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GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION FOR XPANSIONS YOGA & ART IN FOREST PARK Xpansions Yoga & Art, which combines the creative flow of art and yoga, is scheduled to have opened May 1 at 7518 W. Madison Avenue (second floor) in Forest Park. Xpansions offers daily yoga c lasses for all experience levels, and includes hatha, flow and power yoga. Private lessons are also to be available. Among other features of Xpansions are weekly art workshops with an emphasis n visual journaling and art through meditation. Artwork inspired by nature, beauty and spirituality will be for sale. To celebrate Xpansions' grand opening visitors can try a yoga class or art workshop for 25% off during the first week, through May 7. Passes for five or ten classes will be offered at a discounted rate during the grand opening. Xpansions is located just north of the Eisenhower Expressway and just east of Des Plaines Avenue in Forest Park. A class schedule and further information can be obtained by calling 708/771-9642.
On the weekend of May 6 and 7, Ginkgo Organic Gardens will be holding its sixth annual plant sale from 10am-2pm at 4055 N. Kenmore Avenue in Chicago. Garden enthusiasts will find a wide variety of unusual plants, including medicine and culinary herbs, edible flowers, annuals, perennials and traditional favorites such as tomatoes and peppers. "We offer plants that you won't find at typical greenhouses and garden stores and our prices are great," says Denise Hardwerker, leader of the greenhouse team. "All our plants are grown using organic methods, ensuring they are nutritious and chemical free," she adds. All proceeds from the sale support Ginkgo Organic Gardens, which provides, fresh, organic product to local not-for-profit organizations serving homeless and low-income people with AIDS. Visitors can tour the gardens which offer a park landscaped with perennials, prairie plants and a large female Gingko tree. Behind the part are raised production beds for herbs, vegetables, small fruit trees and demonstration projects. For more information about the plant sale or to volunteer, call 773/342-8430.
Harrison East Arts District in Oak Park presents their first annual Spring event on Friday, May 5 (6-10pm), Saturday, May 6 (noon-5pm) and Sunday, May 7 (1-5pm). Join them in celebrating the season by attending their open house featuring artists' "Yard Art" and a sale of various annuals for your garden. Flats of flowers will be sold as a fundraiser for the Harrison East Arts District. Enjoy refreshments, music and the opportunity to purchase new works. Special events planned for the weekend include live music at various locations, free refreshment and the introduction of new artwork. Other enticements include workshops, clearance sales, and a paint-your-own pottery studio. The Harrison East Arts District is located on Harrison Street in Oak Park between Austin Boulevard and Oak Par Avenue. Exit 290 at Austin, north to Harrison Street (first street, at traffic light) and left on Harrison.
On Sunday, May 14 at 7pm, Shakura Ensembles' Spirit Sundays will debut at the Hot House. Founded by spiritual healing Blanche Blacke, Shakura Ensemble's unique sound is a blend of world-beat, avant-garde classical and free jazz. Bass and cello and instruments of indigenous cultures support Blanche's powerful shamanic chant-sing. Chant-sing is like scat in jazz; however, unlike scat, chant-sing is intentional improvisation, shamanic mantras brought through for specific purpose. Blanche Blacke first debuted her improvised shamanic healing chants as guest artist with the MASS Ensemble and was encouraged to form her own group. Recently, Shakura Ensemble won the Up Next: New Artists in Performance grant from the City of Chicago Cultural Affairs Department and will be performing at the Cultural Center on May 3. Spirit Sundays is an alternative to the traditional service, an opportunity to explore music as a vehicle for a connection to spirit, multi-denominational and influenced by world culture. Shakura's' current original compositions include deconstructed prayers of the Hindu, Tibetan, Buddhist, Christian and Sufi traditions and could be considered spirit conscious artistic expression. Chant is not an obscure musical ritual - it is the music of the spheres and a natural expression of our own consciousness that quiets the mind, heals the body and brings the sacred into everyday life. Shakura's music energizes and inspires, can generate a shift in energy for the listener and induce shifts in consciousness. Admission is $10. Shakura Spirit Sundays are scheduled on second Sundays, May 14 and June 11 at Hot House, 31 E. Balbo, 312/362-9707. For more information about Shakura Ensemble, visit www.shakuraensemble.com.
Congratulations to former Chicago-area resident, healer Mark Earlix, who is gifting us with his long-awaited book. The title says it all: CREATOR: The Revelation of Healing Yourself and Others. Mark tells us about not just his own experiences as a healer and what it takes to be one, but teaches us to unleash our own healing abilities. (See Breakthrough Books column for details.) Mark is scheduled to speak and sign his new book on Thursday, May 18 at 7pm at Transitions Bookplace, 1000 W. North Avenue, Chicago. This presentation will be followed by The Art of Healing, a weekend seminar at Transitions Learning Center, 1750 Kingsbury Street, Chicago in which you will learn the facets of healing for yourself. (For directions to the Kingsbury address, call 312/951-7323.). The seminar leads off with an Introductory Session on Saturday, May 19 (7-9pm, $15) and continues with full sessions on Saturday, May 20 (9am-5pm) and Sunday, May 21 (9am-4:30pm). The fee for the weekend seminar is $225. Advance registration is requested; call Suzie at 847/803-6187 for information or registration.
Pilgrim Park in LaSalle/Peru, Illinois, a modern camp facility near the beautiful bluffs of Starved Rock State Park, is this year's home to the Women's Solstice Celebration Weekend on Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4. Margot Adler, author of Drawing Down the Moon, A Heretic's Heart and a pioneer mainstay of the annual celebration, journeys again to this midwest circle with song, story and ritual. She is joined this year by Dr. Amy Biank, a medical intuitive trained by Caroline Myss. Rounding out the circle, free lance illustrator and witch Colleen Koziara will guide a mandala workshop to access the creative and Helen Bond (Medusa's Musical Mysteries) will ignite the fire of ritual with a hands-on workshop; drums are supplied upon request or bring your own. For information, please contact Joan Riise (773/907-2106) or Margot Davis (630/305-8239).
A very special party will take place at Transitions Bookplace on June 2 to mark the formation of a new publishing imprint, Hazeldon/Transitions Publishing. Transitions is adding worthy out-of-print books to the lineup. Thanks to their negotiations, Twin Souls, a popular book co-authored by our columnist, Maurie D. Pressman, M.D., will be available under the new imprint. Dr. Pressman will be among the guests of honor at the festivities. For details, call Transitions Bookplace at 312/951-READ.
Sri Karunamayi, known in India as a living incarnation of the Divine Mother, will be in Chicago on June 4, 5 and 6 as part of her sixth world tour. She has said that she has not come as a guru, but rather as a loving mother who wishes to provide spiritual sustenance to her children in their quest for self-realization. Karunamayi will be at the Unity Church of Chicago, 1925 W. Thome at 7pm on Sunday June 4 and Monday June 5. The evening program will consist of meditation, spiritual discourse and blessings to each and every individual with the darshan and teertha (sacred water) of the 108 Salagramas (sacred healing fossils from the Gandhaki River in Nepal). Karunamayi also invites everyone to join her on Monday morning for a sacred Homa (fire ceremony) and on Tuesday for personal blessings by appointment at a North Shore location. For more information, call 708/802-2761 or visit the Karunamayi website at www.karunamayi.org. All programs are free.
Spectrum International Institute for Wellness, Education and Research and Dominican University in joint sponsorship with the Chicago Medical Society is to present a first-of-its-kind International Light and Sound 2000 Conference from June 14-18 in River Forest, Illinois. The focus of the Conference is the uses of light and sound technology for education, health and wellness, and represents a groundbreaking collaboration between traditional and complementary medicine. The Chicago Medical Society, one of the largest medical societies in the country, has areed to designate portions of the program for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit. As a join sponor of this educational opportunity, the Chicago Medical Society affirms its continued leadership and commitment to suport quoaity inovative educational program, whieh structly adhere to the Essentials and Standards of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME). Leading physicians, psychologists, optometrists, researchers, scientists and other healthcare practitioners form around the world will demonstrate their remarkably successful techniques in treating conditions such as depression, ADD, ADHD, anxiety, post truamativ stress disorder, vison problems, pain mainagement, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, among other medical/psychological disorders. According to the Chairman of the Board of Spectrum International Institute for Wellness, Education and Research George B. Beranek, MD, MBA, "Our mission at the Institute is to facilitate the paradigm shift of healthcare delivery from that of 'fixing disease' to one of 'preventing disease' and 'promoting wellness' by integrating the best of traditional and the best of the complementary medicine worlds. This conference is an important step in that direction." Over the five-day conference, healthcare professionals, educators and members of the general public who are interested in cutting-edge healing technoligies using light and sound can choose from over 30 presentations and workshops. Registration fees range from $550 to $675. Booth space is available. For further information, contact Alice Nixon, Executive Director, at 847/291-7055 or refer to www.lightandsoundhealth.com.
It is the dawn of a new day for DuPatge area reisents who are interested in expanding their approach to health and well-being. D.A.W.N., the Dupage Area Wellness Network, is working to fill the void that is too often experienced by suburban residents while seeking high quality, complementary healing arts. An unprecedented cooperative effort between wellness practitioners representing a comprehensive range of modalities has resulted in a valuable tool for use by those people who wish to improve both the longevity and quality of their health. The D.A.W.N. web site, Dawnetwork.com, provides comprehensive information about the various therapies available in the DuPage area, including the indications for treatment, the type of experience an individual should expect during treatment, and links direct to practitioners. The site also includes a current calendar of related events taking place in the area as well as information about D.A.W.N.'s schedule of charitable contributions. DuPage area residents interested in utilizing the DuPage Area Wellness Network to improve their well-being can learn more at the website.
In January, we announced that the owner of Chowpatti Vegetarian Restaurant, Mr. Anil Kapadia was faced with a terminal illness and that his restaurant would be closed until further notice. We are sad to announce that Mr. Kapadia passed away on Sunday, March 26. His wife Niru, along with daughters Sneha and Niyanta reopened Chowpatti Vegetarian Restaurant on Tuesday, April 25. The family thanks their customers for their patience and understanding.
The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) Learning Center is based at Angelic Organics, a farm that grows vegetables and herbs for more than 800 member households from the greater Chicago area. Located less than two hours from downtown Chicago in Caledonia, Illinois, the farm is entering its eleventh year growing organically and its eighth year as a CSA. Members, known as shareholders, receive a weekly ¾ bushel box of fresh produce delivered to more than 20 Chicago area sites each summer for 20 weeks from June to October - for $460. For info, call 815/389-2746. The CSA Learning Center offers low-income families affordable memberships called Harvest Shares ($6-12 a week for a box of local organic vegetables and herbs sufficient for the average needs of a family of four) in the Angelic Organics CSA. Additional produce reaches the homeless, refugees and low-income individuals and families via cooperating shelters, soup kitchens and community groups. The fresh produce is complemented with workshops focused on cooking, canning and nutrition. The Chicago Community Trust is Chicago's community foundation. In contrast to corporate and private foundations, the Trust is a union of numerous gifts and bequests from many sources, forming endowments totaling more than $1 billion, the income from which is used to support more than $35 million in grant making and related activities annually, including this program. To schedule a visit to the CSA Learning Center, sign up for low-income Harvest Shares, volunteer or seek more information, contact the CSA Learning Center at 815/389-8455 or via e-mal: Learn@AngelicOrganics.com. Next ArticleReturn to This Month's Index |
