All posts tagged: Tibetan 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 …

Professional Development for Yoga Teachers

Published by Sharon

In April 2013, I closed my brick and mortar yoga studio, Yoga Matrika, located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and pioneered yoga and meditation studies through distance learning. In the process, I tried a number of different platforms for holding classes and teleseminars and worked with hundreds of very patient yoga teachers who agreed to work with me to provide constructive feedback while also getting high quality continuing education. I am really delighted that Yoga Alliance has recognized the potential of distance learning for professional continuing education for Yoga Teachers. They permit up to 25 of your 30 required CEU credits to maintain registration to be earned with non-contact hours. I am honored to be a YACEP (Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider) and have a number of online courses just for yoga instructors. These courses allow teachers all over the world to learn more about Buddhist philosophy, Tibetan yoga practices, meditation skills, subtle body anatomy, women’s health and yoga, and prenatal yoga and meditation. I have put over 25-years of practice, teaching, and research into all of …

Online Prenatal Yoga Teacher Training

Published by Sharon

Get certified to teach Matrika Prenatal Yoga in this unique, self-guided online study program facilitated by Sharon Fennimore, MA. Yoga teachers who are registered with Yoga Alliance can earn up to 25 CEU credits for completing this course. What Makes Matrika Prenatal Yoga Special? Emphasis on Tantric subtle body anatomy Focus on how culture and reproductive politics impact fertility and pregnancy Learn how to support optimum fertility with yoga Use of Buddhist philosophy applied to teaching prenatal yoga Learn how to teach visualization and meditation specific to pregnancy Includes the use of yoga and meditation to prepare for labor and birth Postpartum care and Mom and Baby Yoga [headline_border]Course Curriculum[/headline_border] Informed by contemporary social theory and medical anthropology, Matrika Prenatal Yoga nourishes and empowers students physically, emotionally and spiritually. This method, philosophy and approach has been refined over almost 20-years by Sharon Fennimore , MA and DONA Trained Birth Doula and enjoyed by thousands of women. In this online course, you will explore: Culture and Reproduction (Including Yoga for Fertility) Yoga During Pregnancy Common …

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 …

Practice Notes: Rainbow Body

Published by Sharon

Each week, I teach a mindful yoga class on Tuesday nights at Mookshi Wellness Center. Recently, I have adapted a new preparation technique for teaching my classes and find the foundation theme for my class through daily prayer and meditation. I have always been guided to teach from the wisdom of my practice as I was encouraged to do so by my compassionate and insightful teacher and mentor, Jill Satterfield. But, for the past two-months I have been randomly choosing a sutra from Lorin Roche’s beautiful translation and commentary of the Vijnana Bhairava Tantra, The Radiance Sutras, and allowing the message of that particular sutra guide my choice of breathing, asana and visualization practices. This past spring I took a truly amazing distance learning course with Janet Conner called “Soul Vows” (also the title of her newest book, which is phenomenal) and was able to do so through a generous full scholarship that she offered to me. The truth is that I had a hard time with the course. I still haven’t come up with my soul …

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 …

Spring Preparation #6: Make a Commitment

Published by Sharon

The kind of commitment that I’m talking about is also sometimes referred to as “put your money where your mouth is.” You know that you want to make a commitment to developing your yoga practice, your meditation practice or both. Maybe you’ve been meaning to try yoga for a while. Perhaps, after the 15th article you’ve read this month about the benefits of meditation you feel almost obligated to give it a try. Maybe you’ve let your mat get dusty this winter or it might even be frozen in your trunk? Whether you’ve never done yoga or meditated before or you’ve been a yogi at heart for forever, this season of renewal reminds us of the value of commitment. Registering for an 8-week small group series with Sharon for this spring is an excellent way to ease yourself back on your mat or cushion or find out what all the buzz is about for yourself for the very first time. Here are just some of the benefits to committing to a private small-group class over …

Advanced Yoga Studies

Published by Sharon

PRE-REGISTER for ALL ADVANCED STUDIES COURSES Advanced Yoga Studies are courses for all adult yoga practitioners, yoga teachers and other professionals who feel that they would benefit from an in-depth study of various aspects of yoga from a physical, mental and spiritual perspective. Whether you have been teaching for years and feel like you need some new inspiration or you have just been practicing yoga for 6-months and have a significant interest in one or more areas of yoga practice, these courses are for you. Most of these courses are required for the 200-hour teacher training program and all of them carry continuing education credits that can be used to maintain your registration status with Yoga Alliance and other professional organizations. While these courses carry credits that are beneficial for yoga instructors, you do not need to be an instructor to benefit from this type of deep study of yoga. Please join us and explore what you have always known to be true—-life is yoga! Foundations of Practice Facilitated by Sharon Fennimore Rudyk, MA, E-RYT, …