Tag: calm

Beautiful and Sensual

May 3, 2018
Posted by Sharon

I have been using essential oils in my practice and for self-care for many years.  It all started when I participated in some classes and workshops taught by Amy Galper and Schuyler Grant around yoga, acupressure, and aromatherapy about sixteen or so years ago.

A couple weeks ago, I received an offer from Utama Spice.  They very generously sent me a complimentary nebulizing essential oil diffuser with a bottle of their own Cajeput essential oil in exchange for my honest review of their products on my blog.  How could I say no?  Also, I very much appreciated the genuinely personal communication I received from Utama.  I made it clear that I would only write a completely honest review and they were in agreement with the conditions I presented to them.  As soon as I opened the package from Utama, I knew I was in for a treat.  The Danau Satu diffuser came in the most tasteful packaging with a floral decoration.  As soon as I pulled it out of the box I was amazed at how beautiful it was.  There is a wood base and a glass bowl and diffuser nozel.  While it is small enough that it can blend into any environment, it is also classy and ornamental in its sensual shape and design.  The instructions for putting it together were easy to follow and included just a few steps.  It is glass and needs to be cared for and maintained.  Replacement glass parts can be easily purchased on the Utama Spice website.

For me, like many parents, bedtime can be stressful as my children seem to resist putting the day down and their own exhaustion can be a barrier to welcoming nourishing sleep.  I decided to give diffusing some relaxing lavender essential oil into their rooms as we put on pajamas and started the bedtime routine a try.  The diffuser has a mellow LED light that provides almost perfect sleep light for children who may be afraid of the dark or resistant to complete darkness while they are falling asleep.  It’s a really pleasant light.  As soon as I turned on the diffuser, I noticed a very light “hum” of the motor, but it is a very quiet machine.  At even the lowest level of diffusion, my daughter’s room was almost immediately filled with the lavender oil scent.  This is very clearly explained in the instructions, but I must have missed it the first read through, so I thought that maybe the diffuser wasn’t working well when it just kind of stopped diffusing after the first minute.  I kept turning it on and off again when this would happen.  It turns out that it has an automatic cycle of diffusing for a while and then resting for a minute, then diffusing again.  And then, a miracle happened……..this was the calmest and most peaceful night we have ever had!  My daughter and I have been enjoying Kate Coombs mindfulness poems that are accompanied by the most magical of illustrations by Anna Emilia Latinen in the book, “Breathe and Be: A Book of Mindfulness Poems”.  So, we enjoyed this scented air and lovely poems and…..she just fell asleep.  No fighting, no complaints, no problems.  And, I woke up alone in my bed in the morning having found that my daughter had a most peaceful night of sleep where she remained in her own bed the entire night without waking me up or asking to get into bed with me—not even once!  After my daughter had fallen asleep, I unplugged the diffuser and put it in my son’s room and he immediately said that he liked the scent.  He also fell asleep without problems and as soon as he was sleeping deeply, I snuck into his room and took the diffuser back to my own space.

I added about 15-drops of an essential oil blend by Aura Cacia called “Meditation” that includes sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, and myrtle to the remaining lavender oil and diffused for 10-minutes into my practice space.  This is a really perfect diffuser for use in a meditation and yoga practice because it scents the air very quickly.  I felt that my space was energetically clear and peaceful before I even started.  I chose to turn the diffuser off during my practice, but depending on your personal preferences and choice of oils, there is no reason why you couldn’t leave it on for your entire practice.  The motor is so quiet that I didn’t even notice it and the glow of the light in the glass bulb would have made for a very calming way to light a night practice.

The next morning, I decided to give the oil that was provided with the diffuser by Utama Spice a try.  The cajeput essential oil is a very light herbal scent that has a hint of eucalyptus and tea tree oil refreshment, but is much less astringent or medicinal.  I found it invigorating for the morning, but it also created a very peaceful energy in my space.  I complimented this scented environment by drinking a cup of jasmine green tea and the floral and light green notes of the tea felt so joyful in that light and peaceful feeling space.  The scent of cajeput is very clean and bright and I am so delighted to have been given this opportunity to try it.

As much as I have enjoyed using essential oils for many years, this is the first time I have used a diffuser like this.  I am absolutely amazed with what a big difference it makes to use this Danau Satu diffuser!  Using a diffuser allows me to bring a significant scent into the environment in a short period of time and to either continue that level of diffusion or enjoy that shift in energy for a shorter period of time.  Also, it truly is a beautiful object that complements my meditation and yoga space and home.  In order to be thorough in my review, I did follow the instructions for a quick cleaning with alcohol that is recommended in the instructions.  It was easy to do and since this is such a lovely and useful machine, it is absolutely worth it to take a few minutes a week to care for it so that it will last for a long, long, time.  This diffuser was perfect for shifting energy in my home to promote restful sleep for my children, but was also ideal for scenting my practice space to prepare for a relaxing seated meditation with mindful movement.  I also use insense for this purpose, but that can be smoky and I liked being able to scent the air and then turn the diffuser off so that there wasn’t any smoke or oils in the air while I was practicing pranayama (breathing exercises).  It’s nice that I could choose to keep the diffuser on for up to two-hours so that I could also keep it on for an extended restorative yoga practice or yoga nidra practice.

I am so grateful to Utama Spice for this beautiful gift that has genuinely improved my quality of life.  If you are looking to buy a diffuser, while I have never used any others and can’t “compare”, I can assure you that this one is lovely, works incredibly well, and has features like a low motor hum and graceful light that make it ideal for using to create peaceful sleep and practice space.  I’m so pleased with this product that I’m hoping to try some of Utama Spice’s yoga mat sprays and other products very soon.  To buy your very own Danau Satu nebulizing diffuser, please follow the links in this review or head right on over to : https://utamaspice.com/danau-satu-nebulizing-diffuser/

Everything Changes

April 16, 2016
Posted by Sharon

[I said to Suzuki Roshi,] “I could listen to you for a thousand years and still not get it.  Could you just please put it in a nutshell?  Can you reduce Buddhism to one phrase?”…He was not a man you could pin down, and he didn’t like to give his students something definite to cling to. He had often said not to have “some idea” of what Buddhism was.  But Suzuki did answer.  He looked at me and said, “Everything changes.”

~David Chadwick

For the past 24-hours, here in Pittsburgh we have been bathed in the light of the sun through clear blue skies. I feel the sun in the fluids of my body and, all of a sudden, my dreams seem possible.  When you live in a place that offers shades of gray (and not in the exciting way) for most days of the year, the light of the sun brings profound shifts in conciousness.  This shift is welcomed because it is warm, light and inspiring.  As much as this change in season from cold and dark to warm and light is welcomed, the truth is that at the end of last summer I welcomed the cooler air.  The abundance of heat had become stifling and I desired a shift towards cooler breezes and an internal retreat.  Therefore, it is neither cool or warm that is desired in and of itself, but rather the energetic shifts that come with those changes.

It is curious to me that I can see how these shifts in temperature and light and energies related to the seasons are important to my well-being, creativity and mind-body, but I hold on so tightly to so many things.  I worry about losing things.  I am terrified to lose people, either through death or natural shifts in relationships of all kinds.  My dog is very old.  She is such a sweet and loving soul and sometimes I feel my heart breaking just a little, tiny bit, even while she is still alive and well because I know this can’t go on forever.  My clients are terrified by global warming, their mortality, their mental and physical health concerns.  I feel my own suffering and that of others so deeply.  All of these sufferings and fears are rooted in my inability to embody the wisdom presented by Suzuki Roshi, “everything changes”.  When things are “good”, I am already suffering because I know that they will change and I wish I could hold onto that “good”.  When things are “bad”, I forget that they won’t walways be that way and I identify with that darkness as if it will go on forever.

A few days ago, I was standing outside of a building and a woman appeared who was searching for a medical office, but it seemed like she was at the wrong address.  I had my phone with me and offered to use Google maps to search for the address and see where it was in relationship to where we were and as I searched, she told me a little bit about her story.  You see, she was going to have her second open heart surgery in the next week and she needed to see a dentist before the surgery.  Somehow, she used to have dental insurance, but her health plan was switched without her knowing it and she no longer had insurance.  She was rushing around and trying to get the pre-surgical care she needed and she was upset and scared.  On top of her concerns about her health and having to recover from having her “chest cut open again”, she didn’t know how she was going to pay for the dentist and now she couldn’t even find the dentist that had agreed to see her without insurance. This is not healing.  This woman needed to be cared for, nourished and soothed.  I wanted to sit with her in a calm and beautiful place and help her visualize a healing surgery followed by an uncomplicated recovery.  I wanted to sit with her around lush greenery and nature so that the color of the heart chakra, green, was surrounding her and she could breathe it in. I didn’t want her to worry about the dentist or how she would pay for it or the pain.  It’s so easy for us to become completely absorbed by our own story and our own suffering that we forget that everyone is also experiencing these cycles of suffering.  Everyone.  No matter how much money you have, resources, education, or fancy shoes that match your suits……..it simply doesn’t prevent change.

My students know that I have been working with a gatha (meditative poem) by Thich Nhat Hanh for the past year and I believe it is the perfect way to work with this energy of suffering around change or to release attachment to change that is perceived as beneficial.  This poem brings a sense of equanimity.

Breathing in, I calm my body.  Breathing out, I smile.  Dwelling in the present moment, I know this is a wonderful moment. ~Thich Nhat Hanh

In his book of guided meditations, The Blooming of a Lotus (1993), Thich Nhat Hanh provides this same gatha with breathing instructions for each part of the poem:

  1. Breathing in, I calm my body.
    Breathing out, I smile.
  2. Breathing in, I dwell in the present moment.
    Breathing out, I know this is a wonderful moment.

In short:

Breathing in: CALM

Breathing out: SMILE

Breathing in: PRESENT MOMENT

Breathing out: WONDERFUL MOMENT

I hope you will find this simple poem and breathing practice as helpful as I do in bringing peace and equanimity into this moment regardless of our circumstances.  It is in this state of equanimity that we can also be compassionate to all other living beings as they navigate their changes.

Written by Sharon Fennimore, a yoga and meditation instructor and women’s health coach based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Please join my online community MAKE ROOM and learn how to meditate for clarity and peace. I’d so very much be delighted to have you join us!

Meet Me at The Market

April 18, 2013
Posted by Sharon
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This Saturday I am so very excited to be a vendor at I Made it Healthy Market!  Please come and see me while you are there. It would also be really great if you visited the event page on Facebook and RSVP’d that you were coming.  That way, I can get even more excited knowing that I’ll see you there!   FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE

EVENT: I Made it Market (both things for wee ones and also healthy home/body)
PLACE: Bakery Square (both indoor and outdoor)
DATE/TIME: Saturday, April 20, 2013 from noon to 4:00 pm

What am I selling?

  • Catnip toys for your kitty friends ($2 each)
  • Lavender sachets for your drawers, purse or to prevent moths in your yarn stash ($12 bundle of 3)
  • Wool lavender sachets to bring beauty to little corners of your world ($8 each)
  • Lunch box napkin sets for adults and kiddos ($12-18 each set)
  • Organic lavender and flax seed eye pillows with washable cover ($15 each)

I will also have treats including discounts on introductory packages and yoga spa sessions (hint, hint: Mother’s Day is coming up!).  The other vendors look awesome and I hope you will come out to support crafty (and healthy!) goodness in Pittsburgh.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to SHARE this post and event information with at least five of your friends.  Don’t know which five to choose?  Well, you can always send it to more, but if you are going to send it to just five, then make them the five most creative, fun and fabulous friends you’ve got!

Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, a holistic health coach, yoga instructor and doula with a special interest in working with women, couples, children and families. www.sharonrudykyoga.com

Have a Cuppa for Holiday Tension

November 28, 2012
Posted by Sharon
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Many of my yoga students confide in me that they “can’t meditate.”  In most cases, this is based on a misunderstanding of what meditation is.  In many cases, I inform my students that, in fact, they have been meditating with me for years in our practices together!  Here is a meditation in the form of a tea drinking ritual that everyone can enjoy and an added breathing exercise with aromatherpy for even more emotional balance.

Making an excellent cup of tea takes time.  Use this time to focus on what you are doing.  This ritual starts with the selection of your tea making equipment and mug.  If at all possible, boil fresh water in a kettle on the stove or an electric kettle.  If you must use a microwave, then you must, but for this ritual, it would be most effective if you boiled the water using heat generated from electricity or natural gas so that you can listen to the sound of the water bubbling and boiling.  The type of tea that we will be using for our tension taming ritual is Earl Grey tea.  Use whatever brand and either caffeinated or non-caffeinated, but you want a delicious and full-scented Early Grey.  This type of tea is scented with Bergamot, an essential oil derived from the peel of a citrus fruit.  It is a very special and effective form of aromatherapy that has deeply healing benefits.  This beautiful organic black tea has both the benefits of bergamot and lavender.  I’ve never tried it myself, but it looks delicious!  Please let me know if you do try this tea and let me know how you like it.  If you are looking for a recommendation, I have tried this loose leaf tea and it is absolutely fabulous.  If you prefer tea bags, then I find that Tazo Tea’s Earl Grey is very smooth and has a lovely bergamot aroma.  I like the taste of Twinings, but find that it is light on aroma and perhaps not as affective for this ritual as these others might be.  Avoid a “Lady Grey” tea as they tend to be light versions of Earl Grey.  Again, nothing wrong with Lady Grey teas!  It’s just that we want a full bodied aroma for this ritual.  There are also green tea versions of Earl Grey tea if you prefer lower caffeine and the benefits of green tea as well as caffeine free roobios versions.  Find a great tea that works for your diet and lifestyle considerations.  These links are just suggestions to get you started on your Earl Grey tea selection journey.  These companies are not paying me and I don’t get any benefit when or if you purchase your teas.  Please experiment and find the best tea for your taste.  Enjoyment of your cuppa is a big part of this ritual!

Does it have to be Early Grey tea? 

For this particular ritual, yes, it has to be Earl Grey tea.  This being said, if you don’t like drinking tea or know that you don’t appreciate the flavor or aroma of Earl Grey tea, then don’t torture yourself!  The whole point of this ritual is to decrease tension and increase joy.  Consuming a beverage that you can’t enjoy is going to negate any benefit you might receive from this ritual.  All this means is that this particular ritual is not for you.  I plan on designing many little ritual-based meditations, so search the blog and try another idea that works for you.

This ritual is based on the healing aspects of bergamot—both the oil and the aroma of the oil.  Here are just a few of these benefits:

*relieves tension, anxiety and depression

*the oil itself can be gargled to disinfect the mouth and used for cold sores (especially cold sores that appear when stress arises)

*the oil is excellent for preventing urinary tract infections

*create a spray mist of bergamot to clear stale air (especially effective if you have a tobaco smoke smell to deal with)

This ritual is about dealing with tension and not about perfection.  So, don’t clean your kitchen first or delay the ritual until you run the dishwasher or clear the table of all the present wrapping and junk mail that comes with this time of year.  Just do it.  Personally, I always have to laugh when Yoga Journal or even Martha Stewart Living magazines (both of which I love by the way!) offer advice on how to relieve stress that involve pictures of women who are clearly well-rested, not covered in baby food or bits o’ toddler snacks and live in homes that have been cleaned by a team of others.  The advice usually starts with setting yourself up in a quiet space where you can be left alone in your fabulously new and clean “relaxation practice outfit”………..HA! For this ritual, all you need is a (relatively) clean mug, a way to boil water and about fifteen minutes.  You don’t have to be alone.  You don’t need a special outfit.  So, just push that “stuff” to the side and make it happen!  This being said, as this ritual involves boiling water and a very hot beverage, you may want to wait until your baby or toddler has gone to sleep for a nap or is having quiet time if you are in the care of young children……..you don’t want anyone to get hurt.

Seven Step Cuppa Ritual  for Tension Relief

Step 1: Boil fresh cold water.  While you wait for the water to boil, wash your mug if it isn’t already clean and really experience the process—-the texture of the sponge, the way the warm water feels on your hands, smell the soap.  If your mug is clean, you may want to take this time to wash your hands and perhaps apply some sandalwood, grapefruit, rose or lavender scented lotion.  As the water starts to boil, listen to the qualities of bubbling and the energy of heat acting on the water.  That’s a nice sound.  Perhaps your kettle whistles or your electric kettle has a tiny bell to alert you to the fact that the water has come to a boil?  Really listen.

Step 2: Pour the water over your tea bag or tea leaves either in a cup or a teapot as you wish.  Listen to the sounds.  Feel the weight of the kettle in your hands. Feel the weight of the water shift from the kettle to your mug or pot.  When you are done pouring, place your face a comfortable distance from the rising steam and smell the first aroma of the Earl Grey tea.  Light.  Feel the warmth of the scent when accompanied by steam.  Feel how your breath changes as you inhale the warm and damp air above your cup or teapot. 

Step 3: Wait for it to brew.  I’m not sure how long you would need to brew a green tea or a roobios tea version, but for black tea, no longer than 3-5 minutes or the Earl Grey tea can get bitter.  Set a timer so you don’t have to think about it.  As you wait, take deep breaths into your body and count.  When you exhale, take longer to release the breath than you did to inhale the breath.  If your sinuses are open, try breathing in and out through your nose.  Inhale and slowly, slowly, slowly release the breath. 

Step 4: Make your cup your own.  I like to add a teaspoon of honey and a splash of milk.  Perhaps you prefer lemon?  Do whatever you need to do to make your cup of tea as delicious as possible.

Step 5: Find a place to sit.  Yes, that’s right.  Sit down.  Push all the stuffed animals, socks and cheeze-it crumbs to the side, make room for your butt and then sit.  As you wait for your tea to cool, become aware of your environment.  Listen to the sounds of the room, feel the temperature of the air on your skin, notice the sensation of the parts of your body that are touching your seat and then feel your body, your skin, your feet. 

Step 6: Don’t rush!  Burning your mouth is not pleasant.  When you feel that your tea has cooled to a temperature that is appropriate for you, then take your cup to your mouth and take a sip.  Feel that each warm smallow of tea is bringing liquid calm to every cell in your body.  Be confident that this cup of tea is going to improve your well-being.  Through this ritual and this cup of tea you are giving yourself the greatest gift possible.  The gift of the present moment.

Step 7: After you have finished  your tea, do a gentle scan of your body before you stand up.  Starting with your toes, feel and relax your whole body: feet, legs, belly, low back, middle back, upper back, heart, arms, hands, throat, neck, jaw, face, skull and all the space around you.  Enjoy this feeling.  Your whole body relaxed.  That’s a nice feeling!

Repeat your little ritual as often as you like!  Take the time to make time for the present moment and you will be delighted in how even a minimal investment is returned to you exponentially. 

Bergamot Oil for a Calming and Balancing Pranayama

For this aromatherapy enhanced breathing exercise, you will need to purchase some high quality bergamot oil.  I exclusively recommend and sell Floracopeia essential oils.  They are very high quality and you can count on them to be pure and magical.  If you are a new customer to Floracopeia, then Sharon offers a special 25% off discount to all of her clients.  In order to receive the 25% discount off your entire order, you will follow this link and enter the DISCOUNT CODE: SharonRudyk.  As bergamot oil on the skin increases your chance of experiencing photo-sensitivities, it is best to do this exercise during the winter or in a climate and environment with low light.  If you live in a place with a lot of sun (lucky you!), then please stay out of the sun for at least 30-minutes after you use the bergamot oil on your hands.  Also, you can become sensative to bergamot over time, so switch up your oil use.  You can do this calming pranayama with different aromas and you are not likely to develop sensitivities to bergamot if you rotate your oils (other choices include clary sage, lavender, rose, cammomile or sandalwood).

Before you start the breathing exercise, place a drop of your chosen essential oil with a little carrier oil—–I like almond oil or jojoba oil if you have nut sensitivities—in the palm of your right hand and then rub your hands together.  Come to a seated pose, either in a seated meditation pose on the floor or sitting upright in a chair, and place your left hand in gyana mudra (thumb tip to index finger tip—like giving the OK sign) on your left thigh or anywhere on your left leg that you can comfortably rest it.  You will be using your right hand to alternatively open and close your nostrils.  

Now you will begin Nadi Shodhana Pranayama which is also called Alternate Nostril Breath or Channel Clearing Breath.  Here is a link to full information and instructions on this breathing exercise. As you have applied the essential oil to your right palm, each time that you breathe-in, you will draw the healing properties of the oil into your body and mind.  Continue in this process for 3 or 5 minutes.  Set a timer so that you can relax, focus on the breath and the scent of your palms and not on the time.

Step by Step

Sit in a comfortable asana and make Mrigi Mudra. Beginning pranayama students may have some difficulty holding their raised arm in position for the length of the practice. You can put a bolster across your legs and use it to support your elbow.

Gently close your right nostril with your thumb. Inhale through your left nostril, then close it with your ring-little fingers. Open and exhale slowly through the right nostril.

Keep the right nostril open, inhale, then close it, and open and exhale slowly through the left. This is one cycle. Repeat 3 to 5 times, then release the hand mudra and go back to normal breathing. (NOTE: some yoga schools begin this sequence by first closing the left nostril and inhaling through the right; this order is prescribed in the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, 2.7-10).

Benefits

  • Lowers heart rate and reduces stress and anxiety
  • Said to synchronize the two hemispheres of the brain
  • Said to purify the subtle energy channels (nadis) of the body so the prana flows more easily during pranayama practice

(Instructions and pranayama information all thanks to Yoga Journal)

This little ritual for real people is brought to you by Sharon Rudyk of Sharon Rudyk Yoga based in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA 15217.  Sharon is an independent yoga instructor offering mindful yoga and meditation practices, teacher training programs, mindful approaches to pregnancy, childbirth and parenting and classes for all ages and abilities.  If you aren’t in Pittsburgh, Sharon would love to come and visit you and also works with long distance clients using SKYPE technology.  Call Sharon at your convenience for a free consultation (412) 855-5692 and visit Sharon’s website for more information: http://www.sharonrudykyoga.com.

Teaching Children Peace

March 1, 2010
Posted by Sharon
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When I was young, not sure how old, but definitely younger than 11 since my memory of this activity includes me in the bunkbed that I shared with my sister in a small room in an apartment in Brooklyn, my mother obtained a book of guided visualizations for children.  This was probably my first experience with meditation and I still remember the very calm way I would enter sleep after one of those “stories.”  I was searching for this book online and haven’t found it, but I did find the following two guided visualizations for children online.  If anyone knows about a book of guided visualizations just for children, please feel free to comment on this post.  ENJOY!

I found these here:

http://www.learningpeace.com/pages/newsletter_18.html

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Calming Exercise: The Magic Box

Have your children close their eyes, breathe deeply, and think about a place they’ve been that made them feel happy, peaceful and safe. Say, It can be as close as your own backyard, or far away as a vacation spot. Make sure each child has a peaceful place to focus on. Share ideas. If someone can’t think of one, have that child focus on the beach this time. An image of their own may come later.

Ask your children to close their eyes or look down and bring their peaceful place fully into their imaginations. Say, Picture every detail and pretend you’re back there now. Ask, What do you see, feel, hear, and smell? Allow time for the children to envision, letting the images expand and grow.

After a few minutes, say, Open your eyes and open your hand. (Model this part).
Say, In your hand is a magic box, and invisible magic box. Open the lid, reach into your imagination, and take out your peaceful place. Shrink it down until it is very tiny. Now put your peaceful place into your magic box. Close the lid and put your magic box into your pocket, and if you don’t have a pocket, put it in your shirt. Your magic box will be with your forever, and you will be able to use it whenever you want from this day on. Whenever you feel upset, angry, frightened, or tense, all you’ll need to do is reach into your pocket, pull out your magic box, open the lid, take out your peaceful place and put it into your imagination. Then close your eyes, breathe deeply, and let your peaceful place fill your imagination completely.

Follow-up: Your children can draw, paint, or write about their peaceful places. Hang up whatever they create to remind them of the power of their imaginations, and the power they have within to calm themselves.

Have your children make a list of several peaceful places they might want to put into their magic box. That way they’ll have a choice of places to envision.
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Calming Exercise: The Beach
Close your eyes and take a nice slow deep breath in through the nose. Bring your breath all the way down into your stomach. Gently expand your stomach like a balloon as you breathe in. Slowly release the breath and let your stomach shrink. Now take another slow deep breath in, expand your stomach, and slowly release it. One more time: breathe slowly in, and slowly out.

Continue breathing slowly and deeply. With your eyes closed. Pretend your mind is a movie screen. Nothing is on it except for the color blue, light blue. Now the blue becomes a big, full sky on a summer day. The sky is filled with fluffy white clouds and a shining yellow sun. Beneath the sky is the beach.

Walk onto the beach and feel the sand under your feet. It is soft and warm between your toes. Look out toward the ocean. The waves are very calm. Watch them roll in and roll out, in and out. Each time a wave rolls back to sea it leaves a shiny imprint on the sand. Touch the cool, wet sand.

Now let water cover your feet. It feels cool and refreshing. Put your hands in the water and feel the droplets of a wave splash on your body. Now walk into the water and let a tiny wave lift you up. You are floating. Another wave comes along and lifts you higher. Your body moves with the gentle motion of the water. And as you float you feel each wave rolling under you,

lifting you up

and lowering you gently down.

The water feels warm and soothing.

The sun shines on your face and arms.

You hear the sounds of seagulls,

you smell the salty water.

You feel a deep sense of peace as you float on the waves.

Now return to the shore. Rest on the beach and let the breeze calm you even more. When you open your eyes you will be perfectly calm and relaxed. This feeling will stay with you throughout the rest of your day and will follow you into your dreams.

Reprinted from Hope and Healing: Peaceful Parenting in an Uncertain World by Naomi Drew, 2002
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Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, owner and director of the magnificent Matrika Yoga in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  Located on the border of the Squirrel Hill and Point Breeze neighborhoods of the City of Pittsburgh, Yoga Matrika offers drop-in classes, comprehensive stress reduction programs, massage and professional level workshops and trainings.  https://www.yogamatrika.com/ and http://www.advancedyogapittsburgh.com

FABULOUS Yoga Workshops in Pittsburgh

December 3, 2009
Posted by Sharon
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Honestly, I am just delighted, amazed, honored and excited to host these fabulous workshop and special series facilitators—-certainly some of the BEST that Pittsburgh has to offer for yoga, movement and being creative, spiritual and juicy delicious!  Some of these workshops are happening SOON—don’t miss a chance to pre-register and save $$$ and guarantee your space is saved.

SEASON of LIGHT, BODY of PEACE xmas-groovy-bird

Click Here: Video of Elsie about Workshop

Facilitated by Elsie Escobar
Sunday, December 6 from 12:30-2:30 pm
$25 pre-registration/$35 at the door (space allowing)

Set an intention for the holiday season and the approaching New Year and learn some techniques for setting priorities and making time for the beauty and grace available to us during this special time of year.  This is a great way to start a stress free holiday season!

 

 

thumbnailMeditation Session with Bhante Pemaratana

Monday, December 7, 2009
 7:30-8:45 pm
Location: PEACE ROOM (use side door to YOGA MATRIKA)
Cost: by donation  (suggested $5 per session)

Everyone is welcome.  No experience with meditation required. Bhante Pema will lead the group through a guided meditation session and then will answer any questions that you may have about meditation.

No pre-registration.  Just arrive about 10-minutes early to get settled.

 

 

xmas-groovy-bird1Sharon’s Birthday & Holiday Celebration
Friday, December 18, 2009

Class: 6:00 to 7:15 pm (doors open at 5:30 so you find a good spot!)
Party: 7:30 until the cake is all gone!

NO CHARGE, BUT DONATIONS ACCEPTED with DEEP GRATITUDE

Donation class and community celebration of the most excellent instructors at Yoga Matrika.
All donations will be distributed to the entire team of instructors at Yoga Matrika as a holiday bonus!
The class is open to all yogis age 12 and up and the party is open to EVERYONE—bring the babes, babies and the whole family! I need all the help I can get to blow out all these candles!

 

 

orange-lotus-ladyBeginner’s Series
Absolute Beginner’s Series with Anna Gilbert

Fridays from 6:00 to 7:15pm
January 8, 15, 22, 29
$40 for series of 4-classes

This series is for adults who have either never done yoga before or took one or two classes long enough ago that you can’t really quite remember if you actually took those classes or just imagined it!  Anna will provide an overview of what you can expect in a yoga class from the terms that are used, breathing patterns, physical postures and movements to ways to dress comfortably for class and common studio etiquette.  Instructions will be basic, clear and organized in a way that you can build confidence through the series.  After you ”graduate” you’ll be confident and ready to drop-in on any class at Yoga Matrika or any other studio and enjoy your class!

 

 

 

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WILD THING
A Wild Practice to Chase Winter Blahs Away!

Facilitated by Linda Meacci, RYT
January 9, 2010  from 2:00 to 3:30 pm  $20 pre-register/$25 door
March 27, 2010  from 2:00 to 3:30 pm  $20 pre-register/$25 door

“Wild thing, you make my heart sing”: Amp up your practice with a soulful journey into the heart.  Unleash your “wild” side with a cathartic, dynamic practice set to music.  Change up the velocity and rhythm.  Release endorphins.  Renew the SPIRIT and GROOVE on your mat!  This practice is recommended for students who have a minimum of 6-months of experience taking flow-style yoga classes or newer students with an athletic sense of adventure.  We’re offering this fabulous class twice in the winter schedule so you can experiment with the wild side of your practice in January and prepare to let loose for spring in March.

 

Wild Thing Classes


 

 

 brain-with-treeYO GEEK!: Yoga for Cubicle Slaves and the Computer Weary

Facilitated by Elsie Escobar, Anusara Inspired Instructor
Sunday, January 10, 2010 from 12:30 to 2:30 pm
$25 pre-registration/$35 at the door (space allowing)

Sitting in front of your computer a tiny bit too long?  Neck sore, eyes strained, hips tight, lower back achy, and stressed out?  How about learning some:
SIMPLE
EASY
EFFECTIVE
tools you can apply anytime and anywhere to help your body and mind feel so much better!  No prior knowledge of yoga required.  Welcome the new year by learning ways to take care of yourself!

 

 

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PRESCHOOL YOGA
AGES 2-6 with ADULT

Join your delightful instructor, Cathie Sunderman in this age-appropriate introduction to yoga including creative movment, breathing and relaxation.  Cathie weaves story telling, music and movement into thematic classes for young children that provide a joyful and fun introduction to yoga.  While this is not a Baby and Me class (yoga for adults that children are welcome to attend), adults are asked to participate with their child and facilitate the experience for their little one.  We find that, while not a yoga class for adults, most of the parents and guardians that attend have a wonderful time!  There is an emphasis on learning tools for easing stress and anxiety and finding happiness through movement and being mindful.  Children love acting out the movements of beloved animals and using their imagination to create mood and move with grace, strength and joy. 

These classes run in SIX WEEK SERIES and NO DROP IN STUDENTS ARE PERMITTED.  You must pre-register and pre-pay for the entire series.  Due to the nature of these classes, space is limited to ten children.  One missed class per series may be made up as an adult drop-in class that can be taken before the series concludes.  Absolutely no payments are accepted at the studio.  Each series is $60 for one adult and one child or $90 for one adult and two children.   Early bird pricing ($50 for one adult/one child and $80 for one adult/two children) applies to Series I registration BEFORE DECEMBER 20th and Series II registration BEFORE JANUARY 20th.

SERIES I: January 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16  ($60 one child/$90 two children)
SERIES II: February 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, 30   ($60 one child/$90 two children)

Preschool Registration


 

 

 

 

retro-asian-tree-turquoiseTending the Root of Life: The Fluid Dynamics of the Kidneys 
Facilitated by Mark C. Taylor

Sunday, January 17, 2010
1:00 to 3:00 pm
$30 pre-register/$40 at the door

Your kidney is called the “Root of Life” in Chinese anatomy, and is regarded as the body’s most important reservoir of essential energy.  In addition to the functions of fluid filtration and metabolic balance, your kidneys control the growth and development of your bones and nourish the marrow, which is your body’s source of red and white blood cells.  Impaired kidney function and deficient kidney energy are prime causes of low energy (anemia) and immune deficiency as well as poor memory, inability to think clearly, and backache.  In Tending the Root of Life you will embody ease in your kidneys through meditation, breath exercises, movement, and asana practice, enhancing and supporting their positive attributes: wisdom, rationality, clear perception, gentleness, and self-understanding.

 

 

 

globe-on-backMovement & Memoir
Facilitated by Dana Killmeyer
January 30, 2010

2:00 to 4:30 pm
$25 pre-registration, $35 at the door (space allowing)

Movement and Memoir is a hybrid class blending elements of yoga and somatics with creative expression, primarily autobiographical writing or journaling.  We will focus on observing our environments, both internal and external, as a catalyst for releasing tension and broadening our awareness.  Finding inspiration in our senses and perceptions, anatomy, literature, performance, music, art, meditation,and social critique, we will explore various aspects of observation and expression, stillness and animation.  Expect a gentler, more introspective yoga practice with an emphasis on breathing, as well as wrists, shoulders, and lower back–areas that tend to get overused and neglected after long periods of sitting.  Please bring a notebook and an open mind.

Dana Killmeyer is a Pittsburgh-native and University of Pittsburgh graduate.  She has written two books: Paradise, or the Part that Dies and Pendulums of Euphoria, both published by Six Gallery Press.  Currently pursuing training as a yoga teacher with Joanne VandenHengel (3rd Street Yoga) and as a Somatic Movement Educator with Mark Taylor (BodyMindMovement), Dana draws from a well of experience as a teacher, researcher, writer, and organic farm apprentice. 

 

 

green-treeANUSARA THERAPEUTICS: UPPER BODY

Facilitated by Elsie Escobar
Sunday, January 31st from 12:30 to 2:30 pm
$25 pre-registration/$35 at the door (space allowing)

Have you been suffering from shoulder, neck, jaw, elbow or wrist pain?  Come learn how to get out of pain through the Anusara™ Principles of Alignment™, an elegant system based on the biomechanics of the body.  Get ready to uncover the possibilities to feel GOOD!  No prior knowledge of yoga is required.

 

 

  

shadow-dancerELSIE’S BIRTHDAY BASH

Friday night, February 5, 2010
6:00 to 8:00pm, BY DONATION

PARTY after class! 

What better way to celebrate life than to give the best of ourselves to the community?  An up-tempo and mixed-level class taguth by Elsie Escobar—-full of ENERGY and FUN to raise money for a local Pittsburgh charity!  Plus, share some birthday cake with Elsie after class. 

 

 

 

3827978_thumbnailLOVE YOGA

Facilitated by Elsie Escobar
Friday night, February 12, 2010
6:00 to 8:00 pm
$25 pre-register or $35 at the door (space allowing)

As Valentine’s Day approaches, we receive a lot of messages about expressing love through exchanging gifts, sweets and flowers to our romantic loves.  This approach to matters of the heart put pressure on those in relationships to express love through material gifts and those who are not in relationships to feel lonely.  We advise a NEW approach to Valentine’s Day where we honor the energy of our hearts through a delicious workshop with a focus on heart openers and back-bending—YUMMY!  Join Elsie for some Love Yoga  and experience the bliss, joy and contentment of your heart center.

 

 

 

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CIRCLES of STRENGTH
A Workshop for Women
Facilitated by Linda Meacci, RYT

February 20, 2010
2:00 to 4:00 pm
$25 in advance/$35 at the door

Does a fog of unworthiness shroud your spirit?  Does courage elude you when the going gets tough?  Do you see life as a timeline that is full of obligations and pressures? Do you struggle to be fully present in this moment? 

This workshop, designed just for women, will guide you to:
*  Learn safe ways to build overall body strength
*  Integrate the dance of stability and freedom
*  Channel emotional energy in healthy ways
*  Increase self-confidence
*  Tap into your creative source
*  Appreciate the circular nature of life experiences on and off the mat

This well-balanced practice will blend the yin and the yang–flexibility and strength.  Proper alignment will be emphasized in strength poses such as Caturanga-Dandasana (half plank), and Vasisthasana (side plank) and also in flexibility poses such as Setu-Bandhasana (bridge) and Urdhva-Dhanarasana (wheel).  We will move through sun salutes and warrior postures with stira (steadiness) and sukham (ease).  Backbends will be explored with a focus on stability.  Hip openers will coax the emotional body to release.  We will quiet ourselves with a restorative Savasana.  Find what supports YOUR practice and frees your spirit.  Step into courage.  Bring what you discover into all circles of Life.

 

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 SPRING CLEANING YOGA PRACTICE
 DETOX & RENEW w/Linda Meacci, RYT

March 6, 2010 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm
$25 pre-register/$35 at the door (space allowing)

Balancing out body, mind and spirit through the seasons is an important step in maintaining homeostasis.  In this modern age of twitter, texting, blackberrys and IPhones, it is often forgotten that human beings reflect cycles of nature.  As we move from winter, a time of conservation, rest, storage and reflection, and into early spring, a time to shed and renew, the spirit begins to lift and fly again.  Springtime is a season to detox and rejuvenate!

In Chinese medicine, winter works with the balancing energy in the kidneys, bladder, adrenals, ears and bones.  In the springtime, the attention shifts to liver, gallbladder, nervous system, ligaments, tendons and eyes.  The movement continues season to season with the intention of finding homeostasis, or balance.  Yoga is one tool to aid in this cyclical process.

In this workshop, we will first unwind and then invigorate our practice by:
*  tuning into the eyes–the sense organs of springtime
*  mobilizing our skeletal and muscular structure with fluid slow movements
*  stabilizing and moving into Sun Salutes and Warrior postures
*  vigorously twisting in lying, seated and standing postures
*  toning the kidneys with backbends and the liver with forward bends
*  opening the hips to encourage movement of the emotional body
*  practicing long holds in inversions (such as sarvangasana) to facilitate drainage of the lymphatic system.

Our practice will come full-circle and close with a restorative savasana.  Join us for this rejuvenating practice!

 

 

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Calming the Core: Finding the Space Between
Facilitated by Mark C. Taylor

Sunday, March 14, 2010
1:00 to 3:00 pm
$30 pre-register/$40 at the door

Many of us carry excess tension in our backs or in our frontal organs as a result of inefficient weight flow through the torso.  In Calming the Core you will embody your quiet central spine as a way to allow your core to expand, allowing space for a joyful heart, easy breath, and an unencumbered digestive tract.  As your core releases you will find a more intimate relationshiop with the earth, greater access to sensory awareness, and increased pleasure of movement through your body.  You will strategize ways to sustain an expansive core in your personal practice and in daily life.

 

Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15217.  https://www.yogamatrika.com/