There are so very many wonderful events happening in February that I thought I would highlight just a few of my favorites that other creative yogis might be interested in:
Anyone who knows me understands that I personally only run when chased. Or, perhaps, if there is a shout-out for free beer and pizza. Even then, it would have to be really good beer. But, I support all of my yoga students and the yogis “out there” who do run joyfully just for the sake of running and wanted to share information about this fabulous workshop for runners being offered in Pittsburgh on the first day of spring! One of the facilitators, Linda Meacci, is both a fabulous yogini and instructor and has always been supportive of Yoga Matrika. It is my delight to promote her work to share this essential practice and tools for running as safely as possible.
Resistance Stretching and Yoga Conditioning for Runners and Endurance Athletes
Calling all runners, endurance athletes and Pittsburgh Marathoners! Is it time to inject new life into your training? Want to turbo boost your worksouts, shorten recovery time, build strength and flexibility, and prevent overuse injuries?
By complementing your current routine with resistance stretching and yoga conditioning, you can unlock the full potential of your workouts and performance. In this hands-on workshop, Linda will present principles of resistance stretching and yoga conditioning, guiding you through a sequence of stretches and yoga postures designed for runners and athletes. Lucas, an ultramarathoner and endurance athlete, will share his personal insights on these practices. There will be time for Q & A.
Please call or email with any questions. Otherwise you can pre-register at www.schoolhouseyoga.com
Posted by Sharon Rudyk, an independent yoga and meditation instructor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Find out more about Sharon and the group classes, yoga therapy services and workshops she offers online at www.yogamatrika.com.
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.
This winter season Yoga Matrika is offering some of the best workshops we’ve had yet—creative, inspiring, therapeutic—you name it, we’ve got a workshop on it!
Some, likeElsie Escobar’s YO GEEKare designed for people who may have never done yoga before and (GASP–could it be TRUE?) may have no interest in doing yoga, but who suffer from repetitive strain injury, lower back pain from sitting in a chair, and who have eyes strained and exhausted from hours of computer work.
Others, like Linda Meacci’s WILD THINGpractice are designed to get your blood pumping as you are lead through the wild ride of a sweaty Vinyasa flow class to a slick soundtrack. Work off the holiday feasts and festivities and start 2010 with great enthusiasm!
Dana Killmeyer, local author and yogini extraordinaire, is offering a Movement and Memoir workshop for all of you yogis that like to move AND write.
Even more unique are the embodied anatomy workshops with Mark Taylorthat will connect you with the energies of your kidneys (the organ associated with winter in Chinese energy medicine theory) and ways to connect and use your core to expand your yoga practice and your life.
So whether you love yoga or you aren’t quite so sure, we’ve got a workshop for you! At $20 to $30, these are economic little treats to liven up what sometimes seems to be an infinite number of icy and gray days. If you don’t know if yoga is for you or would like a complete introduction, don’t miss out on the sweet and vivacious Anna Gilbert who is facilitating a 4-week introductory seriesthat starts on January 8, 2010.
Posted with warm wishes for an amazing 2010 by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, owner and director of Yoga Matrika in the Point Breeze neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15217. Dedicated to great yoga in Pittsburgh! https://www.yogamatrika.com/
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.
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!
Meditation 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.
Sharon’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!
Beginner’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!
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
YO 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!
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
Tending 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.
Movement & 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.
ANUSARA 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.
ELSIE’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.
LOVE 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.
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.
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!
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/
(space allowing)
