Holiday Donation Drive for DuPagePADS

We’re collecting for DuPage Pads to help the homeless in need during the Holiday Season.

DuPage Pads is so much more than a pad on the floor.

DuPagePads is about the journey home.

It’s about the journey from dependency to self-sufficiency. Not the shelter. Not the nights spent in a car, in a motel room or on the street. DuPagePads is a journey that begins with an extended hand, an affirming voice, and a trusting soul that will advocate undividedly for each individual.

DONATION WISHLIST - COLLECTING THRU 12/20/19

Click Photos to download a flyer with the wishlist

Please place items in the donation box at the studio.

*Most Needed Items

Gift Cards for Basic Needs ($10, $20, $30)

• Gas Cards, Walmart, Jewel, Aldi, Walgreens

Clothing:

• *Men’s and Women’s Belts

• *Men’s and Women’s new Long Underwear Tops and Bottoms (M-3XL)

• *Men’s new Boxer Briefs (M-2XL)

• *Men’s new White Undershirts (M-3XL)

• Men’s and Women’s new Hooded Sweatshirts (M-3XL)

• Men’s, Women’s and Kid’s new Winter Boots

• Men’s, Women’s and Kid’s new Winter Coats (XL-4XL)

• Women’s new Underwear (M-2XL)

For the Weather:

• *Hand Warmers

• *Waterproof Gloves

• Hats

• Scarves

Home Supplies:

• *Cleaning Supplies (all purpose, dish soap, etc.)

• *Laundry Detergent

Toiletries:

• *Deodorant

• Disposable Razors

• Full-Size Toiletries

Work:

• *USB Drives

• Planners/Folders/Notebooks

• Women’s Dress Flats (7-11)

Children and Babies: 

• *Pull Ups

• Baby Formula

• Diapers (all sizes)

Transportation:

• Train/Bus Transit Cards

• Bike Lights

Gift Cards for Basic Needs ($10, $20, $30)

• Gas Cards, Walmart, Jewel, Aldi, Walgreens

More about DuPage Pads

DuPage Pads´ Mission is to End Homelessness in DuPage County

Founded in 1985, DuPagePads is the largest provider of interim and permanent housing, coupled with support services in order to help individuals work toward becoming self-sufficient. These vital support services enable the individuals we help to receive case management and life coaching, employment support such as job coaching, as well as engagement with employers—effectively stopping the cycle of homelessness.

DuPagePads IS the solution to end homelessness—because when someone believes in you, everything can change. Read more about DuPage PADS

No Greater Affirmation than a Rainbow

Having just returned from our retreat in Ireland, I am in love. I’m reminded that the the Great Source has a great heart. Only a divine artist with such a huge longing would have the beauty and tenderness to create such a wonderful magic land.

I was taken by surprise in how deeply touched I was by the kindness and generosity of spirit in a country having endured such profound harshship. I never imagined I would feel such a belonging of soul that tapped me as I walked in the land of the Celtic mystic.

Amongst nature we come to remember the wisdom of our own inner landscape. There is a great healing in the wild when you bring your clay body back to its roots of mother earth.

Spend a week in the mountains or by the ocean and your body starts to unclench, your mind loosens its grip and your soul starts to expand in a vibrational pulse. You recover your deeper rhythm. And a harmonious melody will begin to be expressed in joyous laughter.

This week was spent with amazing souls sharing the wonders of this special place. Our normal agendas, daily lists of tasks, and our collective worries started to fall away and together we celebrated.

We were able to feel the magnitude and magic of being together and sharing the heart of this great prayer. The prayer of offering our collective intentions for the wellbeing of all.

There is no greater affirmation of this joint effort of our hearts than the magic of rainbows! Yes, our daily JOY arose from our excitement and awe in shouting,”Rainbow ALERT”. Rainbows and double rainbows offering their sweet innocent reminders that life is full with possibilities.

I continue to hold these images in my daily meditation and smile as I experience the absorption of qualities these special arches of illuminated colors inspire in me. Rainbows offer hope, the reminder that beginnings and endings continue as one beautiful circle. That for every loss there is a new welcoming.

Rainbows reveal the colors of the chakra system aiding in healing the energic bodies. After every adversity in my life, I would struggle to regain a sense of understanding. I would suffer in my inability to move forward and a rainbow would appear, and once again I would be given a sign that “this too will pass.”

Rainbows are impermanent and fleeting; we feel lucky to have been the witness. To experience the rainbow offers wonder and joy and a feeling a being blessed. Something auspicious is awaiting just beyond the next bend in the road.

At a time when our world is suffering with so much pain of confusion and uncertainty, the rainbow offers a glimmer of something positive. Maybe, there is a pot of gold that is awaiting, and maybe that pot of gold is in our own hearts. And maybe, that gold is the glow of the heart!

I returned with a renewed sense of wellbeing for all mankind. Maybe it’s not about me at all, but by witnessing and sharing the rainbow, we can offer hope to others. Within the suffering, we can be the joyful rainbow that shifts the mind from the darkness of despair to the light of a new frontier for all humanity. We can shift the mind from the pain of burden to the truth of blessing.

I love the magic of possibility which fills my soul with enthusiasm. I love the tools of yoga which offer a gateway for seeking the light of our inner rainbow.

Settling into this season of shorter days and longer nights, let’s remember to light our own inner flame and go into our daily life sharing the glow. Let’s celebrate that nature is always providing the secrets to the soul. …And let’s continue to be on rainbow alert!!

Blessings.

LJ

Teacher Feature: Nancy Fox, C-IAYT

Get to know Nancy Fox, formerly DL Hearty!

Nancy is a certified yoga therapist and author with more than 17 years of experience. She is trained in therapeutic and restorative yoga, focusing on the spine and its care.

Since 2010, Nancy has focused on helping people with scoliosis and back issues to avoid surgery, find relief from pain, and learn to manage their own back care.

 She co-authored the book, “Yoga for Scoliosis, a Path for Teachers and Students” with Elise Miller.  

Nancy Fox offers classes and workshops across the Chicagoland area for those with Scoliosis. She has trained extensively with renowned master teacher Gabriel Halpern of Yoga Circle in Chicago since 2006.

Her personal practice is based on the teachings of B.K.S. Iyengar. She continues to study with senior teachers to maintain a current, informed and fresh approach to yoga. Nancy is an artist, a former potter, and that creativity shines throughout her teaching.

Here are some fun facts about Nancy Fox in her own words:

If you could pick one song to play every time you entered a room it would be...
“Laugh and Be Happy” by Randy Newman – delightful!

My favorite animal is.. the white snowy owl, it is my spirit animal

Guilty Pleasure…dark chocolate peanut butter cups! Can’t get enough of them…

Pigout food…popcorn with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pecorino romano cheese on top

Last show I binge watched….Downton Abby

Good book I’m reading…Outlander series for the 4th time!

Best Movie I’ve seen lately…Pirate Radio - I’ve seen it many times

Favorite place...Sedona, Arizona and my apartment/home

If I could do anything for the next 30 minutes, I would ...REST

What would you like to do more of? …Meditate and practice yoga

What would you like to do less of? …Drive in my car

People would be surprised that… I do not like my computer and devices

Greatest inspiration…Gabriel Halpern

In a perfect world, we would communicate via…conversation face to face as it was back in the olden days…remember when you would knock on someone’s door to see them? Now we make text appointments to even talk on the phone!!! Absurd.

Who is/are your yoga role models? Elise Browning Miller creator of Yoga for Scoliosis - a remarkable woman living in Palo Alto, CA. She is my friend and mentor and co-author of our book “Yoga for Scoliosis, a path for students and teachers”. I love working with her at Kripalu and host her workshops in Chicago every two years.

Gabriel Halpern, my first teacher and mentor, a true mensch! I owe my vocation to him, he showed me the ropes – literally! I am a certified yoga therapist because of his teachings and mentorship! May they both live for a very long time!

A pose I struggle with…headstand, I just won’t do it unless I am hanging in a sling :)

A pose I love and why…Ardha Chandrasana, I’M FLYING! Once you can nail the balance and elongation without leaning into a wall, or on a chair, there is freedom and a feeling of empowerment. I love to do it anywhere!

What is the biggest reason you teach yoga? ..I love to help others with the struggles I can relate with, namely anything to do with the spine! Gabriel taught me to teach from what I know. I have gotten to know my own spine quite well! I love to build community and encourage my students to talk to each other and share their stories about their scoliosis and back pain. We have also traded success stories and medical professionals who have helped. It truly has become community!

I want my students to...LOVE to come to classes and workshops to learn more! I also encourage them to practice at home, and to think about yoga positioning when moving through daily life, standing and sitting for example, with alignment in mind.

What 3 words best describe you…Compassionate, silly, passionate.

Find Nancy Fox on the drop-in schedule on Wednesdays at 7:30pm for Yoga for Scoliosis. You can learn more about Nancy on her website fineline.yoga.