Can Breathwork Really Reduce Stress? A Book Review of Breathing Space: Twelve Lessons for the Modern Woman by Katrina Repka and Alan Finger

Breathing Space: Twelve Lessons for the Modern Woman by Katrina Repka and Alan Finger
Book Review: A

Yogis, relaxation experts and Buddhists all extol the virtues of breath for stress relief and claim breath work unlocks health-compromising stress patterns. I've never been able to experience the power of breath, as they say. I take a few breaths and then do feel calmer, sometimes even more centered but to make a daily habit of breathing deeply never appealed to me. Quite frequently, I forget to take the time to breathe deeply.

The 2009 book, "Breathing Space: Twelve Lessons for the Modern Woman" by yoga teacher Katrina Repka and yogi master Alan Finger finally opened my eyes (and my lungs) to the potential of breathing techniques.

Repka is an early thirty-something woman who leaves her marketing career and hometown of Calgary in Canada to test her merits in New York City. Her friends and family, baffled by her decision, wondered, "How can she uproot herself like that at the time when she should be settling down and starting a family? How could she give up a good job, promising romantic prospects, and more importantly, us?" Though her motivations were not understood by her family, Repka had been drawn to New York City since childhood. One day, with all her courage and little support, she set off for the big city.

"My life in Manhattan was supposed to be the complete opposite of my life in Calgary, Alberta. I would be thinner, smarter, happier, hipper. My work would be glamorous, my days and nights filled with excitement and fascinating new friends. I wasn't going to settle for the comfortable routine that had threatened to stifle me in my old hometown." *

Once she settled in New York and adjusted to the pace and attractions she discovered that she brought her old Calgary self all the way to New York. Her new, glamorous New York self wasn't as easy to keep on, no matter how many Prada shoes she purchased. Old insecurities and reservations bombarded her, screeching more loudly than the big city's noise. Her old self doubt and restlessness was getting in the way. She wrestled with old questions about who she really was and what she wanted her life to be like. The answers, just as they did in Calgary, evaded her.

Her frustration continued until she met yogi master Alan Finger. Finger ran a yoga studio in NYC. The studio had many yoga classes and Finger also offered private breathing consultations, that in Repka's case, closely resembled psycho-therapy sessions.

The book, Breathing Space, is broken into chapters that focus on different areas of self growth so the reader can quickly go to a chapter of relevance for themselves. Some of the titles are:

Focus: The power of breath to help you see yourself clearly;
Criticism: The power of breath to erased self-destructive tendencies;
Faith: The power of breath to overcome hesitation and connect with your truth.

As a woman in my thirties, I found Repka's journey especially relevant to my own journey and quest for a fulfilling life. Repka is self effacing and willing to share embarrassing moments and mistakes with her readers but don't be put off by her age. Her explorations, struggles, and victories are common among all women struggling with their identity and for those demanding an enriched life.

* Breathing Space: Twelve Lessons for the Modern Woman by Katrina Repka and Alan Finger
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When was the last time you smiled and laughed while working out? Try a class for free at Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio. Visit www.NiaFitnessClasses.com or call 303-522-4740 to request your coupon for a free Nia class. Nia fitness classes combine yoga and deep breathing into each exercise routine.

How Does Yoga & Nia Help a Golf Swing, a Backhand in Tennis, or even Picking Items up off the Floor?

No one can deny the thorough stretch yoga provides your body.

As you bend and hold a pose, and breathe deeply; you can feel an elongation of the muscles. Depending on the tightness of your body, you may even feel the soothing rush of stress leaving your body.

Nia, also a healing physical art, takes the best of yoga – the deep stretches, long slow breaths, and meditative mind states and then Nia builds on them.

In Nia (pronounced "knee-ah"), yoga is a foundation. It is a beginning, a way to open and awaken your body but a Nia teacher wants you to do more than elongate your muscles.

A Nia teacher wants you to experience a full range of motion – to be able to safely turn and hold your spine in side movements.

Nia strives to create stability in your body no matter how you move. Strength training (this time without the weights) as you move your body in an arc, can not only help your backhand in tennis but also your golf swing.

Our bodies need to experience a full range of motion, not just the elongation yoga provides.

The creators of Nia recognized this need so they added the influence of 19th century dancer, Isadora Duncan, and some circular movements from the Japanese martial art of aikido to the Nia moves.

The result is that your body is not only strong and limber in your central midline – along your spine – but it is also strong and stable when you reach off to the side to pick something up – whether it is your shoes or a grandchild.

The wonderful benefit of a fusion fitness routine like Nia, is that like fusion food, you can take the best elements of many things, combine them, and create something even more powerful and flavorful. Nia takes the best principles of yoga, adds Duncan dance, aikido, and several other disciplines, to create a unique, free-flowing fitness routine.

Now you can experience Nia and see if it makes your body feel good again. Your first class is free. Get your coupon for a FREE Nia class by CLICKING HERE. There are no obligations – just come, try it, and see if you have fun.

Castle Rock Nia Fitness Studio - Classes begin March 31, 2009
303.522.4740
http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/

Nia classes now in Castle Rock. Serving the south Denver metro area.

Finally! Nia Classes Begin March 31st: Serving Castle Pines South, North, Castle Rock, and Larkspur

After establishing a strong-hold in recreation centers and yoga studios in Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs, Nia has finally arrived in Castle Rock.

Classes Begin March 31st

NIA - pronounced "knee-ah" is a fun mind/body exercise program set to uplifting music.

NIA is a low impact / high fun group exercise class.

NIA combines the stretching and stress relief found in yoga,
the power and focus of martial arts,
and the fun and freedom of dance.

Thousands of people use Nia classes to keep in shape all year long.
Visit http://www.niafitnessclasses.com/ for more details and for the schedule.

Nia – It's just too fun to call "fitness."

We share a 2,500 square foot facility with Castle Rock AIKIDO and are conveniently located just off I-25 and the downtown Castle Rock exit (Exit 182).

Would you like to try a class for free?
Do you have any questions? Please don't hesitate to contact us. Send us an email.

Or call at 303.522.4740

Nia classes in Castle Rock. Serving the south Denver metro area.

Suburban Women "Bust-a-Move"

It happens slowly, little by little.

The demands of a full-time career leave little time for fun (unless you are one of the lucky few that has fun in your full time career).

Coordinating your schedule to go out with friends becomes an act of full-force creativity and ingenuity.

Add to that a romantic relationship; throw kids into the mix. Move into the suburbs to have a nice, safe neighborhood for your family and suddenly you find yourself commuting to work.

Little by little, we find that the spare time we had fades away. But we aren't just losing time. We are losing ourselves. We find that we laugh a little less often. Many of us have desk jobs that root us to chairs and discourage us to move our bodies. After a while, we notice we aren't as limber as we once were. An ache may settle in and decide to stay. Perhaps our lives seem more about "doing" and less about "being."

I am a suburban woman. I don't have the kids to worry about, but I find that my life now is very different from what it used to be. I find myself being more serious than is really necessary. But then I stumbled upon a remedy.

A few weeks ago, I took my first Nia dance fitness class. I was surprised I went. I haven't been dancing for years but this class was less about sassy steps and more about simply moving my body. I felt my body thanking me for each movement as I moved my spine to the left then the right. I found muscles that I thought had long closed down. My lack of coordination didn't seem to matter because the teacher encouraged us to each listen to our bodies and move in a way that was most natural to each of us.

One of my greatest challenges is not the cardio portions or even the few dance steps. My challenge is taking up space. In some of the Nia moves we travel around the room, moving into a different space. We are encouraged to use our arms to extend and take up more space. I've always been tall and I've frequently felt awkward about that. Taking up space was not something I liked to do. I tended to hold and keep myself in a tight little (as little as I can be) sphere. Nia is becoming for me, a real personal development exercise. My muscles aren't the only ones getting a workout. My brain and my psyche are involved too.

The founders of Nia took the best parts of many exercises and disciplines and combined them into a series of workouts that really makes sense to your body when you are practicing Nia.

They use isolating stretches of yoga and Feldenkrais Method to gently awaken the joints and elongate the muscles. They blended the focused, fluid movements from Tai Chi and Aikido into circular movements that calm and expand the mind. Then they combined the energy of Taekwondo and modern dance to get our bodies moving.

The result leaves a smile on the faces of everyone in class. I am not kidding when I say that. In fact, we will soon start Nia classes in Castle Rock. I will offer a money back guarantee to anyone who tries a class. If they take the class and do not smile or laugh in class, then I will give them their money back.

A Nia class is a safe environment because the motto is "Have fun!" The women in the classes tend to form genuine friendships and quickly introduce themselves to newcomers. I have found this to be the case in every Nia class I've taken throughout the Denver metro and Colorado Springs area. There are some very fit women in the classes but the majority of women are re-entering the exercise world.

For me, as a suburban woman who has left the land of night clubs and frequent "girls nights out," I find Nia just the kind of activity that keeps me feeling happy, calm, and energized. I am committed to bringing Nia to Castle Rock. We will hold classes in our Aikido studio, Castle Rock AIKIDO, which is centrally located in town and is just off the highway at the Wolfensberger/Downtown exit.

Free Nia Class
I am going to put together a Nia class in Castle Rock so that Castle Rock residents can try the class and we'll see if that is the kind of fitness program that will do well in Castle Rock.

Email me at niacastlerock@gmail.com to let me know you are interested and I will send you an email when the Nia class is set up. I hope the class will be in late February or early March.

A Nia class lasts an hour and there are plenty of breaks to have a drink of water in between. My cardio fitness is low so I was nervous about trying an "aerobic class," but the instructor assured me that the class is appropriate for beginners and advanced Nia students because you work out at your own pace. She was right.

The classes I've attended had some women in their 30s, many in their 40s and 50s, and a couple in their 60s, and one or two lovely 70 year olds (seriously).

Click here to watch the Nia video to see if it is something you might like and I'll do my best to offer Nia classes in Castle Rock. Email me at niacastlerock@gmail.com and I'll put you on the email notification list when the Nia class is available.


Nia classes in Castle Rock. Serving the south Denver metro area.