Let's chant, move, & fall into our heart space centers - together💞
- darcyvalverdeyoga
- 12 minutes ago
- 8 min read
August 8, 2025
Greetings, Explorers -
Since returning from my month away I’m feeling revived and fuller of life and love - and it feels great!
During my time away, and the month leading up to it, I had fallen out of my daily chanting practice. This is a practice I’ve been doing for some years, and I enjoy it. It lightens my heart. It reminds me of my faith. It helps to bring me back home into my heart, and reminds me that I’m never alone. Plus, it’s super fun! And this beautiful, scared practice had fallen away - I had lost it.
Losing a practice isn’t like losing a shoe. It’s not like you can look for it and then simply find it and put it back on. Maybe you put on another shoe or walk around barefoot for a while, but even then, it doesn’t feel quite right.
Losing my practice felt like losing something deep within. My heart YEARNED to chant, but for some reason, I wasn’t feeling drawn to it, and I have learned in my life that forcing anything doesn’t typically work well. So, I just didn’t do it. And it felt really, really sad.
In Amsterdam last month I attended a kirtan with one of my dear teachers, and it reminded me of how important it is to be with OTHERS in this practice of chanting. “OH!”, I thought, “maybe THAT’S the ingredient I’m missing”. Because let me tell you - being in space with 50 humans who just want to chant these sacred names together - it was so blissful!
But even then, I went from Amsterdam to our family’s cottage in Michigan - my favorite place in the world! - and still, even with my traveling puja table (altar space) setup in the same space I create it every year I return to our cottage, there was no draw to sit down and chant. It continued to feel empty and sad.
And then I returned home. My harmonium. My altar. My sacred space. It was all calling me - so strongly! I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so called to it before. It was like a gravitational pull to sit down and be with these names, these mantras; in song, in devotion, in love. And I did. And I keep doing. And it’s been amazing.
As amazing as it is, I was still chanting on my own.
I haven’t found a kirtan where I live that offers a variety of mantras to play with; where, throughout the kirtan we’re saying hello to Hanuman….what’s up Shiva….how’s it going Lord Ram - and so on. And this is what I was looking for - sacred space where I could be with others and chant all of these sacred names, together.
So, in all of my vulnerability, I decided to offer one myself - oh wow, I was so nervous even thinking about this! Mind you, I was kicked out of band in Jr. High and have never been musically inclined. But, that’s not what kirtan is about - it’s about the names; these sacred mantras are medicine. Being in satsang - in that sacred community, is medicine! So I decided to try.
The kirtan was held - we gathered together. We chanted together. Our hearts started opening - together. It filled my heart so much to chant with other human beings, and to see the overflowing love and devotion pouring out of everyone there. A huge thank you to everyone who joined and shared their love and presence - I look forward to sharing this beautiful practice with you again! Being in this space, in this practice, with others was in fact so delicious that I’ll be offering it every month moving forward (weee!). More on that within - and - a HUGE thank you to my dear teacher and friend, Marcy Midnight and Ananda Yoga Space for hosting the first one, and each one coming up, on a donation-basis - just pay what you can! So generous of her to offer us this beautiful space to join in this sacred practice together. Much love and gratitude to Marcy and Ananda!
Don’t let fear hold you back from leaning into the goodness your heart is feeling called to share✨
Okay, now - let’s take a quick peak at what you can expect from this August newsletter:
Registration NOW OPEN for Fall Deep Dive ‘25🍂
Monthly Kirtan at Ananda Yoga Space 📿🎶🧘🏼♀️
+let’s take some of this sacred medicine together, now!🥰
August Sunrise Hiking Meditation 🌄
NEW - 1:1 Deep Dive packages available💞
Scholarship applications for 2026 - coming soon!✨
Somatic Experiencing rate increase effective September 1🕊️
I’m heading out to learn, and then to meditate - book a session and let’s connect before, and in between, my travels🧳
Autumn offerings👐🏼
With Gratitude,
-D'Arcy
registration now open!
fall deep dive ‘25
october 8 - November 13
Fall Deep Dive'25 is The Heart Space Center's 2nd 5-week series designed for deep Self exploration, inner healing, and connection with a small group of like-minded individuals ready to journey, explore, and get curious, together.
75% of participants from our first Deep Dive offering have continued their work with us after seeing how profound the experience and practices were within the Deep Dive.
If you're feeling the call, we'd love for you to answer it by diving into Your Heart Space Center with us this Fall🤍
monthly donation-based kirtan
next one:
saturday, august 16, 12pm
“Kirtan is the glue that bonds our hearts together.”🤍
-David Newman, musician, song-writer, author and spiritual teacher
If you missed the introductory letter above, and are interested in learning more about our monthly donation-based kirtan, loop back to the intro and give it a read!
In these monthly, donation-based gatherings we will come together in satsang (community) to share in love and devotion through sacred chanting.
No experience necessary - if you're curious, please show up - and always, if you have any questions don’t hesitate to reach out!🤍
A HUGE thank you to Ananda Yoga Space for opening its' doors each month for this donation-based community offering. SO grateful!
Kirtan dates through the end of 2025:
Saturday, August 16, 12pm
Thursday, September 4, 7pm
Thursday, October 2, 7pm
Saturday, November 15, 12pm
Thursday, December 4, 7pm
Advanced registration will be available soon, and we'll share it on our Upcoming Events page so check there if you’d like to register in advance. You're also welcome to just show up!
Questions? Email darcy@theheartspacecenter.org.
We’ve raved enough about how much we love chanting - now let’s join together in some of this scared medicine!
Join D’Arcy for some Radhe Radhe Govinda over on our YouTube channel - and take a peak at all the resources listed in the description, too, so you can enjoy this goodness whenever you’d like!🥰
free
silent sunrise hiking meditation:
Join us this month for our seventh Sunrise Hiking Meditation on Friday, August 15 at 6am.
Our sunrise hiking meditations continue to be a bit more of the actual sun rising again (yay!!!) as it’s rising later and later, bit by bit. Join us in August to welcome the sun in community and in movement!
What to Expect
The hike is roughly 4.5 miles, roundtrip (out and back).
We will hike northeast & east, towards the rising sun, at an incline up a large road (starts out paved and quickly turns to gravel).
Participants are welcome to join for as long and far as they're able to make it. If anyone would like/needs to turn around before the group, that is welcome.
Format
Shifts depending on how we’re feeling, but likely we welcome:
Time to connect in conversation on the hike up or down.
Time for stillness; taking in the environment, the sunrise, and the view.
Perhaps some chanting or other practices we’re feeling drawn to that morning.
Silent hiking meditation on the hike up or down (we’ll explain more on this at the hike).
Email darcy@theheartspacecenter.org for details.
find deep healing with our new 1:1 deep dive packages
In our years of experience, we’ve learned that combining Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) and Somatic Breathwork can be a beautiful combination for further depth into Somatic healing. Combining SE and Somatic Breathwork in the way our packages are set up offers Explorers opportunity to experience the gentle yet profound effects of SE with a then more intense, perhaps, release through their Somatic Breathwork Journey session - all held in private session, holding space just for you.
We’ve finally created a package for you to experience your very own Deep Dive!
When purchasing these sessions packaged together our Explorers are saving on their monetary investment towards their deeper healing.
2026 applications open in october
The Heart Space Center exists due to our passion for this life-changing work and the magic it allows us to find within ourselves.
We know this from experience!
And we don’t want anyone to miss the opportunity to dive into this work if they’re feeling called; particularly not due to circumstances; geographical, financial, or other.
It is because of this that we offer a once-a-year opportunity for prospective Explorers (that’s what we call our Clients) to apply for a scholarship to work with us on a regular, consistent basis, 1:1, for a full year.
Applications will open early October so keep your eyes peeled for more!
Questions? Email darcy@theheartspacecenter.org.
We’ve mentioned a Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) rate increase on the horizon for a while now, and they will officially be at the new rate, as of September 1, once the first half of D’Arcy’s Advanced SEI training is complete.
As a reminder, and as noted on our website, the closer D’Arcy gets to graduating from Somatic Experiencing International, THSC’s SE rates will gradually increase.
SE packages will continue to be available at the current rate through the month of August.
SE is a gentle yet profound approach to healing trauma in the body. It can be truly life changing, liberating, and so much more. Book a consultation to begin your journey - at our current rates - today!
D’Arcy’s headed out to Colorado for her Advanced Somatic Experiencing® training this month, and then off to Lava Springs, ID in September for her FIRST Vipassana meditation retreat. Be sure to book a session in advance so you can connect before, in between, and after her time away. She’ll be away over the following dates:
August 25-29
September 17-28
It’s not here yet, but we have a lot brewing for an Autumn full of gathering, releasing, and opening the heart space!
From Breathwork Ceremonies to Chanting, to our Fall Deep Dive, to hangouts at the LIBRARY, and more, make sure to checkout our Upcoming Events page often (and now!) to learn more and join us in the season of Harvest!
If you’ve worked with us and had a positive experience, we invite you to leave us a Google Review.
If you’ve joined us and have not had a positive experience, please send us an email to share more so we have opportunity to learn and improve.
Haven’t worked with us yet and curious what others are saying? Read our Google Business Reviews and checkout our Explorer testimonials to learn more!
Make sure to follow us on social to learn about pop up offerings (virtual and in-person), schedule updates, and more!
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