LORENA'S TESTIMONY FROM NUTRITION CLASS
Hello friends feisbukeros .... Today I decided to share something very good, unless tried and checked I recommend someone or something, this time I will recommend someone who has helped me a lot in my food intake and daily life with my health. I have felt very well for more than 1 month since I am with her every week, it is wonderful because she is a nutritionist, psychologist and Yoga instructor, that is to say a box of surprises. She lives in Chicago area and we see each other on Skype. It is very comfortable, since you do not leave your home. She never asked me to write anything, I do it because with her recommendations and advice I felt great and full of energy and without eating too much... Her name is Pita Betancourt and she is in facebook as "Accepting yourself by Pita Betancourt", personally I like everything about her, that is why I highly recommend her, the results of my last health analysis have been the best since I have been with her. My skin and belly have been much better....
TESTIMONIES - YOPITA CLASS
Being a long-time student of yoga and other health-promoting modalities, I've tried lots of different classes and instructors. Pita's yoga & tai-chi classes are among the very best I've ever experienced.
Here's why:
- Pita's natural warmth and the lovely practice space she has created makes me feel welcome and at home.
- Classes are small and instruction is given to each person's ability; modified poses are suggested or demonstrated whenever needed.
- Classes are deeply relaxing and at the same time, a challenging work-out! Lots of slow poses, attention to the breathing, correct posture, improving flexibility, balance, and core-strengthening.
- And a bonus you won't find anywhere else, two adorable furry friends sometimes join the class, and are guaranteed to make you smile! (Available for animal lovers only, class attendees' choice).
Pita's classes are full of benefit, whether you are new or seasoned to the practices. I've been coming regularly (once a week) for the last 6 months, and have noticed definite improvements in flexibility and less stiffness; more sustained energy; decrease in recovery time for minor injuries/overuse; and greater commitment to better health practices in general.
Thank you, Pita!!!
Laurie
I have been going to Pita’s class now for several years!!! She is an amazing Yoga instructor and her classes are very rewarding!!!! She makes it fun and also cares about getting the Yoga moves done correctly...... I look forward to Yoga class every week and can see the benefits it has for me! It has improved my balance and strength!!!! I highly recommend Pita’s Yoga Class!!!!!!
Shirley Stenzel
COLLEAGUE'S TESTIMONIES
For the last 6 years I have supervised Pita and her work at the Larkin Center. Pita has demonstrated the ability to motivate her clientele. In a relatively short period of time her clients have made significant changes in their lives. The individuals in her groups are proud of their accomplishments and see Pita as a major positive force in their progress.
Dave Hanchett Director CCS.
I was extremely impressed with the openness and willingness each student provided sharing their personal stories with me.
Each story they shared illustrated the growth they were able to achieve with the learning and coping skills provided to them within the workshop.
I was honored to be a part of their graduation ceremony and encouraged by their strength and grace to overcome adversity.
Sincerely,
Claudia VanDelinder
TESTIMONIES – WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS
Life in general is difficult to bear. Society nowadays is getting tougher and tougher. We live in a world where people are like robots, from work to home and home to work. People spend less time on themselves and with their family, and the consequences are lifeless. I was one of them and I didn't know.
I completed "Self-esteem" and "Forever Healthy" workshops. When I found out about these workshops, I was in awe; I didn't know there were such programs to help the Spanish Community. So, I got excited to attend. The title said it all, "Self-esteem". I wanted to find out what I was doing wrong with my life. I wanted to take a new direction but I needed help, because I tried before without success.
When I started the first day at Self-Esteem workshop, I got surprise with the professionalism of the Instructor, Pita Betancourt. The way she presented the program and handled it was great. I got to know my peers, and after listening their stories I thought my life was not as difficult as theirs, but the program was created in a way that it fits all types of life stories. Nobody is perfect, so I realized week after week, that I didn't love myself. My self-esteem, morals, and values were low. My sloppiness wasn't letting me succeed. One part of the program that I like the most was when Pita took me back into my memories and I discover the child that I had inside of me. I don't know how she did it, but I cried when I started to remember my childhood. I will never forget that. Also, she showed me the proper way to interact with others, how to overcome objections, and the most important how to recognize and deal with stress.
On the other hand, the "Forever Healthy" workshop is a complement of the whole program. It helped me to understand that I should not only worry for my mental health, but for my physical health as well. I learned that eating well could prevent any serious diseases. Not only that, but it will reflect your habits as a person, it kind of gives you a lifestyle. People that eat healthy tend to be more active and energetic. So, when we finished the workshop all of us lose weight, particularly I lost 10 lbs. I know it is difficult not eat burgers, but I am trying not to, besides I rather eat healthy and pay for a subscription on a gym rather than pay for hospital expenses. All of these facts, I learned in this workshop. Moreover, Pita told us the benefits of eating organic, the harm we cause to our bodies by consuming sugar and white flour, and the consequences of drinking alcoholic beverages to our liver. Eating healthy can extend your life longer.
Overall, these workshops have helped me to live happy. I hope these kinds of workshops can last for a long time, and not just within the Latino Community, but also with the rest of the world. If people experience these workshops they would realize the total meaning of life. Maybe you think I'm exaggerating too much, but it is hard to write my own experience from the beginning when I was born until now, so you can understand what I'm saying. I got to a point where I wanted to committed suicide, know I can look back and laugh about it.
S.R.
The workshops are very good. They have helped me to believe and love myself. When I came to this program I was very shy and I felt very intimidated, and was a coward. My character was so week that including my own son took advantage of me. I was in a domestic violence relationship for many years; it was so bad that actually my husband tried to kill me. One of my kids has been in addictions; the other was in danger and was mentally abused.
These workshops helped me to make strong decisions; I decided to be firm in my wishes and determinations, to live and move forward, also to help my kids to overcome their problems. One is in rehabilitation; the other is in an artistic program.
I recognized that I need more help in certain areas, and I will continue to grow.
Thank you Pita for these programs.
Rosa Serrano.
All the workshops have helped in my life. I want to tell you about the one that changed me the most, Forever Healthy Workshop. For a long time I was taking “Petarmine” to lose weight. Instead of losing weight I was damaging my body. I wanted to stop but couldn’t, I was addicted to it. I started the workshop, and Pita indicated that in order to make changes I had to stop taking the medicine. With the support of the group I made the decision to stop taking it. By the third session, I brought the pill and threw them in the garbage. It was a victory. I started eating better and exercising; these made me happy and actually lose weight. It has been a year since I stopped taking the medication and I feel great.
I hope the workshops continue because they don’t only help the participant, but also the families.
Erica Perez.
Through time in the self-esteem workshop, I learned to accept myself, that there are always alternatives, and discover that Happiness is not out there but in me and on what I do.
When you are alone in a foreign place, different language, no friends, and no family to give you support or love, or at least someone to provide advice, you meet loneliness; she could be cruel and give you bad choices. But, when you find someone that with words and examples let you know that one must take care of oneself, and to love yourself is good, to have order in your life beats not to have it, which is wisdom. I found it thru the Self-esteem workshop under Guadalupe Betancourt (Pita), who helped me make personal changes. It though me that the past is gone, it is better to forgive and live happy than live in sorrow. It sounds easy, but it is not. Also, I learned that happiness is not to have things, but to have mental, physical and emotional health.
Learning that there are alternatives to difficult situations, I know now to put limits and boundaries to others so I can be clear and transparent. By conquering each difficult area of my life, I can have tranquility and inner peace. By putting myself first, I can do bigger and better for me; like my health, thoughts, and economic future. If I am OK, my loved ones will be OK.
It is very hard and took me a lot of internal work to understand that happiness is inside myself and the statement “someone else will make me happy” is not true. It is so important, but no one ever talk to me, until I came to the workshop. It is not easy to put it in practice, so I took the workshop again, not to cry my heart out, but to re-affirm and reflect about it.
In summary, this self-esteem workshop and support group helped me to learn, and motivate to persevere in my decisions and personal objectives, but overall it opened the door for a new way to see and live my life. Until I took the workshop I didn’t realize all the alternatives available to me.
The self-esteem workshop motivated me to continue with the Forever Healthy workshop. The most important think I learned was how to eat right, and which foods have the most nutrients for my body to be in optimal health.
Congratulations to Pita for her workshops that not only help me but others in my circumstances.
Thank you.
Juan Manuel Banales
Hi my name is Pablo Ramirez. I am writing these words because I receive a lot of help trough Pita Betancourt. I attended time ago the “Self-Esteem” workshop. Four weeks ago I attended the second level.
I learned a lot of things in both workshops. I was having a very difficult situation, a divorce after 23 years of marriage. I felt lonely I didn’t have any support (family, friends or Organizations).
Thank God I meet Pita. She gave me the tools to get strength to continue ahead with my life. The group was great! They help me a lot too.
Now, I am very happy because my three kids decided to come to live with me. When I think about those days, without help I don’t know where I would have been. I believe in myself, also I learned that I am a very value human being.
I hope that these workshops continuing supporting all people like me that are in similar or worst situation.
Sincerely
Pablo Ramirez
I’m Martha B. Hunter who took Pita Betancourt’s workshop Self-Esteem. It helped me a lot with myself.
For Hispanic people, it is really important to have these kinds of workshops because we need to work with our personalities and also to have a better self-esteem.
The workshop “Self-esteem” makes people think about their choices. It teaches us that it is life’s greatest true and its hardest lesson. It’s a great truth, because it reminds us of our power. Not power of others but the power to be ourselves and to live the life we have imagined. It is a hard lesson because it causes us to realize that we have chosen the life we are living right now. This workshop also advises you how to be the best version of yourself by your own choices and not to be a lesser version of yourself. Self-esteem workshop is a brilliant curse to take that a lot of people like and helped a lot.
Martha Hunter
If you think that you are fine and don’t need help; think twice. The two workshops about self-esteem and Forever Healthy are a life changing experience. These workshops are lights of hope. Hope of living, loving, and caring. If you have experienced depression, low self-esteem, sadness, sense of lifeless and stress at least once in your lifetime, this workshops will help you overcome those feelings. With my testimony, I’m not saying that I became a perfect human being. I say that I see things differently. Now, I love myself, and my beloved ones. I see myself in a positive way. Overall these workshops help you emotionally and physically. We only live once, why waste it with a lot of worries and problems.
Silvestre Rojas (participant)
My name is Laura Sanchez. I took the “Self-esteem” workshop because before I met Pita I was frightened of everything. After the workshop, I was able to look myself in the mirror and to place barriers around me; now I accept myself and most important I believe in myself.
I know I need to continue working on me, because sometimes I am still scare of things, but thanks to these groups and the knowledge that Pita has I am learning day by day to be happier.
When I finished the first “Self-esteem” workshop I still needed more support. Then, one day Pita called me and said she was going to continue with a second workshop.
That was amazing!
Laura Sanchez