Archive for Workshops
Spring Meditation Series with Bhante Pema
Believe it or not, Bhante Pema’s Spring Meditation Series at Yoga Matrika is almost full already and it is not even February! This is a very special opportunity for all adults who are interested in meditation in Pittsburgh to gather in this intimate space and learn from this most wonderful teacher. If you are interested in practicing with Bhante Pema on Monday nights, please register soon to save your place in this series. If space is available, we will open the class to drop-in students, but please do not count on this. Pregnant students are welcome to attend as meditation is a beautiful and supportive practice while you are expecting. Chairs are provided for anyone who would be more comfortable sitting in a more supported way during class.
Spring Series:
Monday Nights from 7:30 to 8:45 pm
March 12 through May 28th
12-classes in the series for $130
REGISTER HERE
Join Bhante Pema, the current Abbot of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center, for this 12-week mediation course. The cost for the series of 12-classes is $130. Everyone is welcome—from absolute beginners to more experienced practitioners—to this course that will cover a variety of meditation techniques, how to find your seat, movement, breath and ways to face common challenges in meditation. Although the instructor is a Buddhist monk, the meditation techniques that will be taught are secular and are appropriate for all adults regardless of your other beliefs or religious affiliations. Please note that there are no make-up classes, refunds or tuition transfers. If you know you will miss multiple classes in the series, please know that a portion of your tuition is donated to the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center to help maintain their efforts to share the healing power of meditation in Pittsburgh. We ask that you bring your own meditation cushion, bolster, pillow or blanket to sit on for your comfort. We are happy to provide folding chairs to students who are not able to sit on the floor.
Stress Free Stress Reduction
At the Duke University Center for Integrative Medicine, an 8-week Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program costs $454. At Yoga Matrika, Kirsi Jansa is offering a beautiful meditation-based stress reduction program called Healing Relaxation in the Tara Rokpa Style and the 6-week tuition is $150. [ Flyer] While I recognize that even $150 is a singificant investment for most of us “normal” people and, even more challenging may be finding 2-hours free on a Saturday afternoon to make it happen, the reality is that this is an investment of $150 that can change your life. This program is priced competitively in comparison with other programs of similar quality and is open to everyone—-absolutely no experience is required. This is not a religious practice and we are very respectful of all religious and spiritual practices and orientations. If anything, a program like this is likely to deepen your commitment to your current spiritual practice.
How do yoga and meditation help reduce stress? There are a lot of different answers to this question, but one of the most basic ways that these types of practices help you reduce stress is that they teach you how to BE in the present moment. Stress is generally a condition of trying to hold your mind in the future and the past while also participating in the present moment. Concerns about the future,worries, to do lists, goals, obligations and responsibilities, strategies for projects that will unfold in the future, unknown considerations and all the trappings of a better or worse future moment create stress in our bodies.
What kind of skills do you learn in this type of stress reduction course? You learn how to use the tools of your body and senses to keep yourself in the present moment. This slows the central nervous system and the mind down giving your adrenal glands, nervous system and circulatory system a considerable break. The more you practice these skills and learn to use your body as a tool for healing, the greater healing you will feel. Specific skills include:
Breathing Awareness: learning to become aware of the process of breathing. This sounds simple, but really, there are infinite ways of looking at and feeling the breath. And, since you are always breathing, learning this skill gives you something you can do to reduce stress at any time in any place.
Body Scan: learn to feel your body using all of your senses and actively relax all the parts of your body. Can you relax your little toe? Sure you can! You will be amazed at what you discover about your body when you take the time to experience it in a non-judgemental way.
Loving Kindness: use your awareness to extend compassion to yourself and others.
Exploring the mind: without a specific focus for awareness, learn to watch the movements of the mind and do so without becoming attached
Pleae take advantage of this amazing opportunity to change your relationship to time, your body, mind and spirit. Release stress and tension and learn new skills for maintaining equinimity and balance. See the flyer for more details. You can REGISTR ONLINE HERE. The course start on January 28th and runs on six consecutive Saturdays from 4:00-6:00pm.
Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, Director of Yoga Matrika and Matrika Prenatal. If you are not local to Pittsburgh and looking for a Healing Relaxation Course or more information about Tara Rokpa, you can find more information here.
A Sutra is for Saying
In order to understand Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, we can’t just read them. We must chant them and chant them together so that we absorb the vibration of meaning on the deepest level possible.
You are welcome to a Satsang this Friday night at Yoga Matrika, 1406 S. Negley Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217 for an interactive and festive lecture/discussion on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and their significance for our practice and our lives.
Read more and register here ($15 pre-register/$20 at the door).
A Chakra is not A Rash
A Chakra is not a rash, a medication for indigestion or a travel destination. Unless you’ve been under a rock for the last twenty years, you’ve heard this term hundreds of times as even daytime talk show hosts like Ellen throw the word around casually like everyone must know what she means. But, do you really KNOW?
Come explore the lower chakras with Kendell Romanelli at Yoga Matrika in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh on Sunday, October 23 from 2:00-4:00 pm.
Ashtanga Yoga at Matrika
Introduction to Ashtanga Yoga
Facilitated by Lynn Rescigno
Sundays from 4:00-5:15 pm
Series Cost $40* [REGISTER ONLINE HERE]
Dates: October 30, November 6, 13, 20
Location: Yoga Matrika, 1406 S. Negley Avenue, Squirrel Hill
*Drop-in students admitted as space permits. Drop-in tuition is available here.
[Thank you to Annie Grover Pace for this informative article. This text is taken directly from her original.]
Ashtanga Yoga, practiced in its correct sequential order, gradually leads the practitioner to rediscovering his or her fullest potential on all levels of human consciousness—physical, psychological, and spiritual. Through this practice of correct breathing (Ujjayi Pranayama), postures (asanas), and gazing point (driste), we gain control of the senses and a deep awareness of our selves. By maintaining this discipline with regularity and devotion, one acquires steadiness of body and mind. “Ashtanga” literally means eight limbs. They are described by Patanjali as: Yama (abstinences), Niyama (observances), Asana (postures), Pranayama (breath control), Pratyahara (sense withdrawal), Dharana (concentration), Dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (contemplation). These branches support each other. Asana practice must be established for proper practice of pranayama and is a key to the development of the yamas and niyamas. Once these four externally oriented limbs are firmly rooted, the last four internally oriented limbs will spontaneously evolve over time. “Vinyasa” means breath-synchronized movement. The breath is the heart of this discipline and links asana to asana in a precise order. By synchronizing movement with breathing and practicing Mula and Uddiyana Bandhas (locks), an intense internal heat is produced. This heat purifies muscles and organs, expelling unwanted toxins as well as releasing beneficial hormones and minerals, which can nourish the body when the sweat is massaged back into the skin. The breath regulates the vinyasa and ensures efficient circulation of blood. The result is a light, strong body.
Do You Know Your Heart?
This weekend, Plamen Karagyozov will be facilitating a three-hour workshop featuring the heart salutations at Yoga Matrika, an intimate space for yoga, meditation and healing in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh. Acquaint Your Heart will be held from 1:00 to 4:00pm on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at Yoga Matrika.
If you were asked to describe your heart’s desire, most likely, you would immediately formulate a cerebral response that would be conditioned by culture, religion, traditions, expectations and other aspects of your unique human experience. In reality, the heart is the very first organ of intelligence that you formed in your embryonic state. We can learn how to consult the heart, listen to the heart and act on the heart through yoga and movement practices that draw upon our embodied intelligence to gain access to this important source of information.
The Heart Salutations that Plamen will offer in the workshop are a twelve step sequence flow (vinyasa) of energetic seals of the whole body(mudras) and asana that are accompanied by the breath (pranayama). At first, the body is warmed up and prepared for comfortable and effortless movement. Then the sequence is taught in sections with highlights on important details and gradually the entire salutation is practiced, featuring the various aspects of the heart and the circulatory system.Once the Heart Salutation is learned, with each pass through it, we layer in additional material, like Om, Yin-Yang and Tantra, transforming them from an intellectual concept to very palpable and practical aid in practice.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that, in 2006, 631,636 people in the United States died of heart disease. This represents over 26% of deaths that year. In 2010, they predicted that heart disease would cost the United States $316.4 billion. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity. There is most definitely a cost of life, quality of life and time with those we love when we ignore the intelligence of the heart.
In the Tantric view, we can use our bodies as a tool for liberation in this lifetime. Invest in learning the heart salutations and practice them. Learn how to relieve your cerebral perspective and listen to your heart. Feel your heart’s desire and include this important form of intelligence in how you move through the world.
This post was written by Sharon Rudyk, Owner and Director of Programs at Yoga Matrika and Matrika Prenatal. She hopes you will visit her soon and often at The Mat, an intimate space for yoga, meditation and healing in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA, 15217.
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 #7: Run and Run Safely
Anyone who knows me understands that I personally only run when chased. Or, perhaps, if there is a shout-out for free beer and pizza. Even then, it would have to be really good beer. But, I support all of my yoga students and the yogis “out there” who do run joyfully just for the sake of running and wanted to share information about this fabulous workshop for runners being offered in Pittsburgh on the first day of spring! One of the facilitators, Linda Meacci, is both a fabulous yogini and instructor and has always been supportive of Yoga Matrika. It is my delight to promote her work to share this essential practice and tools for running as safely as possible.
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.