Customer Reviews

The Yoga of Breath: A Step-by-Step Guide to Pranayama

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a good book that takes a slow approach to learning pranayama and integrating it with an asana practice. While I think there are better books out there such as Iyengar's "Light on Pranayama," many beginners may find this level of detail intimidating. However, this book takes things slow and that is a good thing for people experimenting on their own which is probably not the best way to learn pranayama.

I am a former Teaching Fellow in physiology and an ex-scientist. Currently, I work in psychology and part of my business involves the use of biofeedback. With that said, I want to point out that practicing breathing techniques without appropriate instruction can be dangerous at worst and could cause a variety of physical symptoms such as anxiety and panic. It wise to take things slowly and this book is written by someone who is responsible and has taught this material in a variety of settings over many years.

In general, I am an advocate of a slow and gentle approach to any type of yoga practice, but particularly breathing techniques. I also think that if you get this book, you should also consider "The Science of Breath" which provides a scientific framework for the ideas presented here and a more broad treatment by advanced practioners with psychological and more scientific backgrounds. I'm not saying this book doesn't have a lot of value, but I agree with the other reviewers that it's not a standalone text.

If you are only going to buy one book on pranayama, I would say that Iyengar's "Light on Pranayama" is the best. However, it is an area that is best studied from a variety of points of view and certainly Mr. Rosen has made an important contribution to the literature on this topic for Western audiences.

I have been a home practitioner of yoga for some time now, but I struggle with the breathing, or pranayama, necessary to go deeper into the asanas (postures), and so I was hoping that ths book would provide detailed breathing instruction. Although the author definitely does include step-by-step instruction for how to perform some of the most common types of yogic breath, this information does not come until the end of the book. Instead, the first part of the book focuses on growing accustomed to breathing normally while performing a series of basic yoga poses modified with props (as per the Iyengar tradition). The author offers a planned study guide which first incorporates the basic poses and then eventually works up to the breathing exercises.

This book doesn't really work for people like myself who originally came to yoga via asana practice alone but then eventually desired to incorporate pranayama into their practice. However, for the beginning yoga practitioner looking simultaneously develop an asana and pranayama practice, this might be a useful reference manual.

For me this book was the link between Yoga Asana and Pranayama techniques. Useful? Yes, absolutely! If like me you are looking to begin the process of learning Pranayama from a background of attending yoga classes and practising at home. This book helps you build upon the familiar yoga postures allowing you to be confident as you start explore the breath. Pranayama is the foundation of a balanced Yoga practice, this book is an easy to understand introduction to the basics of the practice. For people looking for advanced practices there are plenty of esoteric hard to read, hard to understand books available. For the rest of us this book will more than adequate for many years.

Just as Light on Yoga can be a bit daunting to the beginning yoga student, so Light on Pranayama can feel overwhelming to those trying to incorporate a home practice of pranayama. Having practiced Iyengar yoga for seven years but still finding it challenging to incorporate a regular home pranayama practice, I found Richard's book was exactly the roadmap I was looking for. If some find the introductory chapters unecessary, it is easy to skip them. I like having them there so that the book is accesible to as many students as possible - plus it is always interesting to see how each new teacher approaches the poses. And of course context is always helpful. However, the book is worth the price for the pranayama sections alone. Deliberate and thoughful instructions make it easy to follow. Also worth mentioning is that this book has recieved excellent reviews in every yoga publication on the newsstand - Yoga Journal, Yoga Internationa, Ascent, and numerous online publications. This book is a must for anyone interested in pranayama practice.

A wealth of information, but not geared toward beginners. I'll keep this book to refer to it later on, but I need something more user friendly to start. Building awareness of internal organs while breathing is covered extensively in this book. I'd like to have begun with general breathing and body scans before getting too focused and specific. As someone else commented; the book is organized somewhat backwards.

The reviewers below fail to recognize there are different schools of yoga - with the attendant different approaches to pranayama. In the Iyengar method - which Rosen employs - the approach is slow. You begin with ujjayi breath, start to incorporate breath retention, i.e., viloma, and well down the road (i.e., months/years) start to incorporate alternate nostril, bastrika, etc.

I began pranayama with an eclectic practice - pasted together from Integral Yoga, Sivanadana, various media (Shiva Rea, etc.), Kripalu.

I find the most fulfillment with the Iyengar method. Pranayama is slow and rewarding - gives me intimacy with myself. Rosen's book is intelligent and well constructed - a door opening to that path.

This book should be titled "A Step by Step Guide to Hatha Yoga" for those practice Pranayama.
The reader is given detailed "Hatha Yoga" postures that are excellent guides to Hatha Yoga - with the lightest sprinkling of Prayanama technique and practice.
If you are looking for an intensive "Pranayama" book - follow the writer's advise and avoid this book and follow his own suggestion of reading "Light on Pranayama - the Yogic Art of Breathing" by BKS Iyengar.
If your soul is yearning for the classic Prayanama as mentioned by sages and saints of yore - avoid this book like the "SARS" virus.
If you are looking for good technique and tips on Hatha Yoga - this is an EXCELLENT book.