Kateri Rhatigan

Foundations Program Graduate
C-IAYT Candidate
Yoga Therapist, Yoga Teacher
Location: Capital Region, New York
Website: www.higherplaceyoga.com

Since I enrolled in the Breathing Deeply Yoga Therapy Program, I have become grounded and embodied. I now have the tools to provide an environment for healing and self-discovery to take place. I healed parts of me that I never even knew needed to be revealed. This program has provided me with the foundation to be a social and emotional wellness advocate in the school district that I work within as well as run my own yoga therapy business. I am able to work with individuals with a wide range of challenges to help them heal themselves and come back into balance. Everything I need has been provided to me by these step-by-step, work-at-your-own-speed lessons. The support is always there for you. That is the best part of this program. You have support on your journey here and beyond finishing the program. It truly is a gift and an invaluable perk to choosing Breathing Deeply.

I had signed up for Breathing Deeply after I had been working as a yoga teacher in different capacities. I started to notice major shifts working with people one-on-one and that is when I sought out this program. It was tailor-fit for me and my needs as a working mom and wife to an active-duty commander in the Army. My plate was full. I started the program in the Spring of 2019 and found out I was pregnant with my second child shortly after signing up. But I didn’t let this deter me because I was originally on the long track to completing the program. As a mom and for financial reasons, I was originally planning on attending one retreat per year.

I attended my first residential module pretty soon after I joined the program and boy am I happy I did! Won Dharma is probably the closest place to heaven that I have experienced. (Who knew it was only 30 miles away from me? It was beyond my imagination, where I found my center.) I had no idea when I went to that first live retreat that I was about to experience one of the most devastating heartbreaks of my life and there have been many. It was a gift to me especially since I was about to endure a miscarriage and then the unthinkable, the pandemic. I am forever grateful for the connections I have made and the sangha that we have at breathing deeply.

Since I started the program, I have gone all-in. I have used the tools of breath and meditation to uncover layers of my own trauma and with these tools have been able to bring them to the surface, move through them, and finally release them. I have learned throughout the program ways to self-regulate and hold space for others to go through what they are going through and together, we heal.

The most valuable parts of the program have been the structure of the course, the constant support, and the dedication from Brandt and the rest of the Breathing Deeply team. This program has provided me with a tool kit of lifelong skills to carry me through all the ebbs and flows of what life promises to bring. It was completely all-encompassing and I couldn’t recommend it more.

I work with adults, teens, and children individually and in group settings. I am currently teaching yoga and bringing mindfulness, breath, and movement into the classrooms as an ambassador for another Breathing Deeply alum, her groundbreaking program Mindful Educational Services.

I have also worked with friends during the pandemic and by using the tools and community that we have created, we are all coming out of this so much stronger and ready to make positive changes. I have seen many shifts with the children I work with and I even had one boy tell me feels strength in his emotions.

I also work alongside mental health professionals in my area as well as with local veterans. I am here for service. My biggest mission is to provide our youth with the tools that I wish I had when I was a kid. I am most proud of the response that I am getting within the schools. It is revolutionary and I am indebted to Breathing Deeply for equipping and supporting me as I go out and do this work. Thank you. Om Shanti!!