Archive for Classes
Why Restore?
This Sunday (October 2, 2011), Lisa Clark is going to be offering a Restorative Yoga workshop at Yoga Matrika, a most cozy and intimate community-based yoga studio in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh. The workshop is just two-hours long, but the effects will last a lifetime.
You might wonder what the benefits of restorative yoga are, especially if you are healthy, injury free, athletic and tend to prefer active yoga practices with an emphasis on physical challenges. Or, you might know that you desperately need a restorative practice, but can’t seem to justify the investment of time or money. Maybe you aren’t even sure what restorative yoga is, but anything that might give you some peace and quiet for two hours just can’t be a bad thing………..
So, for the curious, here are some of the unique benefits of restorative yoga practices:
- Activate your parasympathetic nervous system to fight illness and support optimum fertility, hormone balance, immune system and clarity of mind.
- Lowers blood pressure. Yes, even the Food and Drug Administration suggests that restorative yoga is highly effective non-drug therapy for hypertension.
- Helps relieve chronic tension that can cause pain such as headaches and digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowl Syndrome.
- Active relaxation improves mood and supports creativity and action sourced from intuition and grace.
- Lower cholesterol and improve circulation
- Better resistance to injury
- Improve range of motion
- Remove toxins from the body and support optimum health for liver, kidneys and endocrine system
- Relieve sciatica and low back pain
- Supports high quality sleep and can help relieve insomnia
The reality is that, for an amount of financial investment equal to a doctor visit co-pay, you can receive these significant benefits. Of course, a regular yoga practice over time is your best investment for optimum health, but you will be amazed at how fabulous you feel after just one restorative yoga session. If you would like to support your health with regular restorative yoga practices, April Lechwar teaches a one hour and fifteen minute restorative yoga class every Sunday evening from 5:45 to 7:00pm.
Here are some excerpts from Judith Lasater’s seminal book, Relax and Renew: Relaxing Yoga for Stressful Times:
Stress Can Make you Sick
Stress begins with a physiological response to what your body-mind perceives as life-threatening.…For modern-day humans, this may be living with the fear of losing a job in a sagging economy, or the health crisis of a family member.
Whatever the stressor, the mind alerts the body that danger is present. In response, the adrenal glands, located above the kidneys, secrete catecholamine hormones. These adrenaline and noradrenalin hormones act upon the autonomic nervous system, as the body prepares for fight or flight. Heart rate, blood pressure, mental alertness, and muscle tension are increased. The adrenal hormones cause metabolic changes that make energy stores available to each cell and the body begins to sweat. The body also shuts down systems that are not a priority in the immediacy of the moment, including digestion, elimination, growth, repair, and reproduction.
To his detriment, modern man is often unable to resolve his stress so directly, and lives chronically stressed as a result. Still responding to the fight or flight response, the adrenals continue to pump stress hormones. The body does not benefit from nutrition because the digestion and elimination systems are slowed down. Even sleep is disturbed by this agitated state.
In a chronically stressed state, quality of life, and perhaps life itself, is at risk. The body’s capacity to heal itself is compromised, either inhibiting recovery from an existing illness or injury, or creating a new one, including high blood pressure, ulcers, back pain, immune dysfunction, reproductive problems, and depression. These conditions add stress of their own and the cycle continues.
Restorative Yoga for Health & Well Being
By supporting the body with props, we alternately stimulate and relax the body to move toward balance. Some poses have an overall benefit. Others target an individual part, such as the lungs or heart. All create specific physiological responses which are beneficial to health and can reduce the effects of stress-related disease.
In general, restorative poses are for those times when you feel weak, fatigued, or stressed from your daily activities. They are especially beneficial for the times before, during, and after major life events: death of a loved one, change of job or residence, marriage, divorce, major holidays, and vacations. In addition, you can practice the poses when ill, or recovering from illness or injury.
This post was written by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, the owner and director of programs for Yoga Matrika and Matrika Prenatal. She hopes to see you soon and often at The Mat in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Spring Preparation #6: Make a Commitment
The kind of commitment that I’m talking about is also sometimes referred to as “put your money where your mouth is.” You know that you want to make a commitment to developing your yoga practice, your meditation practice or both. Maybe you’ve been meaning to try yoga for a while. Perhaps, after the 15th article you’ve read this month about the benefits of meditation you feel almost obligated to give it a try. Maybe you’ve let your mat get dusty this winter or it might even be frozen in your trunk?
Whether you’ve never done yoga or meditated before or you’ve been a yogi at heart for forever, this season of renewal reminds us of the value of commitment. Registering for an 8-week small group series with Sharon for this spring is an excellent way to ease yourself back on your mat or cushion or find out what all the buzz is about for yourself for the very first time.
Here are just some of the benefits to committing to a private small-group class over dropping-in on large studio classes:
- You have the opportunity to develop a relationship with your teacher and your fellow students. You know that this small group will notice your absence and you will miss seeing them too and these relationships help you get to class when you aren’t quite feeling up to it.
- You write the dates and times on your calendar and then you make it happen. If you have to arrange a babysitter, then you do it. If you have to figure out what bus you are going to take, you find that schedule. When it is on your calendar, then you do it. Making a class a habit is an excellent way to make sure that you actually attend.
- In a small group you get the attention and support you need to learn new skills. With an 8-week series, the material can be presented in a consecutive way. The instructor can get to know you and your special abilities and is prepared to modify your practice just for you. No more hiding in the back of the room just hoping you don’t hurt yourself!
- Let’s be honest. You spent the money and now you are going to show up.
- When you make a commitment, a whole new realm of opportunities will open up for you. Whenever you make a commitment, it means saying “no” to other things or people. But, it also means that a completely new set of possibilities will be revealed to you.
Stop talking about doing yoga or learning how to meditate and SIGN-UP. See you in April!
This post was written by Sharon Rudyk, an independent yoga and meditation instructor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Read more about Sharon on her website.
Optimize Fertility with Yoga
Read about yoga, stress and fertility here.
Read about classes in meditation and yoga to support optimum fertility here.
Yoga Benefits that Optimize Fertility and Reproductive Health
- stress relief
- hormone balance
- endocrine system support
- increased circulation to reproductive organs
- enhanced quality of sleep
- decreased anxiety and fear
Yoga is a magnificent form of preparation for all creative activities and having a regular yoga practice is a beautiful way to support optimum fertility and reproductive health for men and women. Rather than think of yoga as one more thing you can do to help get pregnant or as an addition to any treatment you may be receiving for an “infertility” diagnosis, we believe that yoga should be something that you do for yourself. Enjoy!
Our classroom environment is kept to a comfortable temperature and we offer non-competitive classes that are ideal for women and men that are actively trying to conceive. All yoga and meditation classes on the schedule are excellent for supporting reproductive health.
Yoga for Optimum Fertility Series
Four-Week Series on Thursdays from 6:00 to 7:30pm ($80)
April 7 through May 5
Check here for description, location and detailed registration information.
Meditation in Motion
Read more on the benefits of meditation.
Read more on how regular meditation can impact your genetic expression.
Read here on basic instructions for mindfulness meditation.
Meditation in Motion: 4-class Series
Mondays 6:00-7:30 pm, 3/14 through 4/4
Facilitated by: Sharon Rudyk
Cost for 4-class series: $65 (Online Registration HERE)
Research indicates that the benefits of mindful breathing, gentle physical movements and a variety of techniques including visualization and meditation are powerful tools for health and healing. From reversing heart disease to changing the expression of your genes, a regular meditation practice has a significant impact on your quality of life. In this small group series, we will specifically explore a variety of meditation techniques that can be used by anyone regardless of your previous experience with yoga or meditation. We will do some physical movements, but these types of movements are very natural and can be accomplished by any adult regardless of your physical shape or abilities (they can even be done while sitting in a chair!). Relieve stress, relax the body and learn quick and simple ways to improve your quality of life every single day.
Here is a video about walking meditation
Holiday Yoga: A Prenatal Practice
Yoga Matrika is going to be offering a limited number of prenatal yoga classes during the holidays. In case you don’t live in Pittsburgh and have found this practice online, Yoga Matrika offers prenatal yoga classes in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The good news about this practice is that you can do it anywhere!
We all know that even a few stretches and relaxation exercises can make a huge difference in how we feel during pregnancy. During the holidays, our diets and schedules change and this makes it even more important that we maintain our practice. Here is a very short practice that is appropriate for pregnant women that you can do at home, if you are traveling or wherever you roam. For all you Pittsburgh-based Matrika Mammas, I look forward to seeing you again in person for class in the new year!
Center & Breathe
First step, find a comfortable seat. You do not have to be sitting on the floor and if you are at all swollen or feel any aches, it may be best for you to sit in a chair. If you are seated in a chair, you want to just sit on the front edge of the chair (not leaning back and resting on the seat back) and make sure that your feet are firmly placed on the ground. If this is uncomfortable due to the height of the chair, you can place support under your feet (yoga blocks, phone books, etc.). Just make sure that you have balanced support under each side of the body. From here, take one palm and rest it over your heart center and another hand over your belly. Very gently start to take deep breaths. Feel the front of your body rise with the in-breath and as you exhale, release the full breath and any tension you might be holding in your body. You can do this for as long as you like, but even taking 5-10 deep breaths will help you feel much more centered and relaxed.
Relax Back and Hips
Come down onto your hands and knees and practice cat/cow. Keep your neck relaxed and focus on the gentle forward and back sway of the pelvis. You can do as few of these or as many of these as you like. If you feel tight through the hips or have low back tension, you may also want to take your hips in circles. It can be helpful to imagine that you have a paintbrush dangling from your navel and that you are making perfect circles on the floor beneath you. Move as slowly or as quickly as feels right to you.
Energize the Body and Release Tension
Practice Warrior II pose on the right and left sides of the body. Focus on opening your heart, relaxing the shoulders and keep your bent knee (the front knee) coming out directly over the ankle. Use your inner thigh strength to deepen the stretch and keep your knee in a healthy position. The back leg is straight and you are opening through the pelvis. Gently tuck your sitting bones under you to lengthen the low back and release low back strain. Breathe!
Relax the hips & Stretch the Back
Come into Cobbler’s Pose. With the soles of your feet together, take deep breaths into the body. If you are rounded through the low back, place a folded blanket, towel or pillow under your sitting bones. You can sit here and breathe for as long as you like. If you would like to stretch the back body, then allow yourself to round forward as far as you feel comfortable. Keep your shoulders relaxed and breathe.
Deep Relaxation
It is very important to actively relax the body for a few minutes each and every day. This is different from napping or sleeping. Find a comfortable position for your body lying on the floor—-if it feels good, then it is safe. Bring your awareness to your feet and actively and systematically relax your body from your toes to the crown of your head. You may want to purchase a deep relaxation tape or download a Yoga Nidra from iTunes. It can be helpful to choose some beautiful music or chanting that you enjoy and play that while you relax.
Enjoy the holidays and new year Matrika Mammas! Check out our new Pregnancy and Postnatal website. Please do not practice yoga if any of these exercises make you uncomfortable, cause pain or if your care provider has put you on bed rest or encouraged you to limit physical activity. You should never feel pain in your yoga practice, pregnant or not, and these are not exercises you should “push through” or force yourself to do. All of these suggested exercises should feel good and relieve tension and strain in your body.
This practice was designed with love by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, the owner of Yoga Matrika and director of all Matrika Prenatal programs. Currently, our classes, workshops and Childbirth Education programs are mostly held in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Please feel free to contact Sharon directly with any questions (412) 855-5692.
What is Restorative Yoga?
Restorative yoga is a practice that brings the energy of the body into balance, releases deeply held tension and calms the nervous system. In this yoga practice, there are gentle movements, breathing exercises and physical poses that are held for five-minutes or longer with the support of blankets, pillows and other props. These longer held poses allow the body to release into the pose with support so there is no physical strain or effort. In this way, the practitioner receives the full benefit of the pose without creating any additional stress in the body or on the nervous system.
This type of practice is counter-intuitive to adults who have come to think that more effort, more work, more sweat and more pain means more and better results. One of the greatest challenges of restorative yoga is accepting the fact that doing less brings the most significant transformation in the body and mind. This is not a gentle, wimpy or easy practice! Restorative yoga is a gentle unfolding of the damage we do to our bodies each and every day through emotional stress, through our repetitive actions and by ignoring the signs of exhaustion, un-ease and chronic pain. Athletes will find that restorative yoga is the most excellent compliment to their activity as it eases the joints and can help heal chronic and minor injuries that would otherwise prevent a quick return to a favorite sport or activity. If you tend to enjoy a more athletic yoga practice, such as Ashtanga Vinyasa or power flow practices, then restorative yoga can help deepen your practice. Yogis of all styles will find that their endurance and strength actually improves through a regular practice of restorative yoga.
At Yoga Matrika, our restorative yoga classes are a combination of mindfulness meditation, healing movement and stretching. No experience with yoga or meditation in any tradition or style is required. Beginners are always welcome to this safe, supportive and non-competitive environment. This is a practice that is equally as wonderful for students with injuries or chronic illness as it is for the healthiest and most robust athlete. The “results” of a regular practice can’t be predicted, but they will be positive and significant. It may be that you have had shoulder pain for most of your adult life and, after two months of restorative yoga practices, you find that your pain is diminished and your range of motion increased. Or, you may genuinely believe that you are a very balanced person without pain, but slowly realize that, with a regular restorative yoga practice, that you lose your temper less often and feel more compassionate towards others—-you might just find that you are happier!
We provide all of the equipment that you need for your practice, but encourage all students in all classes to bring their own yoga mat. We have mats for you to use if you need one, but mats are really a personal use item. Try not to practice yoga on a full stomach, but it is fine to have a small snack (banana and yogurt, a bowl of cereal, etc.) an hour or so before practice if you are very hungry. Wear comfortable, stretchy clothing in layers so that you can wear less when you are moving and put on a layer or two when you are going to relax into a pose for a longer period of time. You may want to bring a water bottle with you.
Join us at 6:00pm on Mondays, starting January 10, 2011, at Yoga Matrika for this unique yoga practice for all levels. Your instructor is Sharon Fennimore Rudyk. If you have questions about this practice or would like more information, please call Sharon directly at (412) 855-5692 or see our New Student FAQ.
This post was written by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, the owner and director of Yoga Matrika, an intimate, community-based yoga studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: http://www.yogamatrika.com/. For information on prenatal and postnatal programs, please see: http://www.matrikaprenatal.com.
Art of the Inhale
At Yoga Matrika, an intimate community-based yoga studio in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, I offer a class three times a week called Body, Breath and Mind. These are intermediate level yoga classes with a holistic approach to yoga practices including asana, pranayama, energy anatomy,philosophy and ethics and meditation.
This week, one of the pranayama exercises we will practice is Anuloma Krama. This beautiful breathing practice starts with a complete exhale. The empty lungs are then filled in two sips of breath with a pause between. In this sweet ode to the in-breath, we pause to appreciate what it feels like to be full of potential, energy and life. Then, we realize that we can open just a little bit more. Then, we pause in this great state of expansion and life before returning to where we began, with a complete exhale.
While these instructions are given here for general use, it is important to note that:
- Many people should not hold their breath, including women who are pregnant. Please ask your doctor if you have any questions about whether or not this type of breathing exercise is appropriate for you.
- If you are not a regular yoga student, the pause between breath might be too long for you. Start with less than 5-seconds of pause and build your way up to 5-seconds over time.
- While practicing pranayama, it is important to practice in a comfortable way. If you experience discomfort on either the in-breath, out-breath or the pause, reduce your effort to a comfortable level.
- It is best to have a competent pranayama instructor when you are first learning. Please ask your instructor to work with you on this exercise.
ANULOMA KRAMA
Step 1: find a comfortable seat in a chair or on the floor. Breathe in and out through your nose if you aren’t congested. Let your belly fill with breath on the inhale and gently pull your navel towards your spine on the exhale. Enjoy these deep and rhythmic breaths.
Step 2: Exhale completely
Step 3: Inhale the first 1/2 of your breath by filling from the pit of your throat to your sternum is about 5-seconds.
Step 4: Pause for 5-seconds
Step 5: Inhale the second 1/2 of your breath by filling from your sternum to your pubic bone in about 5-seconds.
Step 6: Pause for 5-seconds.
Step 7: Exhale completely
[Return to step 3 and continue for 5-8 minutes. Then, breathe in and out naturally for 2-minutes and just notice how you feel.]
Yoga for Seniors
Yoga Matrika will be offering a new 6-week series of yoga classes for seniors in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh. The series will cost $45 for credit card payments and $40 for payments by check. The classes are on Monday afternoons from 1:30 to 2:30pm. The next series starts on Monday, November 8 and will run through Monday, December 13th. There are many benefits for starting a yoga practice and we will:
- Decrease back, neck and shoulder pain
- Relieve stress
- Learn balance skills to prevent falls
- Ease joint discomfort from arthritis
- Improve quality of sleep
- Increase strength and flexibility in the body
- Improve heart health
No experience is required and everyone is welcome.
To pre-register by mail, please mail (or hand deliver if you are in the neighborhood!) a check for $40 made out to YOGA MATRIKA to: 6520 Wilkins Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Registration is also available online through the Yoga Matrika website. You can call Sharon with questions (412) 855-5692.
Didgeridoos and Yoga: No kidding!
If you love the digeridoo and yoga, then these fabulous workshops being hosted by the Yoma Room later this month look unique and wonderful. The Yoma Room is a very supportive friend of Yoga Matrika and I hope you will consider a trip out there for these workshops. Check out the Yoma Room here: http://www.yomaroom.com
Friday, April 30th
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Journeying Through the Chakras
This lecture is designed to introduce the novice as well as the experienced healthy living seeker to concepts that include:
What is a Chakra? Location of Chakras?
What is a Meridian? What are the Dantiens?
How are the Chakra, Dantiens and Meridian systems similar?
How are Chakras, Dantiens and Meridians interconnected?
What are energetic stagnations? What are emotional stagnations?
How does the health of my energetic body effect the physical body?
What illnesses are rooted in particular chakras/organ energies?
General Q and A
Chakra Meditation:
Joseph has a collection of very unique didgeridoos that give him the ability to change the note or key of the instrument while he plays (slide didgeridoos) as well as a complete set of keyed Eucalyptus didgeridoos in each note of the chakra system. The ability to access the various notes of the chakra system enables him to provide a meditative journey that not only reconnects the mind with body but also allows an individual to journey and meditate within each Chakra.
Participants are encouraged to bring meditation oils of their preference.
Where: Yoma Room, 170 West Main Street, Saxonburg, PA 16056
Cost: $45.00
Please Pre-register with payment by
April 24: (724) 352-9454, www.YomaRoom.com
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Saturday, May 1st
9:30 am – 11:00 am
Yoga with the Didgeridoo ~ a Sound Healing Experience
Experience the Healing Sounds of Didgeridoo.
You will be guided through a flowing sequence of yoga postures and movements as Joseph will play the didgeridoo throughout the room and directly around you.
The gentle, organic progression of this class has a powerful yet meditative quality, which inspires you to explore more deeply your own experience in the moment.
Didgeridoo harmonics produce sound waves that affect the “whole” body, including your ethereal being. Coupled with Yoga with the Didgeridoo brings your body and mind to a state of deep relaxation, self-healing and personal consciousness.
Where: Yoma Room, 170 West Main Street, Saxonburg, PA 16056
Cost: $25.00
Please Pre-register with payment by April 24: (724) 352-9454, www.YomaRoom.com
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Saturday, May 1st
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Sound Therapy *Entrainments with Joseph Carringer
30 Minute Entrainment: This session provides an environment for the client to reach a deep
meditative state where they can reconnect with their own self-healing abilities. During this session
multiple different didgeridoos are played over the clients chakra system and there corresponding
meridian points to help clear stagnation.
1 Hour Entrainment: This session is recommended for clients clearing deep energetic stagnations
that have manifested in the forms of with PTSD, Chronic Fatigue Fibromyalgia, Cancer and other
related chronic illnesses. It can also be used for deep shamanic journeying and meditation.
*Entrainment — The process by which the powerful rhythmic vibrations of one object are projected upon
a second object with a similar frequency, thereby causing that object to vibrate in resonance with the first.
“The Healing Power of Sound”, Mitchell Gaynor, MD
Where: Yoma Room, 170 West Main Street, Saxonburg, PA 16056
Cost: 30 Minute Entrainment – $75.00, 1 Hour Entrainment – $150
Please Pre-register: (724) 352-9454, www.YomaRoom.com
Curvy Ladies
http://advancedyogapittsburgh.com/WomensWellness.html
| YOGA AND WEIGHT LOSS | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Excess weight gain has become a phenomenon in today’s age, when lifestyles have become sedentary, and food more liberal with extra calories. Today our children prefer T.V. over their friends and play, merely a reflection of their parents who also somewhere prefer T.V. over socializing or even over spending time with their children (if they spend some time surely some running around will help burn some calories). These are only a few factors, which have resulted in increasing amount of people with the problem of excess weight or obesity. Stress, wrong food habits (i.e. irregular timings for food, unhealthy (junk) food), lack of exercise, thyroid problem etc. could be some of the reasons resulting in weight gain. To lose weight, it is important to do so, not just by doing diets, or exercise programs, which are too tedious, which may yield results but which do not keep you that way. Sometimes after sudden loss of weight the skin sags making one feel worse. The best approach is to lose weight gradually and for good. Yoga offers a good solution to this problem. Yoga tones the body in a uniformed manner, unlike any ” weight loss program” which claims to decrease your butts by this much inches and waist by this much, leading to side effects. Yoga can be practiced at any age to keep the body supple. A plan to reduce weight naturally is: |
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