Archive for Practice
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
Football, Swimsuits and the Yoga of Feminism
As I teach two prenatal yoga classes every week, I have the honor and joy of watching incredibly strong women embody the true spirit of Warrior poses. I can actually see the energy rising up through the soles of their feet and into their core to support the amazing act of creation they carry within them. There is a courage, a dignity and strength of force there that is palpable in the room. It is, for me, an experience and one that brings me, each class, into a new appreciation for the beauty and strength that is woman. The energy of these movements is the embodiment of grace. Grace representing the fact that each one of these women has opened their hearts to the potential for immense joy and immeasurable loss and grief. No words are required. Through movement and intention, the expression of strength and grace is clear and concise.
Last weekend, I was able to catch the very end of the playoff game between the Steelers and the Ravens. While I can’t say that I am a fan of football in general, there is something so very beautiful about watching the Steelers right now. The coordination combined with strength and expression of sheer will as well as the skill combined with brutality and violence is something to behold. Not only are these men amazing athletes, but they have the courage to take a flying leap into a pile of men and to throw their bodies with incredible force and at high speeds into one another. As anyone who knows me can appreciate, if a ball (or anything else for that matter) is coming my way, my only instinct is to duck and cover. Therefore, I have this incredible awe and appreciation for what is being required of these men in this game.
After the game, we were flipping through channels and found the Miss America pagent. It was already the swimsuit competition and about 40-women in identical black bikinis and heals were walking accross the stage in various choreographed formations. Each one beautiful, young, in great shape, smiling and basically, half naked on national television. I don’t have a problem with naked and these women were easy on the eyes to say the least. But, let’s be honest here– a bikini is really underpants and bra made for swimming and, well, you can’t swim in heels and I didn’t see a pool anywhere nearby. Immediately, I thought of the national news stories of the past year that involved mothers being asked to leave airplanes and coffee shops because they were breastfeeding. These mothers were offending those around them by, horror of horrors, exposing some of their breast! The NERVE! Even more GROSS—they were using this breast to, yuck, feed their baby. Did I mention, in PUBLIC? And yet, here before my eyes were lots of breasts and bellies and butts on display all balancing on top of high heels for maximum effect.
And what was the effect? I felt that the effect was that these intelligent, athletic and beautiful women were weakened. After the bikini competition, they all ran off frantically to get on their ballgowns and then they raced around preparing for the talent competition and then they were given the time to answer one significant political or ethical question with a maximum of one sentence. The whole experience gave the image of the ideal American woman as one who is perfect in every way, but frantic and weak as they rush mindlessly around trying to look good and irish dance and talk about globalism all while trying to balance on the tip of a heel on national tv in their underwear. I felt none of the awe that I do in a room full of women doing prenatal yoga or the immense respect for the football players.
The more that I considered the issue, I continued to return to the idea of mindfulness. The weakness of the Miss America contestants really had nothing to do with their dress or the different aspects of the competition, it was due to the frantic nature of the timing. It wasn’t just whether or not they could meet the tasks required, it was about how fast they could meet each task. The pregnant women are focused, the football players are focused, but the contestants were both naked and engaged in a process that took away their ability to be mindful. It made them seem silly and took away from the actual value of their talents and accomplishments. It made the winner seem arbitrary and, most likely, set all of the contestants up for some level of trauma. How long must it take to process that experience when they didn’t even have a chance to experience it?
My conclusion is that there is great strength in mindfulness. My analysis has shown me clearly that frantic behavior weakens even the strongest, most talented and intelligent. The way that our culture supports the idea that multi-tasking is a virtue leads us to weakness and creates a kind of deep seated stress and trauma. Making a commitment in the moment, centering through the intention of that commitment and then following through with grace is the only path to the result that we honestly desire. Yoga and meditation provide us with the means for learning and practicing these skills in a safe environment. No matter how frantic our rush to class was, how crazy our day, how stressed we feel, once we put out the mat and start to breathe we re-gain our strength. We are no longer the young woman in her underwear and heels on tv trying to sing an opera while mentally preparing to answer a question about world peace.
Posted by Sharon Rudyk. http://www.yogamatrika.com/ and http://www.matrikaprenatal.com
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.
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.]
Cabin Fever & Yoga in Pittsburgh
There was one very brave student at tonight’s class. She was new to Yoga Matrika and was curious about what the class title, Mindful Yoga, really meant. I prattled on about Vajra Yoga and not making a distinction between asana practice and meditation and how we create a moving meditation through our practice……….but during our practice together, I started to question the whole thing entirely.
You see, that’s the problem with having an answer to everything—-you miss opportunities for reaching a greater understanding. In this case, I was incredibly inspired by the clarity of this student’s practice and she taught me a lot about mindfulness. So, thank you dear student, and hope you come back soon!
What I realised is that what I don’t know about mindfulness is a lot. While there are so very many things that I hope that my Mindful Flow classes mean, the real mindfulness is in the interpretation. I asked my student to choose an intention for her practice and to anchor that intention with awareness of the breath or awareness of sensation in the body. As we moved through the Vajra Opening series, I made some slight adjustments and made requests of the student to move in different ways or experiment with various modifications.
I was delighted to watch as this student’s mind literally moved from place to place in her body and she fully explored each asana. Thanks to this student and her beautiful practice, I realised that it is possible to see mind. A great gift to a yoga teacher on a snowy night after a long week of being indoors.
I received a similar gift through my dear friend and colleague on the teaching team at Yoga Matrika, Kristie Lindblom. She posted a beautiful entry in her blog about how she is personally experiencing this long week of a storm and nature enforced hibernation. Again, a new lesson on mindfullness. By staying present in the moment, Kristie rides out the storm, the cabin fever and the heavy nature of this weather. Her mindfulness includes all of the wonderful things that are growing, changing, transforming and preparing for birth right under our very feet in this very moment.
Thank you dear student and Kristie for the lessons in mindfulness.
When in Pittsburgh, study Mindful Flow with Sharon Rudyk at Yoga Matrika. Don’t worry, when there hasn’t been a recent snowfall of over 20 inches, there’s normally more than one student! So, not everyone gets watched so closely.
Posted by Sharon Rudyk
Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika
http://www.matrikawellnesscenter.com
http://www.prenatalyogapittsburgh.com
http://www.yogamatrika.com/
Check-out Kristie’s Blog entry here:
http://searchingforsattva.blogspot.com/
Insults Can Be Funny
It’s a snow day here in Pittsburgh—-a REAL snow day! A day that reminds us not to take our little scheduled selves all that seriously, to stay in our pajamas and build snow creatures in our backyards. In honor of the snow day, I thought I’d provide a list of insults and jokes from one of my favorite joke books, the 4th edition of A Prairie Home Companion Pretty Good Joke Book.
INSULTS
I’d say he’s about one Froot Loop shy of a full box.
The wheel’s spinning, but the hamster’s asleep.
I’d explain it to you but your brain would explode.
I like your approach…let’s see your departure.
Where other people have a brain, he’s got resonance.
Doesn’t have his belt through all the loops.
He’s so dense, light bends around him.
Hard to believe that he beat out a million other sperm.
Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.
Looks like he played goalie for the darts team.
YO’ MAMA JOKES
In honor of the Matrikas, who I am sure know how to take a joke, I also offer some Yo’ Mama Jokes. You know, with all due respect and all that.
Yo’mama is so fat, she doesn’t have a tailor, she has a contractor.
Yo’mama is so fat, she measures 36-24-36, and the other arm is just as big.
Yo’mama is so fat, when her beeper goes off, people think she’s backing up.
Yo’mama is so dumb, she called Dan Quayle for a spell check.
Yo’mama is so dumb, she thought Boyz II Men was a daycare center.
Yo’mama is so ugly, when she walks into a bank, they turn off the cameras.
Yo’mama is so ugly, your father takes her to work with him so he doesn’t have to kiss her goodbye.
Yo’mama is so old, she still owes Moses a quarter!
Yo’mama’s armpits stink so bad, she made Right Guard turn left.
MUSICIAN JOKES
How do you get the drummer out of your house?
Pay him for the pizza.
A banjo is like an artillery shell–by the time you hear it, it’s too late.
Do you know the definition for perfect pitch?
When you throw the banjo into the dumpster and it lands right on the accordion.
A bunch of bass players walk into a bar. The orchestra is playing Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, and there’s a long section near the end where the basses don’t play, so the bass players decide to go out and have a few beers. They tie a string to the conductor’s score, so that when he turns the page, it will tug on the string, and the bass players will know to come back for the end of the symphony.
So the performance goes on, and eventually, the conductor looks up and realizes he’s in big trouble: It’s the bottom of the Ninth, the score is tied, and the basses are loaded!
MAN JOKES
After all those Yo’Mama Jokes….these seem in order.
What’s the difference between government bonds and men?
Bonds mature.
Why is it so hard for women to find men who are sensitive, caring, and good looking?
Because those men already have boyfriends.
What do you call a man with half a brain?
Gifted.
My friend is engaged in a major custody battle. His wife doesn’t want him and his mother won’t take him back.
THIRD GRADE JOKES
What kind of bees give milk?
Boobies.
What is large, gray, and doesn’t matter?
An irrelephant.
Why do they put bells on cows?
Because their horns don’t work.
HAPPY SNOW DAY PITTSBURGH!!!!!
Reference
A Prairie Home Comapanion Pretty Good Joke Book. New 4th Edition. Highbridge Company: Minneapolis. 2005
Posted by Sharon Rudyk
Owner of Yoga Matrika, a beautiful yoga studio located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
http://www.yogamatrika.com/
http://www.sharonrudykyoga.info
http://www.prenatalyogapittsburgh.com
Remembering the Beginning
I remember my first yoga class. I was terrified, but also desperate—two emotional qualities that I prefer to limit, never mind experience together! The terror was due to the absolute distrust that I had that my body could “do” yoga. The desperation was due to a mounting level of stress that was starting to rule over my days and nights.
It was a Bikram class in Philadelphia taught by the extraordinary Joel Pier. Why was Joel extraordinary? First, when I went to inquire about the class, he welcomed me in and assured me that my tight, stressed-out, non-flexible and entirely uncoordinated mind and body would only appreciate the task and that it was impossible to fail. Second, while Joel used the standard Bikram script, he added to it a sense of joy and humour while asking everyone to “just kill themselves!”. Third, Joel reminded me to smile. And finally, his patience and insight allowed me to experience the practice on my own, in my own way and safely with respect to my own emotional, spiritual and physical boundaries. Every once in a while, Joel would comment on something personal, but generally he was just glad to see his students and I felt that there was space to just come and go as anonymously as I pleased. Once, when I was unceremoniously dumped by a man I was dating who coordinated the dump with my slow realization that he had been seeing other women for a long time, I started to cry unexpectedly during final relaxation. When I explained to Joel that I had been dumped he said, “Do you know what the saddest thing is? The worst part about this is that he lost a treasure and he doesn’t even know it.” I can still hear his voice and it meant a lot to me. It still does. In yoga, your teacher matters because they speak to you when you are vulnerable and the suggestions that they make enter into your awareness in a way that you wouldn’t be open to at any other time.
For anyone in Pittsburgh who is contemplating taking their first yoga class or signing up for a beginner’s series, I highly recommend Anna Gilbert’s Absolute Beginner’s Series that starts in January. Choosing Anna as your first yoga teacher is an excellent choice! Why? Anna Gilbert makes me smile every time I see her. She is open to love and life in a way that is reflected through her eyes. It’s infectious! You can trust her to guide you into a practice that is right for you while giving you space and time to explore in your own way. Anna is also smart, well-trained and an excellent teacher. I can guarantee you that the voice of your first yoga teacher will echo through the corridors of your mind for a long time to come. Considering this, I don’t think you can go wrong with Anna’s strong, encouraging and sweet voice!
You can register and find more information about Yoga Matrika’s Absolute Beginner’s Series here.
Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika located in Point Breeze, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Check out all our programs at: http://www.yogamatrika.com/.
OPEN HOUSE: Saturday, December 5
You know you’re curious—-what’s going on in there at 6520 Wilkins Avenue?
Here’s your chance to check out Yoga Matrika’s new studio spaces, share some sweet holiday spirited refreshments and shop for some hand-crafted gifts. There are many items that are under $10 that are great for office presents, gift exchanges, hostess presents and stocking stuffers. This is a great craft sale with NO CROWDS, NO PARKING PROBLEMS and great snacks and activities for children!
EVERYTHING for sale is locally made and includes: jewelry, aromatherapy, herbal and green teas, eye pillows and scented sachets to create passion, promote peace and some even keep moths out of your woolies! We have herbal products for pregnant and new moms like lactation support teas, belly balm and vegan nipple creams. Fleece and knitted hats for babies and young children and felted wool hats—even some handspun and dyed yarn by our lovely local Cosy!
You can also purchase discounted gift certificates and class cards during the open house or purchase a new yoga mat for a friend or yourself!
Gift certificates make PERFECT gifts for expectant and new moms—we offer the only Prenatal Pilates and Exercise class in the city, two postnatal classes a week and five prenatal classes a week. Moms can also use gift certificates for massage, childbirth preparation workshops and to shop for all natural items to keep them comfy and relaxed during pregnancy and after birthing.
We have some coloring pages and toys for young children to play with while you shop. Sharon Rudyk, the studio owner will be around all afternoon to answer questions you might have about yoga in general or the studio.
Hope to see you on Saturday!
Posted by Sharon Rudyk, Owner of Yoga Matrika located in Point Breeze, 6520 Wilkins Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Check out our website: http://www.yogamatrika.com/
Early Bird Yoga
Pittsburgh is not a sleeping in kind of city. In honor of all those who are juggling family and jobs, commitments that make evening yoga impossible and those who just like to see the sun rise, Yoga Matrika is now offering—–Early Bird Yoga with Apple Knisley!
Every Thursday at 5:45 am you can drop-in for this delicious hour of yoga that will inspire you to greet the day with stretching the body open, taking deep breaths and finding a moment of peace in which to set your intention for the day ahead. As we imagine that you might need some incentive to get out of bed this early on a regular basis, we have requested that you pre-register for series of 4-Early Bird classes in a row. It’s $50 for 4-Early Bird Classes and you can purchase your Early Bird Class Card Here: https://dharmatribeonline.com//matrika/index.php?tab=3
Let’s say you are just curious about Early Bird Yoga or maybe you just find yourself wandering about at 5:00am and not able to get back to sleep start thinking about what you might be able to do this early in the morning. Have no fear! You are welcome to just drop-in on an Early Bird class. The fees to drop-in are $15 for one class or current students are welcome to use their class cards.
Come join Apple to meet the sun—Matrika style!
Posted by Sharon Rudyk
Owner & Director, Yoga Matrika in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
http://www.yogamatrika.com/