Archive for the ‘About our center’ Category
chicago meditation center, qigong, tai chi, taiji
In About our center on March 2, 2011 at 7:53 pm
We’ll be returning effective immediately to our old space at:
2147 S Lumber St Suite 504 (free parking! near red line and busess)
Call or email me for the access code before your first visit.
Nice to be back with Sifu Matt (my husband) and sharing the space for our various teachings.
There will also be adjustments to the schedule in consideration of my new routine with Storycatchers Theatre.
Now that spring is nearly here, we’ll also soon be holding all tai chi and qigong classes in Ping Tom Park, with its lovely aromatic cypresses, water and pagoda.
Ping Tom Park Pagoda
It’s very easy to find and a clearly identifiable landmark … So, come join us! New schedule coming soon. Happy Spring everyone. I hope the new changes will serve to support your practice. Thank you for stopping by.
41.853495
-87.640680
meditation center, mindfulness, sitting meditation, stress-reduction, tai chi, world tai chi day chicago, zen
In About our center on February 22, 2011 at 2:19 am
The cold returned to Chicago today …felt very March-like … in like a lion, you know? So, maybe that’s what made it double-nice to go train hard this evening.
In the quiet afterwards, I made some pictures to share.
So if you haven’t been in to see us yet – this is what the place looks like. Trying to keep it simple, peaceful – calm.
The full album is on the Facebook page but here are a few of the pictures. We’re definitely getting ready for World Tai Chi Day so come on in and join us for the fun and peace of body and mind.
Ready for sitting meditation
41.852973
-87.641298
Chicago, happiness, mindfulness, world tai chi day
In About our center, Mindfulness on February 14, 2011 at 6:58 pm
I updated the theme today to help make the site even more user-friendly. Please let me know what you think. This is here to serve you.
Wishing everyone peace and happiness. Thanks so much for stopping by, hillary
41.853820
-87.634547
chicago meditation center, meditation, mindfulness, Peace, teachings
In About our center, Meditation on February 8, 2011 at 2:07 am
…more meditation. 
Buddha at Sunrise at MABA by Ven. Kongmu
Mind too busy to sit or stand?
Then do some tai chi or qigong. It’s helps to settle the mind down. To train the mind to observe … only observe. Not offer analysis. Not engage in conversation. No useless chit chat.
Just allow the mind to begin to find its natural state … quiet, empty, blissful no matter what. Not sticking to moments, opinions, carving the world up into bits we like and bits we dislike.
What ever life kicks up. Stress. Anger. Jealousy. Greed. Defensiveness. and so on … we can let it all go with more meditation.
Will it go away all at once? I don’t know. Not for me so far…but I can tell you this. The more I practice, the more life gets simpler and more peaceful, not only for me but those around me too.
And that’s a start. Come try with us, if you like. We even have some free classes.
Wishing peace and happiness to all beings.
(xian huang) hillary johnson
Dharma name given by my teacher, Master Ji Ru
41.853820
-87.634547
class schedule, Compassion, dharma, enlightenment, happiness, meditation center, mind and body, mind and body classes, mind and body workout, mindfulness, Peace, stress relief, tai chi, twitter, wisdom, world tai chi day, world tai chi day chicago, Yang tai chi, yang tai chi postures
In About our center, Meditation on February 1, 2011 at 6:35 am
Class Schedule
Beginner classes:
Qigong / Meditation
Saturday 3:30-4:30pm
Tai Chi / Meditation
Sunday 10-11 a.m.
Beginner classes offer a gentle introduction to 18-form qigong, Yang 24 form taiji and meditation.
Ongoing classes:
Qigong / Meditation
Saturday 4:30-5:30
Tai Chi / Meditation
Sunday 11 – noon
Advanced students are encouraged to attend beginner classes. Their study continues Sundays with advanced taiji, qigong and meditation training.
Learn more about our course offerings.
Sunrise Classes
Tai Chi / Qigong:
in Ping Tom Park (weather permitting) otherwise we meet in the center on Lumber St.
Wednesday and Friday 7 a.m.
30 minutes – $15
all levels welcome
No special clothing required, just sneakers. Go straight to work from class!
Drop-In Tuition: Want to try a class out? Students may pay drop-in tuition $20 for any open class.
41.847500
-87.644859
breath, Chan, Chicago, Compassion, dharma, enlightenment, happiness, mind and body, practice, qigong, retreat, sitting meditation, stress-management, stress-reduction, tai chi, taiji, world tai chi day, world tai chi day calm chicago, world tai chi day chicago, Yang tai chi, Yang Taiji
In About our center, Tai Chi, Taiji on January 30, 2011 at 9:43 pm
#8 Reason to get ready for World Tai Chi and Qigong Day ….
Nothing is closer to our life than the breath. Think about it.
No breath – No life. It’s that simple. Want to have a good life? – Cultivate good breath.
Tai chi and qigong are ways of getting in close touch with your breath, cultivating a healthy awareness of it.
Constrained breath leaves us tied to the ground
When we know what’s up with the breath, we have a pretty good idea of how the rest of the body and mind are doing.
When the breath suffers so does the rest of us. But when we gently pay attention to the breath, making it stronger, our bodies and minds become stronger and healthier too.
Breath slow and steady and strong, like the ocean. in ... out ...in... out
So, World Tai Chi & Qigong Day? Sounds like a slam dunk to me.
41.853820
-87.634547
body and mind, breath, Chicago, happiness, loving kindness, meditation, meditation center, mind and body, mindfulness, multi-tasking, multitasking, Peace, practice, qigong, retreat, sitting meditation, stress-management, stress-reduction, tai chi, world tai chi day, world tai chi day calm chicago, world tai chi day chicago, Yang tai chi, Yang Taiji
In About our center, Tai Chi, Taiji on January 29, 2011 at 4:38 pm
#9 Reason to get ready for World Tai Chi and Qigong Day ….
because it’ll be so much fun to participate in a world-wide celebration involving more than 60 countries and millions of people, all joyfully, peacefully breathing together all at the same time!
Tai Chi is more fun in a group!
41.853820
-87.634547
body, breath, capitalism, Chicago, chicago yang tai chi, chicago yang taichi, Compassion, enlightenment, facebook, happiness, karma, loving kindness, meditation, meditation center, mind and body, mindfulness, Peace, practice, qigong, sitting meditation, stress-management, stress-reduction, tai chi, taiji, wisdom, work, world tai chi day, world tai chi day calm chicago, world tai chi day chicago, Yang 24-form, Yang tai chi, Yang Taiji, yin and yang, zen
In About our center, Compassion, Stress reduction, Tai Chi, Taiji on January 28, 2011 at 11:53 am
#10 Reason to get ready for World Tai Chi and Qigong Day …. 
It’s FREE! You can get ready for this world-wide day of healing and it’ll cost you nada, zero, zip, the big goose egg ….
ok, we confess – it’ll cost you the loss of some stress.
Bummer dude.
41.853820
-87.634547
adaptability, body, body and mind, breath, change, flexibility, Imagine, job, meditation, meditation center, Metta, practice, qigong, retreat, sitting meditation, stress-management, stress-reduction, tai chi, taiji, wisdom, Yang tai chi, Yang Taiji, yin and yang
In About our center, Meditation, Peace, Stress reduction on January 28, 2011 at 4:31 am
Please say hello to the center’s two fish, Yin & Yang.
Meet Yin and Yang, the center's two calm fish. They remind us daily that everything changes.
They have a pretty pleasant environment with lots of plants around. We’d love to have more plants, so we can really freshen the air in the center as much as possible without chemicals. Many thanks to Vincent for all the plants you see here. They were a gift in our prior location and in the move had to be re-potted and trimmed up some. Moving plants in -4 degrees weather is not ideal for the delicate house plants but they seem to be bouncing back.
We love a lot of plants at Calm Chicago. Makes the air clean and healthy.
So, if you have some plants you’d like to donate, they’ll be gratefully received. We get a pretty good amount of indirect light from the south.
We’ll be adding a jade plant soon. Lovely for the center because the soft, round green leaves are beautiful and grow only very slowly. This is how we develop our own practices in tai chi (or taiji), qigong and meditation…slowly, breath by breath.
Thanks so much to our teachers, family, friends and students for all your support. I am ever grateful. Together we make the city more peaceful and less stressed. I bow to you all for your efforts and dedication.
The center will be offering lots of wonderful new seminars this year. We hope you’ll join us as much as you can. Please let us know what you’d like to see offered that would really be of benefit to lots of people. We may not respond to every single idea but we’ll gratefully receive them all.
Many thanks, Hillary and Matt
The central yin and yang in our logo, symbolic of two fish, constantly moving, swimming, going up-coming down.
41.853820
-87.634547
body, body and mind, breath, Chicago, meditation, meditation center, mind and body, mindfulness, multi-tasking, multitasking, Peace, sitting meditation, stress-management, stress-reduction, zen
In About our center, Meditation on January 24, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Great, clear results from yet another study that shows meditation is good for the brain, helps you learn better and see reality more clearly. Plus, it’s a great stress buster. And no, you don’t have to sit like that!
Introduction to meditation, 8 week class starts in Feb. at Calm Chicago. call us to learn more and register.
41.853820
-87.634547
