Meditation in Pittsburgh

May 30, 2012

Posted by Sharon

So….Bhante Pema is traveling in Asia and we are missing the Monday night meditation classes at Yoga Matrika. Please note that Bhante Pema’s fall meditation class series is filling fast and not only is there a $40 discount when you register for the series before July 1st, 2012, but registering for the series now is the only way to guarantee yourself a space in this amazing class series. Yoga Matrika offers intimate meditation classes with Bhante Pema for $175 (early bird registration before 7/1/12 makes tuition just $135) for the 12-week series. There is no other meditation class in Pittsburgh like these. The environment is calm and supportive and the small-group class series allows you to receive personal attention and build your skills over time.

If you need some guidance and inspiration for your practice this summer, why not try an online course? An online course in meditation will allow you to enjoy the sun, go out and play, and study and practice meditation at your convenience. It’s hard to come inside and focus when all you really want to do is run through the sprinkler, garden and enjoy time outdoors with your friends, family and loved ones. So rise early and study or take some time for yourself in the evening when the day of play is done. This online meditation course is 12-weeks, just like our class series—-so you’ll be all set and ready for class when September 10th comes. While it may seem now that the summer lies before you as a great expanse, you know that fall will be here in the blink of an eye.

Just in case you are curious about some of the benefits of meditation, please check out the amazing benefits of meditation here. Do you ever feel like a victim of your genes? Read here about how meditation can change genetic expression.

Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, owner and director of programs at Yoga Matrika, a boutique yoga center in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, PA 15217. Small group classes, private sessions, teacher training programs, workshops for all levels and more!

Meditation Series

August 26, 2011

Posted by Sharon

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This fall, Yoga Matrika is offering a 12-week Meditation Series facilitated by Bhante Pema. This is a very unique opportunity in Pittsburgh to study and practice meditation. By making a 12-week commitment, you will start to see the benefits of regular practice over the course of three-months.

Dr. Josephine Briggs, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Alternative and Complementary Medicine, says that, “It is now well established that the meditative state can be associated with changes in electrical function of the brain, and recent imaging studies suggest that there may actually be neuroanatomic changes as well.” In addition, a new study by the Public Library of Science suggests that regular meditation can have a significant impact on stress related illnesses. “The study found that in comparison to a control group of people who had never meditated, a group of regular meditators actually suppressed twice the number of genes that induce stress responses such as high blood pressure and inflammation in the body.Long term effects of the expression of stress-related genes can have very harmful effects on health, including high blood pressure or chronic pain. Those who meditate regularly are thus at a greatly decreased risk for developing these problems.”

According to NCCAM, over 20 million Americans practice meditation for a variety of health benefits. You can find out more about meditation and the types of research that are being conducted now regarding meditation and impact on specific health problems here.

Our course instructor, Bhante Pema, is a Buddhist monk and is currently the resident teacher and abbot of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center. He is also working on a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Pittsburgh. While the instructor is a Buddhist monk, the meditation style and techniques that are taught in this course are secular and this is not a religious group and instruction in Buddhism is not provided. Everyone is welcome to learn these techniques to benefit their health and well being.

REGISTER HERE: $130 for 12-week course

Ven. Soorakkulame Pemaratana (aka. Bhante Pema)

Ven. S. Pemaratana was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1986 and received higher ordination in 1997. His monastic training was under the tutelage of the most Ven. Attangane Sasanaratana Maha Thero at Sripathi Pirivena, Diyakalamulla, Kuliyapitiya, Sri Lanka. He holds a bachelor’s degree with first class honors in Buddhist Studies from the University of Peradeniya and a master’s degree in philosophy from the National University of Singapore.

He has lectured at the University of Peradeniya and the Buddhist and Pali College of Singapore. He conducts regular lectures and workshops in Buddhist teachings and meditation. The Transcultural Society for Clinical Meditation in Japan gave him the 2008 Haruki Award for his research paper on Meditation and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. He is currently the resident teacher and acting abbot of the Pittsburgh Buddhist Center.

Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, Owner and Director of Programs for Yoga Matrika, an intimate yoga studio located in Squirrel Hill, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Discover more about our unique programs that explore the incredible healing power of yoga, breath and meditation on our website.

Introduction to Meditation

March 22, 2009

Posted by Sharon

Introduction to Meditation

By

Bhante Pemaratana

Pittsburgh Buddhist Center

In our life we all need to maintain physical health. We need to build healthy relationships. We need to achieve personal satisfaction and inner happiness. We need to realize the deep sense of meaning of our life. What is essential for all the above things is a healthy mind. The ancient Greeks glorified the body, its wellbeing and health, as well as the mind. The Romans famously said that man’s ideal should be ‘mens sana in corpore sano”! Healthy mind in a healthy body. And in China Lao- Tse spoke of harmony achieved by equilibrium of the mind. And the Buddha said that good health was the greatest profit, and contentment is the greatest wealth one could accumulate.

Though many of us are aware of the value of a healthy mind, we rarely know the way to achieve it. Meditation is a systematic method to develop a healthy mind. Achieving a healthy mind is not only about eradicating viruses that make the mind sick but also about developing positive qualities of the mind. It is a mental culture, which has three phases: knowing the mind, shaping the mind and freeing the mind.

Let us systematically examine these ancient voices, which a few of us hear like the soothing rustling of the mountain winds, when we practice meditation. It is then and only then, that we begin to hear the voice of silence promising each of us peace, harmony, and insight.

ABOUT VIPASSANA:

see http://www.dhamma.org/en/vipassana.shtml