Do You Know Your Heart?

September 27, 2011

Posted by Sharon

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.

Direct vs. Indirect

June 28, 2010

Posted by Sharon

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As I like to keep this Yoga Matrika blog focused on yoga and take a mindful approach to all issues, I wasn’t sure whether or not I wanted to bring this highly charged issue to the blog. I decided to bring it here, not to have a debate on abortion—right or wrong? Legal or illegal? Instead, I wanted to question and explore what happens when we fail to use all of our intelligence to consider challenging questions. The original posting is below and it is from the Women’s Health Policy Report that is put out weekly by the National Partnership for Women and Families.

The issue in the article, in case what I have already said has infuriated you or led you to believe that you don’t want to or just can’t read any further, is that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops have made a clarification on abortion. Direct abortion is when you terminate a pregnancy for the only purpose of terminating the pregnancy. In summary, direct=bad, very bad, super bad. Indirect is when a pregnancy is terminated in order to save the life of the mother. In summary, indirect=bad, very bad, super bad, but allowable in extraordinary circumstances.

When I read this, I wasn’t quite sure what to do with it. Part of me wanted to laugh out loud thinking about all the meetings and arguments of the men in charge as they debated the difference between direct and indirect abortions. Seriously, any woman who has ever been pregnant and any man who has ever known a pregnant woman knows that this kind of dialogue fails to reflect the mysteries of the whole situation, never mind the realities of pregnancy, miscarriage and abortion. Certainly, any family that has faced the terrible situation of weighing the continuation of a pregnancy vs. the life of the mother, wife, daughter, WOMAN, would assure all of us dear readers that there is no worse hell imaginable. Considering the state of health care for women in the United States, this type of dialogue also seems to steal the stage from the more banal and everyday questions of health for women—not just our reproductive status, but our hearts and minds. Why isn’t the leadership group of any religion focused on addressing the incredible health disparities in our country? Why is the maternal and infant mortality rate so very high here in the United States when we have the resources that we have? Another part of me wanted to cry because these men, men who have made a significant lifetime commitment to their spiritual practice and service of their communities, have missed something important—-how could time invested in this madness ever produce a more positive human experience for anyone? How is this in service of God? While I imagine that those who feel differently about the issue at hand than I do would be delighted to tell me with great passion about how this is very much so in service, it still seems a fair question—at least philosophically, if not otherwise.

How is this related to yoga? This is yoga. A very wise and brilliant student at Yoga Matrika recently communicated her revelation that what happens in her life is her practice. What happens on her yoga mat is just a trial run. What we realize through yoga practice is that just when we think we have the answer, the game shifts. Life is like being invited onto Jeopardy and practicing for months only to find yourself, with no notice, as a contestant on Wheel of Fortune! Direct or indirect, perhaps we can just use this as a public example of what happens when we use our brains to attempt to find logic in what we need to bring our higher intelligence to.

I invite you to read this article and think of a time when you struggled to make logic of a situation in which there is no logic. Thinking back on this time, see if you can now, even with hindsight, go back to the process and use your deeper intelligence to make peace. To do this, sitting on a chair with your feet firmly planted on the floor or in a comfortable seated pose on the ground gently create distance between your lowest rib and your hips. As you feel the sides of your body lengthen, bring your navel center over your pelvis. This allows your pelvis to support your enteric nervous system—-otherwise known as your gut. Now, bring your heart over your navel. This allows your heart to be supported by your instincts. Now, gentle tuck your chin towards your heart so that your neck lengthens and you relax your facial muscles. This allows your brain to be supported by your intuition and your heart. Watch your breath for a few moments and feel the peace that comes from equanimity. Even if it is just for a moment. Isn’t it a relief to take the world off your shoulders? Now, breathe this sense of peace and calm to everyone in the world. Let us all heal and put our energy into work that benefits the health and wellness of all living things.

Catholic Bishops Clarify Abortion Definitions in Light of Ariz. Case

June 28, 2010 — The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops‘ Committee on Doctrine released a statement last week clarifying how the church classifies direct abortions and indirect abortions, the Arizona Republic reports.

The statement refers to a recent case in which Sister Margaret McBride, an administrator at a Catholic hospital in Arizona, was excommunicated for her role in authorizing an abortion to save a woman’s life. The statement did not review the particulars of the case or take a position on the excommunication; instead, it said USCCB wanted to clarify “confusion” about the church’s stance on abortion.

According to the Republic, the church condemns direct abortion — meant to terminate a pregnancy — but permits indirect abortion — in which fetal death is a secondary effect of another necessary procedure — in some cases, such as a hysterectomy to treat uterine cancer. “As the church has said many times, direct abortion is never permissible because a good end cannot justify an evil means,” the statement said, adding, “There are no situations in which it can be justified.”

The statement “appears to confirm” the Phoenix bishop’s classification of the Arizona case as a direct abortion, the Republic reports (Clancy, Arizona Republic, 6/25). In the case, the young mother of four was 11 weeks pregnant and had pulmonary hypertension, a rare condition in which continuing the pregnancy often jeopardizes the life of the woman. Physicians concluded that the placenta had to be removed to prevent the patient from dying (Women’s Health Policy Report, 6/9).

Posted by Sharon Rudyk, owner of Yoga Matrika https://www.yogamatrika.com/

A Great Healing

November 12, 2009

Posted by Sharon

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About 2-weeks ago now, I went to the emergency room in some of the worst pain I have ever been in. The back of my throat was blistered and I had a deep pain in my upper chest. For three-nights I had been up with this terrible pain that did not respond to Ibuprofen or any of the over the counter treatments I had to try. In the emergency room, I was told that I had acid reflux and was given some very powerful medications—-including one that has irreversable neurological problems as one of the common side effects.

I had a suspicion that I actually had a viral infection and made an appointment with acupuncturist Melissa Sokulski at the Birch Center. In addition to the viral infection, I suspected that recent headaches and some of my complaints were related to stress and grief. I had responded well to acupuncture before, so I had high hopes for this treatment and my recovery.

To my absolute amazement, the morning following my treatment, the blisters in the back of my throat were almost completely gone and I had a good sleep. There was obviously a profound shift in my health and well being. The Birch Center is a very comfortable and warm place and does not feel clinical. Melissa provided a unique treatment that was adapted during the treatment based on my response and changes in pulse. There was a great kindness in the entire experience and I highly recommend the Birch Center both for the sweet environment and the obvious technical skill of Melissa Sokulski.

I have a great admiration for healers in all forms—-biomedical doctors, acupuncturists, therapists of body and mind, shamans, nurses—all kinds. There is a certain kind of release that happens when we get the sense that we are in good hands and this peace and trust opens the gate to the healing experience. Part of our yoga practice is being present with both the energetic and the physical body. Disturbances in the energetic body manifest themselves as dis-ease in the physical body and we should actively use our intuition to seek out healing from people that we relate to with a sense of peace.

Pittsburgh is home to many types of healers and we can open to the experience of being healed when we remain open to our intuition and seek healing experieces that are in alignment with our personal truth. While not every healer is the best healer for every person or every problem, I can honestly make this referral to the Birch Center for anyone seeking acupuncture or other alternative treatments. It’s also great to get on the Birch Center newsletter list! The last newsletter had some great information on acupuncture and alternative treatments for H1N1 and for recovery from the flu.

Melissa and David Sokulski, Licensed Acupuncturists
The Birch Center for Health, LLC
1931 East Carson Street, 2nd Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 381-0116
www.BirchCenter.com
www.FoodUnderFoot.com ~ Wild Edible Plants

Intuitive Health: Yoga for your Spirit

September 18, 2009

Posted by Sharon

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Kari Samuels will be leading a series of workshops titled Intuitive Health at Yoga Matrika in October and November.

Intuitive Health: Balancing your Body, Mind and Spirit

We are all born with an intuitive awareness that guides us, protects us, and helps us make purposeful decisions. Through subtle messages from our body and our circumstances, our inner guidance communicates with us, leaading us towards our natural state of joy, vitality, and self-esteem. This fun, interactive class offers tools for transforming your life form the inside out. You will learn how to increase your positive energy, reclaim your power, and start living the prosperous healthy life you deserve.

October 21: Listening to your Body’s Wisdom
Every day you are receiving messages from your body that guide you towards your personal truth. In this workshop, you will learn now to listen to those subtle messages, so you can make empowering choices for your body and your life.

October 28: Mapping Your Inner Landscape
In this dynamic interactive class, you will explore your sacred architecture–the seven major energy centers of the body (chakras) and the human energy field, otherwise known as the aura. We will explore the many ways that your body reveals your personal blueprint, and ways you can create lasting change in your life through balancing your energy.

November 4: Positive Energy
Our outer world is a reflection of our internal reality. When we learn how to heal our fears and limitations, we can create more peaceful harmonious circumstances. This class offers practical techniques towards growth, healing and love. Practiced daily, these techniques will result in more joy, vitality, passion, and purpose.

November 11: The Energy of Relationships
We can attract and maintain healthy relationships when we understand the energy dynamics that transpire between ourselves and others. Through meditation and exercises, you will learn how to protect yourself against energy drains, create healthy boundaries, and live more compassionately towards yourself and others.

Register for workshops here: http://dharmatribeonline.com/matrika/index.php?tab=2

Find out more about Kari Samuels here: http://www.karisamuels.com/index.html

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

Guide for the Advanced Soul

July 14, 2009

Posted by Sharon

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I once had a roommate in New York that I never met.

It’s a sort of complicated story and one that wouldn’t be all that interesting to repeat. Suffice to say, I am now the owner of two of his left behind belongings that have changed my life. One, is a pink crystal ball. Seriously. And, fortunately for you patient reader, not the topic of this essay!

The second, is a small book titled, A Guide for the Advanced Soul: A Book of Insight. It is created and handwritten by Susan Hayward and published by Little, Brown and Company in 1984. The intention for the book is that you use it as a guide when you have a problem or need guidance to help you make your decision. After a brief period of meditation, you put forward your request to the universe and randomly open the book. The guide’s instructions indicate that, “The first words you read will tell you what you most need to hear.”

Even the instructions are of interest to me. They are interesting because they draw upon our ability to read something powerful and feel as though we have been told something or had it whispered to us or that we’ve used our ears to absorb something. That’s how powerful the meaning of the words on the page are to us. So powerful that as we read them, even as we use our eyes to scan the page, the part of our brain that listens—hears something. This, as the instructions to the guide suggest, is intimately attached to the meditation before the reading. It is the meditation that stills the mind and allows for us to access our intuition. It is the intuitive self that reads the words and is able to make sounds of them.

I am particularly attached to “my” copy of the book because my roommate, whoever he is and wherever he is now, folded down the corners of some pages. The pages that were speaking to him loud and clear. Perhaps the very pages that told him that returning to New York, even to retrieve his belongings, wasn’t the right thing to do. Sometimes, I cheat. I don’t follow the directions. I just open the book to the quotes chosen by its previous owner:

“Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.” ~Albert Einstein

“To change one’s life:
* Start immediately
* Do it flamboyantly
* No exceptions (no excuses)”
~William James

“Man cannot discover new oceans until he has courage to lose sight of the shore.” ~ Unknown

Sometimes, yoga classes turn out to be our guide. We just feel a little stuck and we need a class, so we just go to whatever is on the schedule and are disappointed to find out that it’s a different teacher than who we expected. After class, we realize that this particular instructor met our need uniquely well. That their words, style and tone were precisely what was required to advance in our practice, be creative about a project, to return home to wrestle the kids to bed………Or, maybe you’ve recently found a new teacher that is working just right for you now. That’s just like folding down the pages.