Meet Heather Shoopman of The Stillness

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I came to Los Angeles in 1999 along with a lightning bolt shaped route from Oklahoma to Nevada to Michigan to San Francisco to New Hampshire. My school background is in dance, theatre, and writing although I took my first job with an airline to see more of the world.

I left the corporate job to pursue the self-employed lifestyle. I studied various modalities, started a bodywork business, got a manager and started going on auditions. So it started with wellness + acting and production work. I sometimes crossed over as the person doing healing work on set. As my journey blossomed I added yoga and became a Reiki master~ which is a lovely form of energy healing.

Along the road I found bellydance and it has since become a big part of my life. I’ve danced since conception. It is a very natural form of expression for me. I’ve always been a storyteller, crafting grand tales as a child and giving speeches about how I could change the world and make it a better place. I have studied various dance styles and worked professionally in bellydance for over a decade. I continue to lead classes and workshops based on the healing aspects of dance. I have studied various cultural traditions as well as the therapeutic life/art process which incorporates movement, drawing, writing, and witnessing.

At the root of it all, I want to know as much as I can about the world; it’s people, cultures, and traditions. I’m very blessed to have visited and shared in so many places. I bring these years of learning and experimenting to my work. I create spaces for healing and transformation using dance, sounds, meditation, reiki & yoga.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Once you figure out that life is what you make it – everything becomes an opportunity to learn. I had really young parents and we all sort of grew up together. There were many lessons about self-love that I learned much later in life. I had some rocky relationship experiences with friends and loves until I found someone that was able to hold the (metaphorical) mirror up and get me to really look at myself. This showed me that I was not loving myself, I was only SAYING THE WORDS.

And so began this journey of learning how to really love + share those tools with the world. I also had a rough time in a corporate job. I certainly didn’t like clocking in! I felt very split. I would go on the weekend and be barefoot at a Grateful Dead show and then Monday back to the grind. I always knew I wanted to be my own boss it just took time to realize I should move on. I am now doing healing work in corporate situations, and those experiences informed me.

When I first came to LA, I did commercials, TV & film. The constant rejection and ideals about beauty were tough on the spirit at times, but the experiences shaped my insight and compassion. I also think we have come a long way in the past decade with body image and self-worth in our society. We have some work to do, but we are moving onward and upward. My rich journey gives me a unique perspective and the ability to work with all types of people from various backgrounds.

Please tell us about The Stillness.
I am a self-care specialist. I help people remember to remember to take good care. My business is called The Stillness. I believe in the quiet of stillness we can truly experience ourselves. I like bringing people to a place of calm, safe relaxation where they can truly just be. In this quiet space, we can truly get to know ourselves, paving the way for self-love.

My work honors nature, magic, the wisdom of the body and truth of the soul by cultivating a deeper connection with these things. I grew up playing outside, believing in magic and feeling as if the earth were my home. These things are still true for me, and I enjoy taking people back to that sense of play and freedom from childhood.

I am known for creating a loving, nurturing, safe environment. I do not discriminate~ all with a willingness to experience the work are welcome. I am very passionate about dance and yoga as self-care. I share from a place of mindfulness and connection with the goal of giving attendees an experience of themselves. I believe the true healer lies within each of us, and I am here to facilitate and open those doors.

I have a background with prenatal wellness and believe in the power of prenatal bellydance & yoga for strength, calm and peace before, during and after labor. I am also experienced with the end of life care and hold this work very sacred. Our births and deaths are the biggest events of our lives!

I curate sessions for individuals, couples, families, and groups. The most popular is combining reiki, restorative yoga, guided meditation and sound healing. I fulfill many requests for the ritual of dance, meditation or sound at celebrations of birth, life, and death.

I hold retreats and local Self Care Sleepovers for women. I have a vision to create a worldwide sisterhood that is a circle of support. No one should ever feel they are all alone, and yet I also strive to help folks realize how awesome being with yourself is. I have a group for women on Facebook called Mama’s Shoop’s Self Care Sisterhood.

I teach dance classes online at Patreon.com/PortaltoSelfLove and hold local class sessions & workshops at my second home Dance Garden LA in Atwater Village. I bring yoga to corporate situations and private schools for both teachers & students.

I have experience and am comfortable with hospital, trauma, hospice, seniors, children, animals, high profile & film/TV sets. I am proud of the fact that I have lived this work and I stand behind it with years of practice. I have seen the magic!

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
That’s a tough one because I hold the belief that we walk our paths in order to learn our lessons. If I had to pick on something, I’d say keep the fear in check, be patient, trust the intuitions and don’t cash out all of your stocks at once.

Pricing:

• Reiki Sound Experience @ your location $150 – $350
• Dance blessing, performance, lessons $50 & up
• Reiki level 1 & 2 – taught privately $150-$250
• Yoga – private, family, corporate $50-$150
• Self Care Sisterhood Sleepover~ a 24-hour session $100- $1000 (monthly event)

Contact Info:

• Address: https://www.patreon.com/PortaltoSelfLove.
• Website: thestillness.me
• Email: dancewithshoop@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sisterhoodportal/
• Facebook: Facebook.com/MeditatewithShoop
• Twitter: @hdshoop
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-stillness-los-angeles