Product Description

Describes the anatomy and physiology of breathing, as well as the subtle yogic science of prana.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #181299 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 119 pages

Norman Weinstein, Yoga Journal
"... this text is absolutely the most lucid examination of the interface between Western medicine and yoga I have discovered... rarely in available literature have the physiological facts been presented in such accessible form... "

From the Publisher
Kessinger Publishing reprints over 1,500 similar titles all available through Amazon.com.

About the Author
Swami Rama founded the Himalayan International Institute of Yoga Science and Philosophy, the Himalayan Insititute Hospital Trust in India, and many centers throughout the world. A student of both Himalayan cave monasteries and European universities, he founded the Himalayan Institute to create a bridge between the ancient teachings of the East and modern scientific approaches of the West.

Rudolph Ballentine, M.D., is a respected leader in the field of alternative and complementary medicine. A physician and psychiatrist, he studied medicine in the U.S., psychology in the U.S. and France, and both Ayurveda and homeopathy in India.

Customer Reviews

sue me, i'm weird
This book is a blend of western science and ideas and practices from yoga, but mostly science. I was able to learn about the science that might justify practices like "alternate nostril breathing." I learned about how flow through each nostril varies depending on time of day, mood and brain activity.

I became so fascinated I went on to use the neti pot (for cleaning nasal passages). Then I learned how to pass a sterilized string from one nostril, to the back of the throat, and then out the other nostril (for cleaning). The book mentions such things.

I suppose I obsessed on this because I realized through reading this book that one nasal passage always seemed blocked. And indeed, after visiting a doctor, it turns out I have one nostril significantly blocked by a polyp.

But this is probably an example of how these books can get you in trouble, or waste your time. The book helped me learn and discover something important about myself, but I might have caused myself some damage. I probably should have consulted a doctor much earlier in the process.

But still, a good book.

Breath
I am in a Yoga-Teacher-Training-Course, this book, Science of Breath, was recommended by a friend. It teaches lots of good stuff about the breath and I am glad I read it, however, it was written in the early 1900s and there are some prejudices in there about human beings and that disappointed me somewhat. Hopefully a reader can focus on what the book is actually trying to teach, rather than get hung up on what science did not know in the early 1900s.

Review by former physiology Teaching Fellow and yoga practioner
This is an excellent beginning book on breathing for anyone who is interested in yoga. It covers the importance of breathing, basic respiratory physiology and the relationship between science and yoga.

The authors of this book are credible and have excellent professional credentials and established practices. They are associated with the Himalayan Institute in Honesdale, PA that has a long standing commitment to getting science, modern psychology and yoga together. Many of their publications are excellent and certainly this one is as well.

I think any yoga practioner at any level will benefit from this book and even very experienced people will learn a lot. As the title suggests, this book focuses on the practical aspects of breathing and provides a good foundation or launching point for moving on to pranayama practice. However, the value add is the tie in to modern science.

As part of my living, I do workshops on such topics as meditation, pranayama and biofeedback, loving-kindness practices and other topics that integrate East and West. Before becoming involved in psychology and spirituality, I was both a research scientist and Teaching Fellow in Physiology. While I am not an expert at respiratory physiology or a top pranayama practioner, I have an established yoga practice and enough expertise to judge the merit of this book.

If you are serious about the breath and especially about pranayama, I would pick up "Light on Pranayama" by B.K.S. Iyengar. This book is very comprehensive and covers the physiology of the various breathing practices in great depth. If you are looking at breating for relaxation, you may also want to consider some of the meditation resources listed on my listmania lists. I also have a yoga resource list that might be helpful for those interested in pranayama. Another book in the pranayama vein that is quite popular is "The Yoga of Breath" by Richard Rosen.

In summary, this is a good book on the basics of breathing as a foundation for a yoga practice. It provides the basic concepts required to move on to more advanced breathing techniques such as pranayama.