degree from McHenry Community College, yet decided to work cooperatively with this individual--August (Gus) Santo--to discredit me and call the police on me when I was polite and respectful. I hold a BA in Psychology and English from Northeastern Illinois University, an MA in Social Science from St. John's University (School of Practical Theology), two Master's degrees with interfaith ministry training in Ethics & Society and Historical Theology from Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University (four academic years), and an 88-semester-hour graduate certificate from Adler University with externships from the University of Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute in Chicago. I also hold three Bible College doctorates in Sacred Literature, Biblical Theology, and Theology. Apparently Mr. Santo was very concerned that I received a D in a class at the age of 19. I had family responsibilities, economic pressures, and a severe anxiety disorder until the age of 35 or so. I never applied for a position at that temple, and I do not understand why they would allow this. I am 70, take great care of myself, practice yoga and movement therapy (once certified in these disciplines), do not drink or smoke, meditate, and am creative. I'm frequently taken to be around 35 because of my lifestyle. Partly because I was an unpaid missionary and caregiver for decades, I have not accumulated wealth, and for reasons beyond my control, I do not have funds to date or socialize. I do not drive, and walking the 1.5 miles to downtown was peaceful--I sometimes enjoyed the company of acquaintances. I do not have family or monetary resources. While there is much more, I've been under considerable stress lately, and I do not understand these people. I was banned from Starbucks as I sat quietly reading. Feel free to evaluate at your discretion.