All posts tagged: Pittsburgh yoga

Tibetan Yoga Classes

Published by Sharon

Tibetan Yoga on Wednesday Mornings 10:00 am In my personal practice of yoga, in the past five-years, I have started to bring more and more of my meditation into my yoga and more of my yoga into my meditation.  Essentially, it is now one practice.  This is possible because the type of somatic meditation that I practice (somatic meaning “of the body”) is rooted in Vajrayana Buddhism.  This is one of the major schools of Buddhist practice and thought that is based on the idea that we all already possess Buddha-nature in ourselves and that enlightenment is just the recognition of our true nature.  The practice has more to do with learning techniques that access much more than the physical body and bring us into a state of open awareness to things as they are.  It is in this “space” where all potential and opportunity exists.  We don’t need to make anything, improve on anything, get more flexible or strong or change anything.  Rather, we use our tools of somatic awareness to enter into an …

Wisdom Body Yoga & Meditation

Published by Sharon

Have you ever witnessed a friend, family member or colleague at work create suffering or patterns of suffering for themself?  It’s so hard to watch.  It’s so easy to identify the pattern, the problem, the mistakes.  It’s equally simple to see an obvious solution.  On the other hand, you know that communicating your clarity and the obvious solution is unlikely to have the desired effect for the sufferer.  Your suffering friend will likely defend their actions, their pattern and even fight to maintain their problem (or that there isn’t a problem at all) until their last breath.  What you would witness, if you ever got the courage to approach your suffering person knowing that the friendship or relationship might be forever damaged, is the power of the ego.  Your ego knows that suffering and the commitment to that pattern is comfortable and complete.  The ego will jump in to defend itself and hear everything as a criticism.  The ego will not be defeated.  And, even worse, the truth for all of us is that we …

Ode to Miss Joyce

Published 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 …

Meteor of Your Laughter

Published by Sharon

“…let the meteor of your laughter fly: electrify the natural names of things!”  ~Pablo Neruda* There came a day recently when I realized that there wasn’t enough beauty in my life.  Not because beauty did not exist–within me, around me, near me and within my reach.  I was not opening my eyes to it, feeling it, seeking it out and making it a priority.  When I came to this awareness of the separation I had created between myself and beauty, I decided to return to some of my favorites from the past: Shakespeare, novels, poetry, music, dancing and sitting in the library.  It is within these things that I find the connective tissue in between my existence and beauty in the form of hints, reminders, clues, rhythm and creative inquiry. Although this is entirely taken out of context, I find this mantra to be brutal, sharp and instructive: Let the meteor of your laughter fly.  Electrify the natural names of things. Today, I tune into my capacity for laughter.  A laughter with velocity, speed and …

A Few of My Favorite Things

Published by Sharon

Right now, I’m trying some new to me books and products and want to share what I am loving right now with you: Body and Beauty Love Your Face Cream Original Formula by Indian Meadow Herbals I bought mine at the East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh and you should ask for this amazing product at your local health food store. The cream is pretty thick and oily and a little goes a long way.  The best is to put it on your face when it is still wet and then it absorbs really quickly leaving your face super duper soft and lovely. Yoga and Meditation Balm by Badger Balm I, again, bought mine at the East End Food Co-op in Pittsburgh, but Badger Balm is everywhere you look these days (yes, Walgreens…..).  I’m not a big fan of orange scented anything.  It’s supposed to lift your spirits, but it usually just smells too sweet for my taste and I feel kind of nauseated.  But, this has orange and cedar and I love to rub …

Keeping Cool with Yoga

Published by Sharon

Top Three Ways to Cool Down with Yoga and Meditation You might not think of yoga when you consider ways to cool down.  As a matter of fact, with the proliferation of hot yoga, you may only think of yoga as an activity that is meant to generate heat.  But, yoga and meditation offer a variety of ways to help balance your experience of heat. First, we should explore the concept of “heat” in the context of yoga.  There are many different ways to look at heat and fire in energetic principles, asana/movement, and pranayama/breath.  One approach to heat is to examine the “agni” or digestive fires located in the navel center.  The heat produced during the effort of practicing yoga poses (asana) is designed to clear “energetic” impurities.  An example of an “energetic” impurity might be an emotional block or a mental pattern that is no longer helpful.  This allows energy to move more freely through the subtle body and creates potential where there may have not been any before the block was removed. …

Tension Relief for Pregnancy

Published by Sharon

Tension Relief for Pregnancy Tele-Workshop and Recording Tuition: $15 (Includes  MP3 download so you can enjoy the relaxation as many times and as often as you like!) Thursday, August 1, 2013 10:30 to 11:30 am (USA, Eastern) Recording available a few hours after the event through August 7, 2013.   Relieve tension in head, neck and shoulders Release water retention and discomfort in hands and wrists Learn a simple breathing exercise to help you relax at any time Experience a deep relaxation and yogic sleep that will refresh your body, mind and spirit even more than a nap (yes, really!)   Traditional pregnancy yoga and meditation classes and workshops require you to set aside time to attend that single event. Unfortunately, this means that you only have one chance to attend and perhaps you are exhausted that day or childcare for your toddler or older children falls through.  Matrika Tele-Workshops are simply fabulous because you can enjoy the workshop when it is most convenient for YOU and practice relaxation techniques with the guided recording as …

FREE Guided Meditation Webcast

Published by Sharon

Guided Meditation Recording Oh no!  Did you miss the live webcast? Download the MP3 and listen at your convenience and practice as often as you like (but not while driving–PLEASE)!  The recorded meditation will be available within an hour of the end of the live webcast. Online Book Club Courses I offer an online book club that features my favorite books on Buddhism, meditation, yoga, philosophy, anthropology, science, the body, anatomy, energy and more.  You can enroll anytime in my book club style course on the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths.  The cost is $25 and we spend five-weeks on this book: Dancing with Life by Phillip Moffitt.  The cost of the book is not included in the participation fees.  Start anytime and read and watch the videos and complete the worksheets all at your own pace and convenience. Newsletter Subscribe to Sharon’s Newsletter My newsletter members get exclusive access to additional FREE guided meditations, webcast seminars and yoga trainings.  If you aren’t already getting my newsletter, please sign-up today.  Upon registration you will immediately receive …

Health Coach for Women

Published by Sharon

I provide comprehensive, holistic and compassionate care for women of all ages who want to engage in a positive relationship with their pelvis, reproductive health, endocrine system and menstrual cycles.  This includes: Healing for irregular menstrual cycles Learning how to be aware of and track fertility signs Managing chronic pelvic pain, vaginal pain or hip/low back pain Cesarean and birth recovery including nerve damage, anxiety and abdominal and pelvic floor strengthening Working with symptoms associated with PMS (mood, bloating, headaches, etc.) Alternative support for PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) Infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy loss support Healthy menopause Adrenal Fatigue Anxiety, depression, anger and frustration in relationship to menstrual cycles, fertility, PMS, pelvic pain and infertility WOMEN’S HEALTH CONSULTATION SERVICES 2-Hour Consultation and Evaluation $200 50-Minute Sessions $90 Package of Six Individual Sessions $500 Package of Consultation and Six Individual Sessions $675 HOW DO WE WORK TOGETHER? If you live in Pittsburgh or surrounding suburbs, then we can meet together in person in a beautiful treatment room at Mookshi Wellness Center (401 Biddle Avenue, 2nd Floor above …

Small Group Classes

Published by Sharon

Yoga Studies: An Intimate Yoga Group Experience Deepen your practice of yoga through the practice and study of traditional yoga techniques from India, China and Tibet.  No experience required and all practices can be modified to meet your level, interests and goals.  This is a small group limited to six students or less.  All equipment, including mats, are supplied and handouts are provided as appropriate. June Series: Sivananda Yoga, Meditation and Relaxation Activate the parasympathetic nervous system and release deeply held tension and stress in the body through this unique Hatha yoga practice that incorporates active poses and relaxation in a beautifully coordinated holistic practice.  Therapeutic and strengthening at the same time, Sivananda yoga practices bring body, mind and spirit into balance.  Come and practice and stay for an additional half-hour if you wish for a meditation practice and discussion of the philosophy and science of Sivananda Yoga.  All classes are held at the fabulous Mookshi Wellness Center in Regent Square (401 Biddle Avenue, 2nd Floor, above Biddle’s Escape Cafe).   MONDAYS in JUNE: June …

Wanting Mind

Published by Sharon

Love Letter Thursday 5.16.13 Pittsburgh, PA On this Thursday, I send you some ideas on the wanting mind.  Rooted in desire, the wanting mind is constantly evaluating what we like, don’t like, wish for and don’t wish for.  Although the world keeps changing right underneath our feet, we grasp with the wanting mind and hope (expect?) that somehow we can set the circumstances in place that will allow things to be “just so” and for as long as possible.  This is, exactly, the idea behind the love note itself.  Or is it? In Phillip Moffitt’s book, Emotional Chaos to Clarity (which, by the way, I can’t recommend highly enough), he explores the difference between expectation and possibility.  And, I argue that, based on his explanation of the difference between the two, a love note is exciting because it is filled with possibility rather than expectation.  Sure, you don’t expect to open my little note on Thursday and find something mean spirited, but the reason why you look forward to these notes is because anything is …

Seven Stress Related Health Problems

Published by Sharon

Here are seven stress-related health problems you can do something about with gentle yoga and meditation.  Remember, stress isn’t a “feeling”–it is a physiologic response to perceived (or real) danger.  It isn’t in “your head” and yoga and meditation provide release of deeply held tensions, fears and anxieties through physical, mental and spiritual exercises. Heart Disease and Diabetes Stress raises your glucose levels making it harder to manage Type 2 diabetes.  Mindfulness-based meditation programs have been proven to reverse heart disease. Asthma Chronic stress makes asthma worse and children with stressed-out parents are more likely to have asthma. Obesity Stress causes higher levels of the hormone cortisol which makes you collect fat around your middle. Headaches Migraines and tension headaches.  Enough said. Depression and Anxiety Adults who report having stressful jobs (like having a lot of work and very few rewards) have an 80% higher chance of developing depression than adults who do not report a stressful work environment.  It’s unlikely that you can change your work situation overnight, but you can change your response …

Yoga and Meditation Classes with Sharon Rudyk

Published by Sharon

This Week: Starting Monday, April 29, 2013 GROUP CLASSES: This MONDAY I am teaching an all levels (and when I say “all levels” I truly mean that everyone from absolute beginners to advanced students will all feel comfortable and get a great practice) yoga class at Mookshi Wellness Center.  Class is from 10:00-11:00 am.  Just $5 for your first class at Mookshi!  (LOCATION: 401 Biddle Avenue, 2nd Floor above Biddle’s Escape Cafe, Regent Square, Pittsburgh) I have availability for private sessions or yoga spa treatments this TUESDAY afternoon and evening as well as THURSDAY in the morning, afternoon and evening.  Please call me to schedule (412) 855-5692. Women of all ages with irregular menstrual cycles, PCOS, PMS, infertility, painful periods or other pelvic pain should check out my personalized womens’ holistic health and lifestyle counseling sessions.  Most women find some (if not a great deal) relief within six-sessions. I have some private childbirth education and birth doula availability in June and July.  I will not be accepting births for August or the beginning of September.  Please …

Love Letter Thursday 2.28.13

Published by Sharon

28.2.13 Pittsburgh, PA I want to live in a world where everyone believes that each new day represents a completely new opportunity.  It really breaks my heart when I talk with my friends, family or students and they feel as though their future has been determined by the mistakes, adversity or experiences of their past.  I see so many of us feeling stuck and in the feeling place of lacking the velocity to bring ourselves out of a trajectory that has us on the wrong track, but we feel like we just aren’t the “type of person” that makes changes “like that” or perhaps we feel doomed to be just like ______________(fill in the blank with the name of some relative).  Sometimes, it is just so hard to see around the obstacles and challenges in our life. I want you to feel powerful in the face of change and adversity.   So, I’ve created, just for you, a sweet meditation practice where you take a little bit of time (an hour and fifteen minutes to …

Closing the Studio

Published by Sharon

This past summer, with just 90-days notice, OM Yoga in New York City closed after 15-years of providing leadership in New York’s yoga scene because they lost their lease.  Cyndi Lee’s response was incredibly graceful and resonates deeply with my own feelings right now: “Also, it sounds cheesy but I’m just super grateful that the causes and conditions arose for me to build that yoga studio and that the community grew and developed, and it’s been beautiful. I feel really proud because there has been no badness, only goodness, and I think it’s time to celebrate that.”  (Original Source/Full Interview) When my baby boy was just six-months old, my dear husband agreed to help me renovate the space at 1406 S. Negley Avenue so that I could start a yoga studio business.  I knew absolutely nothing about running a yoga studio, marketing, websites, etc.  What I knew was that yoga was the most significant force in my life and brought me great peace no matter what was going on.  I felt so strongly about it …

Mindful Flow at mookshi wellness center

Published by Sharon

I am tickled, delighted and honored to be teaching at mookshi wellness center.  Please join me in this beautiful space dedicated to healing arts.  I am offering two series of Mindful Flow classes this spring.  Due to our desire to maintain the intimate nature of this series, we request that you pre-register.  Students will be warmly welcomed to drop-in to single classes as space permits. Please send Sharon an e-mail to register (sharon@yogamatrika.com) or call (412) 855-5692. Mindful Flow Join me for this esoteric bliss mission!  In this yoga series open to all levels, we move with the breath creating joy in open awareness.  As our practice is a moving meditation, we use a variety of poses, breathing exercises and visualization techniques from Chinese, Tibetan and Indian yoga traditions to create flexibility and strength in body, mind and spirit.  This healing practice will help you feel centered, relaxed and inspired.  Enjoy a stronger and more flexible body as you build a foundation for profound happiness and tranquility. SERIES I: Mondays, March 4, 11, 18 and …

I’ve Got Soba. Yes I Do!

Published by Sharon

This post answers the call that regularly haunts yoginis all over the world: I’ve got Soba.  Yes I do! I’ve got Soba. How about you? And, lest we get stuck in some circular nutrition chant that leaves us all hungry and with an increasingly dusty box of soba noodles in our pantries, I’m going to cook my soba noodles tonight.  Yes, I am. I’ve got a box of Soba Pasta that has been giving me the evil eye on my pantry shelf for a more than a few weeks now.  I love soba noodles and I”m pretty sure that at least one of my children will gobble them right up…….but I just haven’t been sure how to make them.  As I have a winter farm share, I’m also trying to take advantage of the local veggies that I have in my fridge that will go bad soon unless I figure out what to do with them—-and SOON! So, tonight, I think I am making this recipe from the Eden Foods website.  I’ll let you know …

For the Love of Lavender

Published by Sharon

  Since I feel particularly calmed and grounded by the scent of lavender, I thought I would re-post this informative article written by David Crow on how lavender can be used to promote health and well-being for everyone in your household.  As we approach Valentine’s Day, I reflect on how this scent brings me into a state of open awareness that is also beneficial to my meditation and yoga practices.  Regardless of your state of partnership or romance this season, how delightful to take an opportunity to think about ways to live more deeply from your heart and to ground your decision making and movements from this deepest and our original seat of intelligence.  And, if you are new to buying essential oils from Floracopeia, please take advantage of the 25% discount I offer to my students.   Lavender By David Crow, L.Ac. (Published in Yogi Times, Oct. ‘04) Lavender is one of the most well-known, versatile, and extensively used essential oils in the world. When we use lavender essential oil we receive the blessings of …

Benefits of Co-Sleeping for Dads

Published by Sharon

I don’t want to get into an argument about co-sleeping with you dear reader, but I thought that all my Matrika Moms and Dads might find this article interesting.  Whether you co-sleep or not, it suggests that there is an endocrine response to behavior.  The more involved Dad is, the lower his testosterone.  The mind-body connection never ceases to amaze me! Posted by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, an independent yoga instructor and doula based in Pittsburgh, PA.  Find out more about Sharon on her website www.sharonrudykyoga.com.