Practice What You Preach
For a couple of years now, the book I have used as a reference when planning Matrika Flow classes and that I consistently refer to my students that wish to develop their home practice is Rodney Yee’s text, Moving Toward Balance: 8-Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee. I am very familiar with this book and feel that it has wonderful pictures, very clearly written instructions and well-conceived sequences. I’ve always felt confident when I refer students and other teachers to this book.
But, if I’m going to be completely honest, I’ve never actually done the eight-week program. So, it’s time for me to step up to the mat and practice what I preach. My excuse has always been that I have a wonderful daily practice of yoga and meditation that I enjoy and I have never wanted to disrupt it. Why would I change a good thing? Well, there are LOTS of reasons why shaking things up a bit might be a good thing and I am going to make a commitment to this 8-week program. My intention is to blog my experience and hope that you might join me on this two-month journey either by reading along or trying the program yourself and commenting on my blog entries with your own experience.Who knows, maybe I will read the Guide to Career Education
and get a start on writing my own book!
I am going to start my eight-week practice journey on Sunday, April 15th and end on Sunday, June 10th. If you want to join me, please obtain a copy of the book before April 15th. Want to let me know you are joining me? Just comment on this post so I know I am not alone. I’ll blog about my experiences and hope you will keep me company by posting about your experience with these practices or this 8-week program in general.
Meet you on the Mat!
Posted by Sharon Rudyk, the fearless juggler mamma at Yoga Matrika, an intimate space for the exploration of yoga, meditation and generosity of spirit in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The New Yoga Happy Hour
Yoga Matrika now offers two classes each week at 4:30pm:
Mondays
4:30 to 5:30pm
Hatha Yoga with Angela Scardina
Tuesdays
4:30 to 5:30 pm
Yoga I with Sharon Rudyk
This is a real gem of a time to do yoga if you can make it. First, these classes are a sweet one-hour in length. Second, as they start before 6pm, our discount package for daytime classes (4-pack for $32) applies. Third, you can have your day, get in a quick yoga practice and then have a relaxed dinner and a walk on a fine spring or summer evening rather than rush through dinner and force yourself to run back out the door for a night class. We know that not everyone has the option to take a class at 4:30pm, but if you do, then give one or both of these classes a try. It’ll be a treat!
Angela
Oh, and, it is my great joy to introduce the Yoga Matrika community to one of our newest instructors, Angela Scardina. Angela is originally from the rural hills around Kittanning PA. Her college and graduate studies focused on psychology, language and religion. She spent several years in NYC working to help young people and their families build communication skills and cultural understanding. Excited by the many reasons to integrate the discipline of yoga with her work, she was drawn to further her own practice and learn to share her love of yoga. She completed a 9 month certification course at Integral Yoga Institute in NYC. In addition to private instruction, she taught with Life in Motion, NYC Parks and Bent on Learning (a non-profit group that delivers yoga class to urban school teachers and students). She recently moved to Pittsburgh and now joins Yoga Matrika to deliver Hatha Yoga.
So, you might ask, what IS Hatha Yoga? Angela is a trained Integral Hatha Yoga practitioner and teacher. Integral Yoga is a slow, gentle practice for anyone of any age or condition. A unique sequence of poses that tone and strengthen, followed by deep relaxation, breathing practices and meditation. The class works with awareness and breath, and allows students time to get comfortable in a pose; fostering an individual experience that takes each student to her own limits, yielding maximum benefit and preventing injury.
The practice calms your body, breath, and mind, and leads you to realize the self within. Loving guidance from the instructor, helps you to you walk away after class, feeling peace and serenity.
This post was written by Sharon Rudyk, team leader at Yoga Matrika and a seeker of serenity wherever it might be found. Angela’s Hatha Yoga class is sounding pretty good right about now! The next time you are looking for a healing and wonderful yoga class and are in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, please come and join us at The Mat.
Meditation Series
This fall, Yoga Matrika is offering a 12-week Meditation Series facilitated by Bhante Pema. This is a very unique opportunity in Pittsburgh to study and practice meditation. By making a 12-week commitment, you will start to see the benefits of regular practice over the course of three-months.
Dr. Josephine Briggs, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine, says that, “It is now well established that the meditative state can be associated with changes in electrical function of the brain, and recent imaging studies suggest that there may actually be neuroanatomic changes as well.” In addition, a new study by the Public Library of Science suggests that regular meditation can have a significant impact on stress related illnesses. “The study found that in comparison to a control group of people who had never meditated, a group of regular meditators actually suppressed twice the number of genes that induce stress responses such as high blood pressure and inflammation in the body.Long term effects of the expression of stress-related genes can have very harmful effects on health, including high blood pressure or chronic pain. Those who meditate regularly are thus at a greatly decreased risk for developing these problems.”
According to NCCAM, over 20 million Americans practice meditation for a variety of health benefits. You can find out more about meditation and the types of research that are being conducted now regarding meditation and impact on specific health problems here.
Our course instructor, Bhante Pema, is a Buddhist monk and is currently the resident teacher and abbot of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center. He is also working on a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. While the instructor is a Buddhist monk, the meditation style and techniques that are taught in this course are secular and this is not a religious group and instruction in Buddhism is not provided. Everyone is welcome to learn these techniques to benefit their health and well being.
REGISTER HERE: $130 for 12-week course
Ven. Soorakkulame Pemaratana (aka. Bhante Pema)
Ven. S. Pemaratana was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1986 and received higher ordination in 1997. His monastic training was under the tutelage of the most Ven. Attangane Sasanaratana Maha Thero at Sripathi Pirivena, Diyakalamulla, Kuliyapitiya, Sri Lanka. He holds a bachelor’s degree with first class honors in Buddhist Studies from the University of Peradeniya and a master’s degree in philosophy from the National University of Singapore.
He has lectured at the University of Peradeniya and the Buddhist and Pali College of Singapore. He conducts regular lectures and workshops in Buddhist teachings and meditation. The Transcultural Society for Clinical Meditation in Japan gave him the 2008 Haruki Award for his research paper on Meditation and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. He is currently the resident teacher and acting abbot of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center.
Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, Owner and Director of Programs for Yoga Matrika, an intimate yoga studio located in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Discover more about our unique programs that explore the incredible healing power of yoga, breath and meditation on our website.
Compassion and Generosity
For those of you who live in Pittsburgh and use public buses regularly for transportation, you know that the last week has been a nightmare. At all times of day and night the buses are crowded and most service that we had come to depend on every 15-20 minutes is now only coming once every hour. Many bus drivers are frustrated and exhausted and riders are squished and even riders that have no business standing and hanging on for dear life are being asked to do so. With the reduction in service, many buses are too crowded to stop and pick up new passengers along the route. As I looked out the window when we passed stops by there were literally ten to twenty people waiting at these stops who would now have to wait 30-minutes to an hour for the next bus with absolutely no guarantee that one might come that would actually be able to stop and pick them up.
I am currently 30+ weeks pregnant and was riding the bus with my four year old son last weekend since I had promised him a trip to the library. It was the middle of the day on a Sunday and we got onto a very crowded bus. One person in the front got up to give us their seat and I had my preschool age son sit down and I stood in front of him. The way the seat hit him in the back of the legs caused his legs to “fall asleep” during the ride and when we got up to push our way out of the bus his little legs buckled under him and by the time we made it off the bus he was complaining that his knee hurt. We had to go into a drug store for something and, by that point, my son was loudly insistent that his knee hurt VERY MUCH. Upon inspection it was clear to me that it was related to the seat on the bus and would be relieved in a few minutes since the cause of the problem had been removed.
About 5-minutes later, a man wearing exceptionally filthy clothing and pushing around a small cart of equally filthy belongings came up to me in the drug store. In one of his hands, he held out a damaged children’s toy that had, in its day of new glory, probably been a plastic jeep car of some kind, but was now a three-wheeled go cart without doors or a roof—-just the base and three-wheels remained. The man said to me, “Your little boy’s knee is hurt? Would this help him feel better?” I was so shocked that all I could come up with was, “Oh, no, we couldn’t take your car! Thank you so much, but his knee will feel better in just a minute.” But after we left the store, all I could think about was the incredible human capacity for compassion and generosity that is possible regardless of our perceived or actual economic resources.
Here I was, completely self-absorbed in my clean clothes with my floral Vera Bradley purse working through my frustration at having had to wait for a bus and be so inconvenienced by the uncomfortable ride while I searched the shelf for allergy medicine that I could afford to buy for my child and this man, who appeared to have nothing—certainly, he had less resources than I did at that moment—offered both his compassion for my son’s pain and an extension of a gift of all he had. My response was to refuse the physical gift, but the extension of compassion and this generous offer are gifts that will remain with me for a very long time.
So many of us think that we don’t have anything to offer, when, at any given moment, we are given infinite opportunities to extend compassion and generosity to the people around us. While making donations to organizations and individuals who are doing important work in our community and around the world have their place, if we do not have the financial resources to make these kind of donations, there are still opportunities to give and to improve the lives of other people. A kind word, an offer of help, giving your seat on a crowded bus, or an extension of the resources that you do have without any selfish intent—–these are gifts that we can all give to one another.
Research shows that meditation that includes the extension of compassionate thoughts and wishes, even to complete strangers and on a large scale such as an intention for the happiness of “all living beings” has a profound impact on the shape of our brains and, ultimately, our own health. This is not to suggest that we should be compassionate only to reduce our own emotional and inflammatory response to stress, but there truly are benefits to all living beings, including ourselves, when we make this a part of our practice. Instead of thinking that we have very little to offer, we can delight in the fact that being alive gives us myriad opportunities to explore the gift of compassion regardless of our economic status, career choice or lifestyle. Even better news is that every breath we take is a new opportunity, a refresh button of sorts, and a chance to take this moment to improve the experience of all living beings.
Post by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, an independent yoga and meditation instructor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Find out more about comprehensive meditation and stress reduction programs on Sharon’s website.
Language and Love
The Lost and Forgotten Languages of Shanghai
by Ruiyan Xu
This is a fabulous novel, a great read and especially recommended for anyone with specific interest in language and identity and the role of language in our relationships. For anyone who has played the part of the “expat”, the “native” or the “alien”, this novel will both remind and revise how you think language may have played a role in your experiences.
This book is recommended by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, an avid reader and independent yoga instructor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Find out more about her classes and teacher training programs online http://www.yogamatrika.com/.
Good Reading
Ever since I could read, I’ve taken great joy in the process. From the selection of the book to finishing the last page, I’m just happiest when I am reading. I tend to read for the sake of reading and am not particularly attached to any one genre. This being said, I take great pleasure in reading novels. There’s something divine about becoming absorbed in the relationships, experiences and processes of other people when you don’t have to worry about the reality of it all.
In both of these novels that I recommend below, the characters struggle with considerable problems and negotiate complicated relationships, but neither are tragic. What I mean to say is, these are not upbeat or funny novels, but they aren’t going to have you crying into your pillow as you fall asleep either. Perhaps that is what makes them perfect reading for this transition from the dark of winter to the lush potential of spring.
I’ve recently checked-out and read two good books from the Carnegie Library here in Pittsburgh (I’m returning them soon so reserve now!) and I thought I would share. Both of these novels are about family in their own unique ways and neither of them have anything to do with yoga, but both receive my Sharon’s fiction picks thumbs up:
The Last Talk with Lola Faye (2010)
Thomas H. Cook
Sacramento Book Review for this book
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
Aimee Bender
Seattle Times Review for this book
These books are suggested by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, an independent yoga and meditation instructor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Teaching schedule and information about private appointments and teacher training programs can all be found at http://www.yogamatrika.com/.
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.
Spring Preparation #5: Spring Ahead in Time
This Saturday night (Or on Sunday morning when we wonder why we are at church/yoga class/work when everyone else failed to show up and know quite honestly that it isn’t about moral superiority …..) we will change our clocks so that they are an hour ahead. In a pessimistic essence, we lose an hour of sleep and then, by Sunday evening, we’ll have trouble falling asleep as it will feel way too early to turn in. In our most optimistic essence, we could see this as a head start. Taking a middle path, we can take this opportunity to explore our attachment to time and re-negotiate our relationship to time.
Here are two books that I can recommend that may help you think about time in a different way:
Infinite Life (2004) by Robert Thurman
This is a series of meditations and spiritual guidance that suggests we can be happier if we live as though our actions and thoughts have infinite implications for both our own happiness and the happiness of all living beings. The meditation guidance is valuable both for beginners and for experienced meditation practitioners.
Einstein’s Clocks, Poincare’s Maps (2003) by Peter Galison
In this book, Galison explores how Einstein and Poincare’s ideas about time and space changed how it was possible to think about simultaneity and the way that physics, philosophy and technology were changed by these ideas. Within this history of science narrative is a complex story of how the perception of time changes and the social and political implications of both our understanding and use of time.
Written by Sharon Rudyk, an independent yoga and meditation instructor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Check out my teaching schedule online at http://www.yogamatrika.com/.
Spring Preparation #4: Nourish the Spring Body
In this season, we should be nourishing the body by adding foods that support the yang qualities of spring:
- Drink mint tea with honey
- Cook with pungent herbs: basil, fennel, marjoram, rosemary, caraway, dill & bay leaf
- Whole grains, legumes and seeds
- Beets, carrots and sweet starchy vegetables
- Cook vegetables at a higher temperature for shorter periods of time
- Emphasize raw and sprouted foods
- Eat moderate amounts of food and avoid late meals
All of these ideas were taken from a fabulous nutrition reference:
Paul Pritchford. Healing with Whole Foods: Asian Traditions and Modern Nutrition. Third Edition 2002.
Spring Preparation #3: Laugh Outloud
I understand that ironic humor is perhaps an acquired taste, but if you have the taste for it, then I highly recommend the book Half Empty by David Rakoff. In this intelligent collection of essays, Rakoff explores the darker side of optimism which is sometimes better known as pessimism. As dark as the essays may get, this is the first book that I have read in a long time that made me laugh outloud on a public bus. Usually I can control myself or manage a little chuckle that could also be interpreted as a facial tic or perhaps having something stuck in my teeth. But, this book made me laugh in an unmistakable way and loud at that.
I imagine that it says a lot more about me as a person than it does about the book itself that a collection of essays on pessimism is what brought me into public peals of laughter, but I still recommend the book. It’s delicious spring reading at its very best. Dark enough that it doesn’t give you a cavity, but intelligent and funny enough that it gets you through a challenging week with a smile on your face. Priceless.