Who can do yoga?
There is a very easy test that you can do to see if you are eligible for yoga classes at Yoga Matrika. If you can honestly answer “yes” to the following two questions, then you are ready for yoga:
1) Do you have a body?
2) Are you breathing?
You do not need to be flexible, a hippie, any particular gender, be balanced, eating a particular diet or practicing a particular religion. We welcome everyone and anyone to enjoy the full benefits of yoga. You will be delighted to find that we are a community of regular people, with regular jobs and regular bodies. Join us!
What happens in a yoga class? What if I can’t do it?
You will come to the studio, sign into your class and get settled on your mat. Students usually chat before class or take an opportunity to sit or lie on their mats quietly before class starts. The instructor will welcome the class, ask for any special requests or if anyone has any questions and then you will start a warm-up—breathing, stretching and gentle movements. Instructors will provide verbal instructions and some demonstrations to guide you through movements, stretches and breathing exercises. Sometimes, instructors will provide physical adjustments. If you would prefer not to be touched, just let our instructor know. These adjustments are not a criticism, it just means that the instructor would like to help you come into a more comfortable alignment or deepen the pose. At the end of the class, you will lie in Savasana (Corpse Pose)—-lying on your back and just resting. No one is on display and the class is fun and non-competitive. Most students,even those who can’t see their toes never mind touch them, are delighted to find that they can do much more than they thought. All students have a great time and we laugh and enjoy the experience together. After class, you will feel taller, lighter and have a wonderful tone and energy. I personally guarantee that you CAN do it.
What class should I take?
Honestly, the best class for you is the one you will actually attend. For most of us, juggling family and career responsibilities makes it challenging to find the time for yoga. Look at the schedule and choose a class at a time that is most convenient for you. We welcome beginners in all classes. ALL Yoga Matrika instructors have the experience and training to help modify the practices so that every student can benefit from every class. This being said, you will want to read through the class descriptions and see if there is a style, pace or concept that sounds most appealing to you. If you are pregnant, we highly recommend attending prenatal yoga classes so that you can benefit from the support of this wonderful community of expectant moms. If you are an absolute beginner, check out our Beginner section to see our list of especially beginner-friendly classes, workshops and events.
How much do classes cost? What forms of payment do you accept?
A single class at Yoga Matrika costs $15. Our weekend classes are all by donation. We also offer a variety of economical membership packages for students who intend to take classes regularly. You can pay for classes, make donations and purchase membership packages online with a credit, debit or Discover card online. At the studio, we accept personal checks, exact cash, Visa/Mastercard, Debit and American Express. We are sorry for any inconvenience, but we are not able to make change at the studio. If you desire to pay in cash, please bring an exact amount. Please see information below about investing in yoga.
Do you offer a student discount?
Yes! Full time high school, college, graduate and professional students can purchase a package of 7-classes for $50 that is valid for 6-months. This can be purchased online or at the studio.
Refund Policy
Yoga Matrika does not provide refunds for payments made for services (classes, workshops, trainings, private sessions) under any circumstances. For Workshops and Trainings, there is an administrative fee for canceling your registration and then we are happy to put the remainder, minus any additional fees for material costs, onto your account as a credit. There are no make-up classes for children and teen class series. We do not extend membership package expiration dates for any reason. If you purchase a membership using a payment plan, that payment will be charged to your credit card on file regardless of how many classes you actually take. Yoga Matrika is not able to guarantee that any class will remain on the schedule or that any particular style of yoga or any individual instructor will continue to offer classes.
Do I need to register for classes?
Sign-In to Classes Online HERE
You do NOT need to pre-register for any of the classes on the schedule. Classes are ongoing and you can start at any time. Instructors appreciate students who do have an online account and register for classes online. We can provide the best customer service when you include your phone number and e-mail in your online profile. We only use this information to contact you in an emergency (as in a last minute class cancellation). Yoga Matrika does offer a wide variety of workshops and events. Most of these events, workshops and series DO require pre-registration. This is always clearly indicated in the event or workshop descriptions. If you have any questions, we welcome your call (412) 855-5692.
What should I wear? Bring?
Yoga involves deep breathing, stretching and moving the body in all directions—sometimes standing up and sometimes on the floor. Wear comfortable clothing that allows you to move without getting in your way. For example, a huge t-shirt allows you to move, but if you bend over it will flop down over your face revealing your belly and making it hard to breathe. Most male students wear shorts or athletic pants/sweatpants and a close-fitting t-shirt or tank top. Most female students wear leggings or stretchy pants and a tank top, fitted t-shirt or athletic top with a built-in bra. We practice in bare feet, so it doesn’t matter what shoes you wear.
We have all the props you need, but if you have your own yoga mat, please bring it. Yoga mats are really a personal use item and we highly recommend that, for hygienic reasons and also as a sign of your commitment to practice, that you purchase and bring your own mat. If you forget your mat or you are just getting started and don’t want to invest in a mat quite yet, we do have beautiful studio mats for you to use. There is no charge to use the studio mats. We have lovely eco-friendly and toxin-free yoga mats and props available for purchase at the studio.
Please bring as little as possible and leave valuables at home. It’s best to take your watch off during practice and avoid using scented products before coming to the studio. Some students are sensitive to perfumes.
INVESTING in YOGA
Yoga Matrika is a membership based community that offers a variety of investment opportunities. This is somewhat different from the “class card” payments that you may be accustomed to making at Yoga Matrika or other studios. If you have any questions about how to pay for classes at Yoga Matrika, please do not hesitate to contact Sharon directly by phone (412) 855-5692 or e-mail.
What are you investing in?
- Your own yoga practice
- Your commitment to improving your quality of life through physical, emotional and spiritual health
- This intentional community, the studio resources (everything from heat to bolsters) and the ability of our instructors to make a living through teaching yoga.
- Most students say that taking yoga classes regularly changes their life and improves how they feel, decreases stress and allows them to live their lives to the fullest with reduced pain and more energy. Now that’s something worth investing in!
How do you make an investment?
- With your time and energy. When you come to classes at Yoga Matrika, your beautiful spirit and warm, welcoming energy creates this peaceful space. Without you, it would just be an empty room. Your commitment is a significant contribution to this community.
- Through membership, package purchases and donations. Taking a yoga class isn’t like going to the movies or buying a car—-the money that you spend on class is tuition. You learn valuable skills that you can take with you wherever you go and use any time with no special equipment or requirements. These skills are yours to keep forever.
The reality of the very real financial stress that so many Americans feel right now is an inspiration for us to support each other. Yoga is not owned by anyone, but our instructors have invested thousands of dollars and many years of their lives in training and practice. We acknowledge that yoga is not free yet we do not want economic barriers to be what prevents anyone from this practice and from participating in this community. Therefore, we offer a number of options that we hope will make yoga available to everyone who wishes to make a commitment to it.
Here is how you can invest in your yoga practice and the Yoga Matrika community:
We offer a fabulous year of unlimited yoga and pilates classes for $900. There is an auto-pay contract available for $75 per month. This is the most convenient way to invest. Please note that this only covers tuition for drop-in classes. Classes and courses that require pre-registration have their own tuition structure. Never worry about your class package expiring again!
We offer four packages to provide everyone with an opportunity to invest. All packages, with the exception of the prenatal yoga package, are valid for 90-days and have a maximum number of classes. Each package has an economical payment plan available.
Bliss Package: Maximum of 20 classes
$180
Auto-pay contract available for $60 per month for three-months
Samadhi Package: Maximum of 12 classes
$120
Auto-pay contract available for $40 per month for three-months
Bhakti Package: Maximum of 6 classes
$84
Auto-pay contract available for $28 per month for three-months
Prenatal Package: Maximum of 20 classes
$200
A payment plan of $50 per month for 4-months is available for this package.
Valid for one year from date of purchase. Balance can be applied to Mom & Baby tuition if package not completed before your birthing or used for regular adult drop-in classes.
3. Make a Donation with Karma Coupons.
The suggested donation for all donation classes is $10 to $15. Please note that there is no physical “coupon” and your donation is just added as a payment on your account. If you do not have a credit or debit card, or wish to make a donation in an amount less than $10, then you can also make donations in cash or personal check at the studio. You can check your account online at any time to see your account balance and your class attendance history.
Karma Coupons are available in the following quantities:
$50
$25
$15
$10
*Unlimited memberships and membership packages EXPIRE as noted. No refunds or exceptions made for any reason. Auto-pay contracts will continue to be billed for the length of the contract regardless of your actual class attendance.
*Once activated, unlimited packages can’t be canceled for ANY reason. Packages are not transferable.
*Every student must have their own package.
