Category: General

Ode to Miss Joyce

December 13, 2014
Posted by Sharon

Miss Joyce is the name that I gave, as a young child, to my teacher-ego.  It was clear to me at a very young age that one of the greatest values of knowing anything was to be able to share that knowledge with as many people as possible.  I forced my younger sister to take my reading classes.  Having just learned to read myself, I was quite a passionate teacher.  Whatever I lacked in experience, I made up for in my soul’s dedication to sharing.

The journey continues as I am spilling over with renewed passion for sharing everything I know about yoga and meditation with you.  Even as the news reports of savage pain, increasing violence, poverty and grief beyond measure, I know that we have the ability to gather as a community to embody and disperse healing energy and light.  It is not selfish to make time for your practice.  It is, perhaps, the most powerful thing you can do to make change in the world–one cell at a time.  Yoga and meditation help us build key skills that are necessary for peace.  These skills include awareness, compassion and loving-kindness.  Sure, there are people who may appear to be more inclined towards or talented in these skills than others, but the truth is that they are learned skills.  And, like any skill, whether you have talent or not, the key to improving skill level is practice.  So, please join me as I put on my Miss Joyce hat and share from my heart-mind the wisdom of my practice and the gifts that my own teachers have passed on to me.  All that I have, I share with you.  And, I know that when we are all together, what I receive is an overflowing well of joy, happiness and peace.

Our practices are on Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Irma Freeman Center for Imagination. Drop-in fees are $15, but these are collected on a sliding scale.  You can pay with cash on site on the evenings of class or pay online with a credit card.  These classes start on Thursday, September 8, 2016.

My teaching schedule can be found HERE.

Matrika Yoga Studies and Teacher Training Program information for 2016-2017 can be found HERE. 

Striving for Meaningless Crap

December 1, 2014
Posted by Sharon

It’s Cyber Monday and we have survived Black Friday, but the weight of the holiday season is upon us.  Over-consumption of food and stuff that serves only to hide that which is most true or important to us puts a shadow over these days that are meant to be a reminder of light.  That just after the longest night of the year and the darkest day, it is going to start getting lighter.  Lighter and lighter with each and every day!

“The search for meaning will fill you with a sense of meaning. Otherwise life passes by in about seven weeks, and if you are not paying attention and savoring it as it unfurls, you will wake up one day in deep regret.  It’s much better to wake up now in deep regret, desperate not to waste more of your life obsessing and striving for meaningless crap.  Because you will have finally awakened.”

~Anne Lamott, Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair (pg. 87)

Public Altar to the Fox

October 12, 2014
Posted by Sharon

As I was walking in Schenley Park today, I came across this altar under the Panther Hollow Bridge.

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This figurine of a red fox was placed in the joist of the bridge creating a public altar to the fox.  The fox brings the animal magic of charm, curiosity and luck—so I thought it was an excellent place to start my new Pilgrimage Pittsburgh project.

According to Avia Venefica, the Celts considered the fox to be a guide, honored for his wisdom.  In Japan, the fox is a symbol of longevity and protection from evil. The fox is a phenomenal shapeshifter and incredibly adaptive.

The fox encourages us to think outside the box and use our intelligence in different and creative ways.

The Spirit of Imagination

September 27, 2014
Posted by Sharon

unicornI love working with visualizations.  Personally, I have recently been exploring the imagery of mermaids, unicorns, fairies and the bodhisatva Kuan Yin.  In playful ways, thinking about the energies of these magical and powerful beings and looking at the imagery that humanity has developed around these ideas.  I recently took an absolutely delicious yoga class with Brooke Smokelin here in Pittsburgh where she guided us through a considerable amount of stretching and opening in the feet and ankles.  She suggested in the class that we simply don’t play enough, aren’t curious enough about what we can do and what our bodies can experience.  I felt like this was in alignment with my recent play with visualization and magical beasts and beings and deities.

Imagination is an important element of working with the power of mind to heal and inspire.  Yet, sometimes it can be so hard as adults to really let go and visualize the magic fully because we get all caught up in what is real vs. imaginary.  We fear that if we really let go and get in touch with our capacity to imagine and play with magical ideas and concepts deeply that we might fall into a permanent state of illusion or delusion.  How can we be responsible and functioning adults if we let ourselves play with nonsense like that?  We give so much power to our thoughts that it can be terrifying to allow ourselves to think freely.

And yet, we create fantasy thoughts all the time that are just as non-real as unicorns and mermaids!  For example, you get a voicemail at the end of the day on a Friday from your boss—-Please come to see them first thing on Monday morning.  All weekend long you can’t sleep, nothing tastes good, you can’t pay attention to your child’s softball game.  You are worried about this meeting.  Why would your boss call you?  Are you going to be fired? Was it that typo in the report you filed?  Did someone else complain?  Maybe a client saw that inappropriate meme you posted on your personal Facebook page?  No matter what you do, for two days you are completely consumed with worry and fear about what is going to happen on Monday.  Then, Monday morning comes and you go to your boss’ office and there are some of your colleagues from an account that you work on and everyone is having doughnuts.  Your boss said that she was especially proud of this team and the work that they did on the account and wanted to have a little surprise celebratory gathering to acknowledge the work and a new contract that was being signed that day.  You are relieved, but the tension and worry you experienced all weekend make it near impossible to actually enjoy the surprise party and acknowledgment of your work.  Basically, your made-up negative narratives made it hard for you to enjoy the present moment.

Our thoughts are just thoughts.  No more. No less. Thoughts.  When we explore a regular meditation practice, we find that we can connect with the fact of the flood of ideas, feelings, thoughts, narratives, fantasies and more that come and go, one after the other with no end through our mind movement.  The mind thinks.  Our task in meditation is to relieve ourselves of the illusion that any one of those thoughts is more “real” or more “important” than any other.  Just as we can “color” our experiences in this moment with thinking that poisons the well of our experience, as in the example I provided above, we can also “color” our experiences in this moment with visualizations that are positive and magical.  What if we only focused on magical and positive things all weekend?  Showing up and finding doughnuts would merely support our vision of good.  But, if our boss did fire us, we would not have wasted two days getting sick about it and we could respond to the reality of that news with all our energy and an open mind.

I invite you to think about the ways that you may have convinced yourself that being negative or creating fear or worry in your mental mind space movement is the “adult” thing to do or the “realistic” way to think about the world.  How can you play a little bit and find some space to be present in this moment?  Maybe take a walk in a beautiful natural setting and listen to the sounds of wind and crickets and your own footsteps on the earth.  Maybe go and look at some art or dance or listen to music or play some music. Maybe buy a new box of Crayons and see what happens when you sit down and give yourself time to color and draw without judgement.  Maybe close your eyes and daydream about unicorns playing and rainbows and mermaids and fairies and compassionate deities bestowing great wishes upon you.  There is nothing more real than this present moment and doing what you can to make sure you show up for it 100% with all of your being is an act of courage and authenticity.

Have fun!

Written by Sharon Fennimore, MA a spiritual teacher and healer specializing in working with women around transformation and change, pregnancy, birth and beyond.  She offers teacher training programs, meditation instruction and coaching programs for women all over the world.

 

Continuing Education Program

September 18, 2014
Posted by Sharon

30 CEU Credit Subtle Body Project

This continuing education opportunity for yoga instructors is perfect for both experienced instructors who need some new inspiration or feel drawn towards deepening their own personal practice.  Instructors who completed an RYT in a vinyasa flow style will find that this seminar series provides a greater depth of knowledge for teaching meditation or facilitating a flow class in a more mindful and therapeutic way.  The emphasis on embodied anatomy and the subtle body gives you a more dynamic set of teaching tools no matter what style you were originally trained in or, ultimately, are teaching.  This is a wonderful chance to complete continuing education credits while connecting with other teachers local to Pittsburgh without having to travel or figure out how to manage a residential program or time commitment. We look forward to these Wednesday seminars as inspiring, informative and also restoratives.  Instructors need to take some time for developing awareness, compassion and for self-care so we don’t burn out.  We hope you will join us for what is sure to be a very transformative experience and cooperative group study experience.

WEDNESDAY EVENING SEMINAR SERIES
6:30-8:15 PM

The Chakra Education Series (Starts January 7, 2015)
15 CEU
The Subtle Body Yoga Series (Starts January 21, 2015)
15 CEU

Tuition

Follow the links above.  You must register for each series individually and each instructor has different tuition and CEU certificate requirements.  The series are designed to be complementary and each instructor offers her own subtle body expertise.  Sharon teaches the subtle body yoga classes on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of the month and Brooke teaches the classes on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month.

Curriculum Includes:

  • Meditation and Mindful Asana Practices
  • Pranayama and Chanting
  • Chakra Yoga with Brooke Smokelin
  • Traditional yoga philosophies from India, China and Tibet
  • Embodied Anatomy
  • Support in developing a dedicated home and personal practice

Facilitators

Sharon Fennimore, MA, E-RYT

Brooke Smokelin, E-RYT

Location

Weekly seminars will be held on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:15 at the Pearl Arts Studio.

Commitment & Details

 

Yoga Matrika 200-Hour Teacher Training

September 11, 2014
Posted by Sharon

This 200-Hour Teacher Training program is designed both for adults who are interested in obtaining the credentials and training required to become a professional yoga instructor (RYT) and experienced yogis who have been taking classes for a year or more and want to invest in making yoga a part of their life and not just a class that they take.  Whatever your personal and professional goals are, we will support one another in this amazing time of self-study, practice and transformation.

Click HERE to download Program Overview brochure with complete details!  This program is currently being offered as a mentorship.  If you are interested in studying with Sharon and Brooke to obtain your RYT credentials, please send an e-mail to Sharon: sharon@yogamatrika.com or call her to inquire (412.855.5692).

Curriculum Includes:

  • Meditation and Mindful Asana Practices
  • Pranayama and Chanting
  • Chakra Yoga with Brooke Smokelin
  • Traditional yoga philosophies from India, China and Tibet
  • Embodied Anatomy
  • Support in developing a dedicated home and personal practice
  • Professionalization and Practicum including practice teaching opportunities

2014-2015 Training Details

Facilitators

Sharon FEnnimore, E-RYT
Lead Trainer
Brooke Smokelin, E-RYT
Chakra Yoga

Tuition

Kindly do not make any tuition payments until after you have made personal arrangements with Sharon and Brooke for this training.  These links are available as a convenience for after you have been accepted into the program.  Thank you!
Option #1: $1,800
Payment in Full made in a single, one-time payment
Option #2: $2,000
$400 non-refundable deposit + 1st $200 installment payment on day of registration
with 7-monthly installment payments of $200 starting 12/5/2014

 Location

Sharon Fennimore and Brooke Smokelin are based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and we conduct the majority of our teachings here.  We do travel and if you are interested in hosting our 200-hour training at your studio or in your community, please contact Sharon to inquire about what is possible: sharon@yogamatrika.com or 412.855.5692.

 

The Guest I Love

July 20, 2014
Posted by Sharon
Near your breastbone there is an open flower
Drink the honey that is all around that flower.
Waves are coming in:
There is so much magnificence near the ocean!
Listen: Sound of big seashells! Sound of bells!
Kabir says: Friend, listen, this is what I have to say:
The guest I love is inside me!

~Kabir

lotusWhen I facilitate relaxation for my students, I always start with a guided awareness of the environment.  I ask that we turn our awareness to the smells, sounds, temperature, texture and everything around us and outside of us.  It is then that we can bring our awareness into our inner environment.

My business is an intimate one.  I have been honored and blessed to witness some of the strongest moments in my clients’ lives—-the births of their babies and the death of their babies, marriages, divorces, kids all grown up and going to college and infants being brought to daycare for the first time.  In return, I share of my full complicated self with all of you.  And, many of you know that my past year has been personally difficult and painful as I work through a major transition in my family life.  I appreciate your support and I feel that this challenging time has been a great teacher.

My year has brought some significant shifts in my personal yoga and meditation practices.  One of the practices that seems to bring me the greatest peace is visualization.  I have found the poem by Kabir at the top of the post to be a beautiful inspiration for a visualization that I find to be both soothing and nourishing.  After some gentle movement, breathing and asana, I lie down in a supported and restorative way and I bring my awareness to my heart center.  I use my fingers to trace my throat and collar bones and then drop my awareness beneath these spaces to a beautiful, multi-petaled lotus flower around my heart.  I see this juicy and powerful flower and allow its fragrance to waft and flow through my entire body.  I let my physical heart and circulatory system rest while I focus on this beautification of my inner environment by allowing the scent of this magnificent flower to grace every cell in my body.

Once I let the scent of my heart-flower to flow through my whole body and fill the space directly around my body I think about the waves of water as Kabir describes the ocean.  Ilchi Lee, in his book Healing Chakras, uses the mantra “Water up, Fire down” as being the ideal energetic state.  We want the lake of the mind to stay cool and keep the fire in our belly where it is needed for digestion and to ignite our intuition intelligence.  So I think about the waves of water lapping around my head, mouth, throat and washing around my heart-flower while sending any heat down to the basin of my belly where it can be best used for digestion, creativity and development of intuition.  Sometimes I think of the ocean and the sounds of the sea and seashells with all their curves, imperfections and beauty and sometimes I repeat the “Water up, Fire down” mantra.

I hope that you might find this beautiful poem by Kabir to be an inspiration for your own summer dreaming and meditations on finding deep love and appreciation for your inner guest.  If you would like some guidance or facilitated meditation sessions, I am offering a 4-session package at this time.  These are distance sessions that can be held anywhere in the world as long as you have a reliable internet connection. I’d love to spend some time meditating with you and helping to develop your personal practice.

Post written by Sharon Fennimore, a mindfulness coach and yoga and meditation instructor based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a special focus on supporting stress management, optimum reproductive health, expectant women and families and new mothers.  CONTACT SHARON