Breathing Space: Twelve Lessons for the Modern Woman, (Paperback)

Publishers Weekly,This book by the coauthors of Chakra Yoga follows yoga veteran Repka through an anxious first year in New York, her disappointment with intimidating yoga classes--bastions of chic slimness--and her serendipitous meeting with "Supreme Yogi" Alan Finger. She is inspired by the yogi's tantric knowledge, and Finger recognizes Repka's skill and passion. He makes her his assistant, and the two embark on private sessions in which Finger reveals the advantages of breath work in ameliorating stress, resolving problems and increasing well-being. The breathing exercises at the end of each chapter increase in difficulty, and the authors suggest audio-taping each assignment (rather than trying to follow them in written form) for ease of completion. While Repka's happy ending might feel suspiciously neat, the universality of her 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. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved,Publishers Weekly,Publishers Weekly,This book by the coauthors of Chakra Yoga follows yoga veteran Repka through an anxious first year in New York, her disappointment with intimidating yoga classes--bastions of chic slimness--and her serendipitous meeting with "Supreme Yogi" Alan Finger. She is inspired by the yogi's tantric knowledge, and Finger recognizes Repka's skill and passion. He makes her his assistant, and the two embark on private sessions in which Finger reveals the advantages of breath work in ameliorating stress, resolving problems and increasing well-being. The breathing exercises at the end of each chapter increase in difficulty, and the authors suggest audio-taping each assignment (rather than trying to follow them in written form) for ease of completion. While Repka's happy ending might feel suspiciously neat, the universality of her 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. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved