Email a friendBreathing Space
When Katrina Repka moved to New York, she was eager to shed her past and begin a new life, but she soon discovered that her old problems had followed her to the big city, and that instead of finding herself, she was more lost than ever. It was when she was almost ready to give up on everything that she read a magazine article on Master Yogi Alan Finger and knew that she had to meet him. It was a meeting that would change her life.
Over the next twelve months, with Alan’s help, Katrina tackled and overcame many of the obstacles holding her back. Dealing with issues that every woman will relate to—criticism, emptiness, balance, family, and creativity (among others)—the twelve chapters in Breathing Space follow Katrina’s ups and downs in New York. At the end of each chapter there is a simple but effective breathing exercise that will help readers eliminate harmful behavior patterns and speed their own process of personal transformation. Breathing Space is an inspiring and instructive book that offers every woman the chance to follow the author’s path and become the person she truly wants and deserves to be.
When Katrina Repka moved to
Breath Focus 1: Discovery
Time: 10–15 minutes
Props (optional): bolster, pillow, or eye pad
1. Find a quiet place, free from distraction.
2. Lie down on your back. If your lower back feels sensitive, bend your knees (you can place them over a bolster or pillow, if you have one handy).
3. Close your eyes and, if you like, place an eye pad over them.
4. Start to breathe in and out through your nose, becoming aware of your breath. Without judging it in any way, notice how the breath moves in your body. Where does it begin and end? Is it fast or slow? What pattern does it make as it enters and leaves?
5. Notice the composition of your breath. Is it smooth and even?
Short and choppy? Deep or shallow? Hard or soft? When you inhale, does your torso expand or contract? What happens when you exhale?6. If you become aware at any point that your mind has wandered, gently draw your attention back to the breath.
7. Now place one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Bring your awareness to your chest. Do you feel your breath ex-panding both your chest and upper back as you breathe in? Do your ribs also flare out to the sides? Are there any areas where your breath is unable to move freely?
8. Bring your awareness to your belly. As you breathe in, do you feel the front of your belly lifting? Do you feel the breath causing movement in your lower back? What about your pelvic floor: can you feel it moving with your breath?
9. Are there any other descriptions of your breath that come to mind? Feel free to be creative.
10. Take a few minutes to continue your exploration, then slowly and gently roll to one side and come back up to a seated position.
(Almost all breathing techniques in yoga are done through the nose. If you are stuffed up, you can do this exercise with your mouth slightly open.)
Excerpted from Breathing Space by Katrina Repka. © 2009 Katrina Repka. All rights reserved. Published by Voice, an imprint of Hyperion. Available wherever books are sold.
“[Breathing Space] reveals the advantages of breath work in ameliorating stress, resolving problems and increasing well-being. The universality of [Repka’s] need to find focus and balance, as well as the time-honored application of the breathing remedy, make this book an illuminating endeavor. The pairing of day-to-day problems with a distinctive antidote is anything but pedestrian. A quick read, the book conjures a powerful portrait of the mentor-pupil dynamic.”
—Publishers Weekly
