Product Description

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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23382 in Books
• Published on: 2006-02-21
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .39" h x .39" w x .39" l, .44 pounds
• 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

Concise and easy to read
The author of this text, Yogi Ramacharaka, is a mysterious individual but there is nothing mysterious about this practical and elegantly simple guide to pranayama, the art of yogic breathing. The beauty of this work is its blend of Western and Eastern theory. Historically, the author is thought to be a Western man, an English lawyer to be more exact, that traveled to America and wrote yogic and mystic texts under the name of a yogi he had met and studied with. Some however feel that the name Yogi Ramacharaka corresponds with a yogi of the Middle Ages who utilized the body and mind of the aforementioned lawyer and channeled the information into him to be written for the benefit of the Western world. There is ample evidence for both theories in that at multiple instances in the text, the plural first person form "we" is used to denote authorship and the fact that there is a growing number of yogis who feel that the great Yogi Ramacharaka has attempted or has successfully channeled information and teachings into them. After reading this compact staple of breathing manuals, you'll wish you could channel the mind of Yogi Ramacharaka too. The Western medical student will learn just as much as the die hard student of Eastern internal arts. The exercises outlined within the pages are potent; any athlete can benefit from them as well as anyone suffering from maladies of the upper respiratory system. Personally, I used to suffer from chronic upper respiratory problems such as sinusitus and bronchitis. After being introduced to yoga and pranayama with my understanding peaking since the completion of the studies of Yogi Ramacharaka's books, my condition has considerably lessened and my overall physical and mental vigor has doubled. Buy this book immediately. You will not be disappointed.

one of the best. . .
. . .if not THE best, about certain so-called yoga issues, made useful for even the most skeptical of westerners.

I can't speak for this edition, but assuming it still has the basic contents of the older small hardcover edition, whatever additions it may have, it would still be incredibly useful.

It is also incredibly pleasant to read. I used to own a copy, benefitted from it, for some reason got rid of it, and then repurchased one a few weeks ago. Last night I turned to it, started reading it, and was reminded what an excellent and useful little volume it was. I practised some of the exercises, and my enthusiasm for these techniques was renewed. I read myself to sleep on it. In short, I love this little book, and wish everyone would own a copy, study, and practice it.

I first came to Ramacharaka's Breath book, as a recommendation from an Israel Regardie book. Regardie was a chiropractic who used rhythmic breathing, and relaxation techniques with his patients. Much of Regardie's writing is replete with useful info. on that score ( see his 'The Art of True Healing,'for example.) Many of Regardie's useful books are out of print, however, making Ramacharaka and Co's. 'Science of Breath' book even more essential.

...but don't stop there ...

In addition to 'Science of Breath,' might I recommend that the curious reader, looking to enrich and bolster his/her health, check out an excellent, if more recent, book by Thomas Cleary: 'Taoist Meditation.' Truly, you do NOT have to be a Taoist to benefit healthwise from this book ( check reviews.) Michael Saso's 'The Gold Pavilion' is also a book I wouldn't want to be without, and depicts what is probably the safest of all the oriental alchemy techniques I have found yet in the literature. Both these books supplement Ramacharaka perfectly, in my opinion.

From there, you can turn to Rama Prasad's 'Nature's Finer Forces,' considered a 'must-have' by Regardie, and called "the best book on breathing" by its current publisher.

...but see my recent review (note dates) for Carl Simonton, MDs' 'Getting Well Again,' a volume also not to be ignored by those health-seekers and preservers (prevention being a big part of the health game.) In my review, I list about a dozen useful books, along with Ramacharaka's, that belong on anyone's health bookshelf.

Generally, what you want, is a wide variety of perspectives on health issues.

Of course, the caveat applies in all these matters: never should any of these techniques be used as a substitute for regular professional care by a certified, reputable physician. Books like Ramacharaka's, it bears repeating for some, are supplements, not substitutes.

(Note: Ramacharaka's book is not difficult, and in spite of its Eastern perspective, is not in the same league as the more dangerous oriental alchemy techniques discussed in some books, such as those of Eva Wong, valuable as they are. The two phenomena ought not to be confused, by and large. In short, oriental alchemy is generally for the few, while Ramacharaka's book with exercises is useful for just about anybody.)

pretty good
This book doesn't add any technique that other pranayama books don't have. It does have some new information about the science of how the breath works. I really liked the part about active nostrils, and how to change your dominant nostril. If you are interested in this then maybe take a look at holotropic breathwork for the rest of the story of what different breathing does to your brain.