Finding Comfort in Commitment
Yoga Matrika drop-in classes require pre-registration. Just like we can’t force you to eat Kale, we can’t make you do it. If you decide that you are not able to enroll online for any reason, as space is available, we will still warmly welcome you. In addition, if you have a printed deal or a GROUPON, you will not be able to register online for your first class. But, we would like to hope that most students will use our online system to pay for their class tuition and enroll in classes.
Yes, we are aware that, for most studios in Pittsburgh, you just “drop-in” and that is the way that they work. Yoga Matrika is not like “most studios.” We are an intimate space and try to keep our classes small with maximum class sizes of 10-13 students. This keeps our classes safe and allows your instructor to get to know you and you to get to know your instructor.
When you pay your tuition online, your account is automatically updated to reflect your purchase. When you pay for classes at the studio, we do not have any way to make change and appreciate checks or cash in the exact amount. Additionally, it can take up to 10-days for your purchase to be manually entered into our system and you may have trouble enrolling in classes online.
When you enroll in classes online, we know to expect you! This way, if there is a weather related cancellation or an instructor emergency, we can contact you to inform you of the class change. If you are running a few minutes late, if we see your name on the attendance sheet, we’ll wait a few minutes to see if you arrive. When student enroll in classes online, instructors can prepare appropriately to meet the needs of his or her students and plan a class unique to that group.
You may not want to enroll in classes online because you wonder what the penalty is if you do not actually show up for class. We check our online attendance sheets against the sign-in sheets for classes. If you do not actually take class, your enrollment is cancelled and that class is automatically returned to your package. There is no penalty for enrolling online even if you do not take that class. In other words, you have nothing to lose by enrolling in classes online. We do ask that, if at all possible, you cancel your online enrollment if you know you can’t make it to class. This will free up the space for someone else. There are some classes that are over-booked and we hate to turn people away if there really is space in a class. If you can’t cancel your enrollment, we understand.
In this day and age of Facebook, Twitter and a constant stream of ideas and activities and communications from friends, it might feel better if you don’t tie yourself down. What if you register for a Saturday afternoon workshop and, come Saturday morning your friends all message you that they are planning an afternoon outing you would like to attend? I would like to suggest that making a commitment to your practice is actually a part of the practice. It means that you set aside time for your practice and keep your commitment. You might have to say no to something else, but every yes to something or someone is a no to something else. We may have multiple social networks, but we only have one body. Take your body with you to brunch and you can’t also get to class. Take your body to class and you might have to miss brunch. Either way, something is gained and something is lost.
When you buy a four or an eight class package, we encourage you to enroll in all the classes on that packages at that time. Just sit with your calendar and sign-up for your classes. If you end up changing your mind or something comes up, you can always change your registration. But, if you set your intention and schedule all your classes, it is less likely that your package will expire before you take all of your classes. Our online system will allow you to print out your yoga schedule for the week or you can view it on your smart phone or an iPad. So, if you schedule all of your classes, you can more easily keep track of your yoga commitments.
Finally, learn to find comfort in your commitments. Allow your yoga classes to become a rhythm that you can come to count on and let others count on you. Become a “regular.” There’s nothing wrong with being regular.
We hope to see you soon and often at The Mat!
Enroll in Drop-in Classes Here
Check the Status of your Account Here
Add or update your phone number or e-mail address Here
Forget what classes you enrolled in? Check your schedule Here
Do you need assistance with our online system? Please do not hesitate to call Sharon for help (412) 855-5692. Once you get the hang of it, we hope you’ll find it convenient and comforting to use.
This post was written by Sharon Rudyk, Director of The Mat and Matrika Prenatal programs. She’s always delighted to know that she’ll see you in class!
Cardio Yoga
I am absolutely delighted to announce that Aleta Howard will be joining the Yoga Community and offering her unique YBB (Yoga Booty Ballet) classes starting February 2nd and through the spring. What is YBB? On the schedule, we are calling it Cardio Yoga. If you think that “yoga” means traditional asana, then you might feel that YBB is more of an exercise class and wonder what it is doing on a yoga studio schedule.
Well, first of all, YBB combines some elements of Hatha yoga that will be recognizable to yogis who do have experience with more traditional yoga classes that are based on asana. Second, YBB includes yoga kriya from the Kundalini tradition and the creation and support of a personal intention is an important part of each and every class. Third, what is yoga? While this is a deeper issue that would require both a lifetime of examination and certainly a much more respectful examination than I can offer here, I would like to suggest that expressing the body with joy, opening and strengthening the heart and learning to hold an intention through an activity are most certainly yoga. It may not be what you have come to expect, but it might be just what you need!
Here is the official description of Yoga Booty Ballet from the creators of this style:
Yoga Booty Ballet is a fun, sexy and spirited workout that will leave you feeling refreshed and inspired. Work your body, engage your mind and lighten your spirit as you practice this East-meets-West amalgam of meditation, cardiovascular dance, ballet, Kundalini and hatha yoga.The results are immediate and long term. Students consistently complete class feeling better about themselves than when they arrive.
The meditation element serves to focus busy minds as well as awaken dull ones. The dance portion improves cardiovascular endurance, promoting weight loss and improved body composition. The ballet section increases strength and agility, building muscle and bone density. The yoga sections promote flexibility, balance and inner wellness. Classes are fun and easy to follow, designed to draw out individual self-expression in a comfortable, non-competitive environment.Various dance styles explored include jazz, hip hop, burlesque, Latin, Bollywood, go-go, and more.
Really, try one of these classes, at least once. For those readers who know me, you know that I am both directionally challenged and learning patterns of body movements is difficult for me. The first time I tried Aleta’s class, I was really nervous because I was truly afraid that I would get lost and not be able to fully participate. About 10-minutes into class I was having the time of my life. I was smiling and moving and sweating and truly enjoying the music and the joyful movements. Was I going right sometimes while everyone else went left? Yes, but, the truth is that it just didn’t matter. Aleta does not even suggest that there is a right or wrong way to do anything and she provides enthusiastic support for participating in this class in whatever way you are able. Once I released the pressure I was putting on myself through my own ego, this is when I started having fun.
Yoga Matrika provides a non-competitive and intimate environment where you can feel safe trying something new. If I didn’t think that Aleta was wonderful or that these classes weren’t a fabulous addition to our current offerings, then I wouldn’t be putting them on the schedule. Especially if you are looking for a class that will help with weight loss or weight management or you need to combine your yoga with your cardio workouts, then you are going to love this class.
When can you try our new Cardio Yoga classes with Aleta?
Friday Night Yoga Dance Parties
Friday, January 27
7:00-8:15 pm
Friday, February 24
7:00-8:15 pm
Friday, March 23
7:00-8:15 pm
Thursday nights, Starting February 2, 2012
5:30 to 6:45 pm
Saturday afternoons, Starting March 3, 2012
12:00 to 1:15 pm
Classes are $15 to drop-in or you can use your current class package. Packages are 4-classes for $50 or 8-classes for $80. We also offer a discounted student package of 5-classes for $35. Please enroll online to save your space. These special classes are going to be very popular and you don’t want to miss out!
Posted by Sharon Rudyk, Director of Yoga Matrika, an intimate space for yoga and healing work in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA. Come join us!
Feng Shui Swap Party
January 23rd is Lunar New Year (aka. Chinese New Year) and in honor of this opportunity for new beginnings we are having our first annual Feng Shui Swap Party!
Party Date: January 20, 2012
Party Time: 4:30 to 8:30 pm
What is it all about: Come and sip some wine and explore great finds from infant clothing to craft supplies. Bring what you no longer need and pick up what you can use right now.
Here is how it works: On Sunday, January 15th, any time between 10:00 am and noon, drop off some of the following:
- infant or children’s clothes in any size,
- cloth diapers (stripped and in good condition),
- maternity clothing,
- sweaters
- toys (stuffed animals, puzzles, games, teethers, etc.)
- blankets,
- coats,
- purses & tote bags,
- fabric, yarn, craft supplies,
- clothing for women and men
- cds, records, dvd and vhs movies
Please drop off in boxes that are very clearly labeled and separate your own items. If you have anything else that you are interested in giving away that isn’t on the above list (ie. baby gear, electronics, camping gear, furniture, kitchen items, etc.) then please take a picture and make a single flyer and indicate how you can be contacted regarding the item(s). The only “rule” is that, to be a part of the swap, no items can be sold. Everything must be given freely. I will hang up flyers at the party.
Then, on Friday afternoon and evening, January 20th, come for a glass of wine and a snack and peruse the goods. Take what you can use and anything that isn’t taken by our community will be donated to a good cause. Clean out your closets, garage, basements and storage areas. Liberate your yarn, fabric and craft stash to make room for new ideas and materials. What comes around goes around! Trust that, when you need something, the Universe will provide it. If you aren’t using it now, there might be someone who really needs it now. Start this new year out with space for new beginnings and allow creative energy and open space into your home. Children are warmly welcomed!
Good Reads
Neither of these books are, well, fabulous. But, both of them are good reads. What makes a good read?
1) A good read isn’t life altering. It’s just a book. The characters won’t drive you crazy, you won’t cry as you try to fall asleep, you won’t quiver in your pajamas.
2) A good read has enough of a well-developed plot that you want to finish the book and feel engaged, but you aren’t going to take a sick day to plough through it.
3) A good read is well crafted without being so well written that you need to keep a dictionary next to you at all times so that you can figure out what is going on. Interesting without being intellectual. Engaging without being complicated.
I hope that these authors don’t find this personal definition of a “good read” discouraging or negative in any way. The truth is that I love to read and I need as many good reads in my life as possible. My life is demanding and between the kids and the studio and my husband and the laundry—seriously, the laundry!—well, these books are the sugar in my bowl. I enjoyed them both and hope that you might enjoy them too!
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.
61% Discount on Monthly Membership
Available TODAY on GROUPON! Members also get discounts on workshops and events at Yoga Matrika. Groupon members are eligible to continue their membership with the initiation fee waived and you can cancel at any time without penalty. This is a great way to try a few classes at Yoga Matrika!
Posted by Sharon Rudyk, owner of Yoga Matrika, an intimate yoga studio for yoga, meditation and stress reduction in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Toddler Yoga
Looking for a yoga class for toddlers in Pittsburgh?
Sharon Rudyk will teach a Toddler Yoga series starting on Friday, October 28 and continuing through December 9, 2011. These classes are held from 11:15 am to noon. Toddlers should be accompanied by an adult who will participate in the class and help to facilitate the toddler’s experience in the class. Yoga experience is not required. Please bring a yoga mat if you have one, but it is not absolutely required.
These are fun classes that include stories, songs and yoga poses and concepts that have been modified to be age-appropriate for one to three year old children. Just the right combination of action and relaxation, you will be amazed at how much your toddler delights in yoga. Adults will learn tricks for using yoga during the day and in the evening with their toddler for help in communication, eating/digestion and sleep habits.
We ask that you not take out snacks or toys for your child during class so that they can focus on the class and participate fully. Of course, favorite comfort items are welcome. You may want to bring snacks or a favorite toy so that, if your child needs a break, you can provide what they need to feel better and return to the group.
Cost: $10 to drop-in or $50 for a package of 6-classes
[Please use Mom and Baby class package for payment. Please note that the package is only valid for 3-months and there are only six classes scheduled. There will be no refunds for classes missed if you purchase a package of six classes and use less during the valid period. ]
Oh Wow!
It was raining, my husband’s cell phone wasn’t working, he was late to work and we pulled up to my son’s school just a minute before we were supposed to pick him up. I, somewhat frazzled, jumped out of the car and put a bit of a spring in my step as I jogged towards the appropriate door of the school for kindergarten pick-up. After I jogged a few steps, I heard this male voice beside me say, “Oh Wow!”. I wasn’t sure what was so wonderful about a crowded elementary school pick-up scene on a rainy afternoon, but something about the tone of the male voice made me feel kind of uneasy. It was a “Oh Wow” I’m looking at something kind of sexy “Oh Wow” (if you know what I mean). But, I kept up my little jog until I heard the “Oh Wow” a little louder and a little closer to my body. It felt even worse. Then, I heard “Oh Wow, Oh Wow, Oh Wow watch them bounce.” It was then that I realized that this man was referring to my breasts.
Yes, this man, on his way to pick up a child at an elementary school, was giving my 3-month postpartum boobies a very enthusiastic thumbs up in the jiggle category. The tone was certainly not, “Oh wow, look at that powerful woman goddess who feeds her young through the miraculous production of liquid gold.” The tone was more, “Oh wow, look at those boobs bounce.” Not only was the tone ugly, but the idea that someone, a complete stranger, could wield this power to render me flesh without power or personality was immediately repulsive.
Yet, I almost immediately started to feel that I could re-frame the experience. Let’s be honest, my 3-month postpartum body is most definitely not “Oh Wow” by any measurement against what is currently considered attractive. So, Mr. Creepy, I’ll take it as a complement that you find my lactating, postpartum self so very exciting that you felt the need to verbally express your feelings. And then I took it one step further as I came to realize that I am so VERY “OH WOW” right now.
I am the Oh Wow Goddess.
I am a woman who safely harbored a new life within the core of my body. A new life that I nourished with meditation, chanting and energetic work for over 40-weeks. A new life that I labored to greet and that I nourish now purely with golden liquid that I give and is received at my heart center. I am the Oh Wow Goddess, a woman who juggles mothering two beautiful children, my marriage, my career and my obligations to my community while also managing to brush my teeth regularly and eat meals with one hand. One day I might lose my Oh Wow Bounce, but I’ll always be the Oh Wow Goddess.
Here’s to every woman who has to shake hands with her fourth trimester body; a body that bears the evidence of her greatest power. The power to create and sustain new life. Here’s to every woman who jiggles and bounces in places where society has told us we ought to keep tight and in control. Here’s to the newly conceived Oh Wow Goddess! Jai, Jai, Jai!
Hey Dharmashakti, do you think you might write a new kirtan chant for the Oh Wow Goddess? If so, be sure to give some credit to Mr. Creepy for it is not always our greatest admirer who inspires us to realize our greatness. Sometimes, it is the vulgar voice in the background that asks us to step up and reveal the heroine.
Written by Sharon Rudyk, Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika and Matrika Prenatal in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
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.