MATRIKA Stress Reduction Program
Are you suffering from:
- Insomnia
- PMS or Painful
Menstruation
- Headaches
- Chronic Pain (back, shoulder, full body)
- Exhaustion or
Chronic Fatigue
- Endocrine/Thyroid Problems
- Infertility
- Irritable Bowl
Syndrome/Digestive Problems
- High Blood Pressure and/or Cardiovascular
Disease
- Weight gain
We all experience stress and this is a healthy response to deadlines, danger and competition and it helps us prepare for tasks that are above and beyond what we are asked to do on a daily basis. Constant stress, or a heightened response to stress over months and years, can cause or contribute to many health problems. While modern medicine is truly fabulous at treating some illness, disease and injury, in many cases, it fails to address the chronic problems that have their root cause in stress. In addition,major life changes, grief, surgery, diagnosis of cancer and treatment for cancer, injuries and other significant events that cause changes in lifestyle, heart, mind and body can create the need for a gentle and comprehensive stress reduction program.
While a regular yoga practice can reduce stress, if you are experiencing stress-related disease and illness or have special needs due to your particular situation (infertility, cancer, injury recovery,etc.), then we suggest that you consider making a commitment to our comprehensive stress reduction program. Sometimes, all you need is a vacation, but no matter where you go, there you are! You can't escape yourself and this program will help you find a more comfortable home in your own skin. A full recovery is going to depend on making significant changes to your lifestyle and we have a team of professionals who will work with you to support these changes.
What is included in our program?
Our program brings calm to heart, mind and body over a period of three-months. This unique program is a holistic approach to stress reduction that includes yoga, meditation, nutrition and lifestyle changes. As every person is unique, our program offers flexibility and will be personalized just for you. The basic outline of our three-month program:
- One hour and a half private yoga session and consultation with Sharon ($150 value)
- 3-months unlimited class membership ($215 value)
- Three holistic nutrition and lifestyle counseling sessions ($150 value)
What is the cost of the program?
This three-month program that combines yoga and holistic health counseling is $350. If you were to pay for all these services separately, the cost would be $525. The program requires a $150 deposit and two automatic credit card payments of $100 each in the second and third months of your program.
The program deposit is non-refundable, but you can cancel the remaining payments within the first 30-days of the program if you do not wish to continue for a $100 cancellation fee to cover the full cost of services received in the first month of the program. Yoga Matrika members who already have access to unlimited yoga classes, will receive a $125 discount from the total cost of the program.
How does this program work?
Rome wasn't built in a day and we have designed this program so that you can receive nutritional support,and lifestyle counseling while you stretch and strengthen the body and learn meditation and relaxation techniques. All of the skills you learn during these three months are skills that you can use every day for the rest of your life. In addition, you can continue to make regular appointments with your counselor, yoga instructors and massage therapists at the Matrika Wellness Center as you make taking care of yourself a priority. This program works because it is about adding wonderful things that feel great. You don't have to deny yourself foods that you love, just learn how to add foods and activities that support your optimum health and energy. You don't have to change your body, lose weight or get perfect----actually, we don't want you to change at all! You will learn how to offer yourself compassion and appreciate your body and mind for what they are----vehicles of bliss. You might not feel that way today, but we are quite confident that you will after completing this program.
What should I expect during the program?
As soon as we receive your program deposit, Sharon will call you to make an appointment for your private yoga lesson. During this lesson,we will talk about your specific goals and discuss the yoga classes on the schedule that you will find most suitable. You will also receive the names and contact numbers for the holistic health counselor that we determine is best for your needs. It is up to you to call your counselor to arrange for appointments. They will be expecting your call.! Sharon will help you determine which yoga classes on the schedule are most appropriate for you and you can start taking classes right away.
During your initial private lesson and consultation, we can also make referrals to massage therapists, movement therapists, acupuncturists, hypnotherapists, chiropractors and other doctors if we believe that your particular health concerns would benefit from additional therapies outside of our program. It is always up to you if you contact and make appointments with these referrals, but we will make sure that you have a contact list for additional support that is beyond the scope of what we can provide at Yoga Matrika.
If you have a medical diagnosis that you are working with, we will be happy to provide a very specific outline (with pictures of yoga poses) for you to bring to your doctors to make getting approval for yoga practice easier. While many doctors say that "yoga is OK," in our experience, they are basing this on false ideas of what happens in a yoga class. We have found that bringing pictures of people in yoga poses is helpful so that you can get very specific approval for specific physical movements and exercises. None of us at Yoga Matrika are medical doctors and we ALWAYS defer to the medical advice that you have received from your medical provider. We always recommend that you continue taking all prescribed medication and proceed with all scheduled doctor's appointments, surgeries and treatments.
We can't treat disease, but we are very confident that we can help you feel more comfortable, support your recovery and help you feel as energetic and well as possible.
Pay your deposit today and start on a path to better health and a better quality of life.
Current Stress Reduction Program Team:
Sharon Rudyk, Owner and Director of Yoga Matrika
Yoga and Meditation Instructor
I hold a Masters Degree in East Asian Studies with specialization in Chinese language and art history from the University of Pennsylvania and am currently working on a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology at the University of Pittsburgh. With over 15-years of yoga experience, I am constantly exploring ways to combine my academic interests in art, creativity, Buddhism and the body with my yoga practice and teachings. Yoga is my inspiration and I have personally experienced the power that a regular yoga practice can have in physical and spiritual transformation. I continue to study yoga and meditation with Jill Satterfield and somatic movement training with Mark Chandlee Taylor. It is an honor to work with you and I know that yoga isn't an easy answer, but it is a beautiful journey.
Leah Lizarondo Shannon
Founder and Holistic Health Counselor, FullWell
Leah Shannon is a Holistic Health Counselor who is
passionate about helping people achieve health and balance through gradual and
lasting changes in diet and lifestyle. Through an integrative nutrition
approach, Leah works with clients with concerns ranging from weight loss for
health, chronic illness, fatigue and stress, digestive disorders and food
sensitivities to individuals and families who simply want to prioritize a healthful
life. Leah received her certification in Holistic Health
Counseling from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition and is completing her
Yoga Teacher Certification in the Fall of 2010. She received her Masters Degree
in Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University graduating with Highest
Distinction and is an advocate for urban farming, healthy school food and food
safety. She is also the menu planner for
Shepherd Wellness Community’s Friday Night Dinners and during the season
teaches healthy cooking classes at Mildreds’ Daughters Urban Farm in Stanton
Heights.
For more information
(412) 329-8889
Lauren Goldstein
My interest in Holistic Health and Wellness
began in 2003, when I sought treatment for neck pain I had been living
with for several years. When I was questioned about my eating habits,
stress level and breathing (yes, breathing), I wondered what affects
these things could possibly have on neck pain! I soon realized that
they were playing a huge role in my state of health (or lack thereof) -
and that was only the beginning.
As humans, we are
inherently multi-dimensional beings. When there is dis-ease in our
physical body, the road back to health is not a linear path. Rather, we
must tackle our health and well-being from a multi-dimensional
approach. It wasn’t until I pursued physical, mental/emotional and
spiritual guidance that my pain, as well as other health issues began to
subside.
Soon, I saw tremendous
benefits from ditching my poor eating habits, and starting a regular
yoga and meditation practice - as well as embarking on a journey of
self-exploration and emotional healing. In just a few years, I was
pain-free, had more energy, clarity, peace and joy in my life. I knew
that I wanted to share what I was learning with others, so that they too
could feel as good as I was.
My career in the Holistic
Health and Wellness field began in South Florida in 2005, after
completing an intense yearlong yoga teacher training (in the style of Integral Yoga)
with Gary
Gopal Bello. During the course of my studies, I also became
certified in Essence Therapy, a body-centered therapeutic method that
assists individuals in creating physical and mental balance based on
their unique body type. (Derived from Wilhelm Reich’s system of body
typing).
After several years of
guiding individuals in Hatha
yoga and Essence Therapy, I
was ultimately fascinated by the role that food played in my overall
state of health and happiness. It was then that my context of working
with others began to evolve.
Years of self-study,
workshops, classes and personal experience have led me to pursue this
passion and become a Wellness Coach. The connection between what we
eat, our lifestyle choices and how we feel was the missing link in my
work with individuals seeking a better quality of life.
