The Heart of Many Ways (HOMW), 68 Mountain St. in Eureka Springs, has been successful on many levels in the past ten years, including holding frequent special events while raising money and receiving grants to help preserve the historic church building that dates back to 1915.
“Since our inception ten years ago, HOMW has been able to live up to its vision of accommodating a wide spectrum of spiritual paths and perspectives providing a space for many groups to meet and for individuals to explore a variety of approaches to self awareness, mindfulness, meditation and selfcare,” President Melissa Clare said.
The center will be celebrating its10th birthday in February and this year including holding a fundraising concert directed by Emily Valentin at 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23. Valentin will provide a musical journey through Eureka Springs history brought to life with piano, fiddle, song and story.
“Marvel at the lightning-fast fingers of our pianoforte prodigies,” Valentin said. “Be swept away by the fiery passion of the fiddle virtuoso. And let the velvet voice of our songbird soprano serenade you with tales as timeless as the hills. This milestone event honors a decade of harmony, community, and inspiration, inviting you to explore the rich tapestry of local history through the magic of music.”
The suggested donation is $25.
HOMW provides regular weekly or monthly classes and workshops to explore topics ranging from mystic relaxation to early Christianity, Sufi teachings, and seasonal celebrations of wiccan tradition. HOMW has hosted Sufi memorial services, a Buddhist wedding, and Dances for Universal Peace and Harmony sessions for group sing-alongs, including sacred songs and chants from around the world.
The current schedule includes monthly programs by the Circle of Nations group, as well as a “How to Suffer Less” program with Christopher Mason drawing on the wisdom of prominent Buddhists such as Thich Nat Han, Christian tenets, Thursday morning QiGong sessions with Rebekah Clark, an “eco-nidra” relaxation program with Shiloh Grace and a workshop to explore the mind world based on Sufi teachings, with Melissa Clare.
Other programs that have been building up over the past year include sound baths with Maria Hilgert, Doug and Maya Powell and others, somatic healing workshops with Emily Valentin, healing vocalization with Megan Menendez, harmony sessions with Jim Dudley and Rebecca Babbs, poetry sessions with Kricket and chanting with Eureka Kirtanll.
“Some of our regular program providers who have participated from the beginning have shared a wide variety of topics over the years,” Clare said. “Carolyn Amrit Knaus will offer a celebration of the planetary alignment at the end of this month. The Metaphysical Society of Arkansas continues to meet here on Monday nights and we are just embarking on a collaborative relationship with the National Water Center that will be holding monthly meetings at HOMW starting in March.”
Music has always played an important part in community building. Clare said the Christian Scientists designed the upstairs ceiling to be acoustically pleasing which is ideal for the variety of concerts welcoming musicians from far and near.
During the height of covid, they started a weekly program – Music to Uplift – to help people keep up their spirits. The free music sessions held every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m. continue with local musicians who participate in a rotating schedule. Clare said the program seems to be more needed than ever.
“We invite you to take a little time out of your busy day to shift gears and reach into that place beyond words,” she said.
Clare said the Christian Scientists who bequeathed the building to the local group had a major focus on healing.
“We are happy to have been able to emphasize both music and healing as integral to our ongoing spiritual life,” Clare said. “Historic buildings take a lot of TLC. We have been very fortunate in receiving grants from the Arkansas Historic Preservation Project. They have been two thirds grants, which has meant we needed to raise the funds to cover out one third.
“As covid struck, we received a grant to take care of water damage including replacing our roof and tackling several places where the walls had taken in water,” Claire said. “Replacing the roof took care of those leaks. This past year we received a grant to embark on the first stage of window restoration and were able to restore the windows on the south wall upstairs.
“At the same time an unexpected issue presented itself with our heating and AC systems upstairs and we wound up having to replace two units, which presented quite a financial set-back even though we were lucky enough to qualify for a grant for two thirds of that expense.”
The AHPP is standing by to offer a grant for the next phase of window restoration, and donations are being sought to help fund the local match. “Currently we need to replenish our coffers to ensure that we will be able to meet whatever challenges 2025 may bring,” Clare said.
Heart of Many Ways continues to provide a public meeting space for individual and collective spiritual exploration, healing, music and celebration. All are welcome to come and check out the offerings, come see whether this may be the place you’ve been dreaming of to bring your own programs.
“Together, we can give voice and expression to the Spirit of Eureka,” Clare said.