THE SCIENCE OF PRANAYAMA Swami Sivananda

by Sivananda Saraswati

Pranayama is an important Anga in Ashtanga Yoga.It is equally necessary for all in their daily life,for good health, success and prosperity in every walk of life.How it is so,is explained in the book. The science of relaxation is a very valuable gift for the readers and would benefit all. The book has photographs of the various pranayama postures.

Genres: Meditation, Health, Spirituality, Hinduism, Self Help, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published December 1, 2006

About the author

Swami Sivananda Saraswati (September 8, 1887—July 14, 1963) was a Hindu spiritual teacher and a well known proponent of Sivananda Yoga and Vedanta. Sivananda was born Kuppuswami in Pattamadai, in the Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. He studied medicine and served in Malaya as a physician for several years before taking up monasticism. He lived most of the later part of his life near Muni Ki Reti, Rishikesh.

He is the founder of The Divine Life Society (1936), Yoga-Vedanta Forest Academy (1948) and author of over 200 books on yoga, vedanta and a variety of other subjects. He established Sivananda Ashram, the location of the headquarters of The Divine Life Society (DLS), on the bank of the Ganges at Shivanandanagar, at a distance of 3 kilometres from Rishikesh.

Sivananda Yoga, the yoga form propagated by him, are now spread in many parts of the world through Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres, but these centres are not affiliated with Swami Sivananda's original ashrams which are run by the Divine Life Society.

Reviews

[Suba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swami Sivananda is one of my principle yoga teachers. His writing style, clarity, practicalness, simplicity, insight, honesty, and a hundred other blessings all add up to essential reading.

One thing I appreciate about this text are the many metaphors, visualizations, and associative connections between prana, pranayama, and life. Even though many of the associations are outdated, because of their simplicity they still serve as aids in helping the practitioner understanding the different concepts, ideas, aspects, energies, and practices of pranayama.

Science of Pranayama lays out a simple but effective system of pranayama. What needs to be said is said.

While most of what Swami Sivananda offers can be found in other books, there are two things in particular that distinguishes his work from others: he offers a large number of quotes from classical scriptures on the techniques, benefits, and experiences of pranayama, and second, the simplicity of his approach makes pranayama more accessible to the lay practitioner.

Even though this is not a must have text on pranayama, if you have the money, it is highly suggested you buy it as it does offer a simple, but thorough understanding of the scope of pranayama while giving countless helpful suggestions from one of the most accomplished yogis of modern times.

[Yazdanpanah Askari · Rating 1 out of 5]

پراتی هارا (Pratyahara)، قطع آگاهی ار اعضای حسی و جوارحِ بدن
دم گستری در يوگا ( پراناياما) ، سوامی شيواناندا، برگردان فرهاد خالصی مقدم- تهران : ميترا ،1380 - ص 55
***
عدم بی قراری مشخصة ظاهری پاکیِ نادی ها می باشد. - ص 48

[Harsh Dutta · Rating 5 out of 5]

all that you would ever want to know about Pranayama and its vacations. I bet you will be motivated to take up the practice after this gem from Sivananda ji.

[rishi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Targetted for intermediate yogis

It certainly contains a lot of information about breathing exercises. The use of too many technical word may cause frustration to beginner yogis. My advice is too use glossary at the end of the book to know the English meaning of the technical words. It was a nice read.

[Akhila Pai Dhamotharan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a book for beginners, even though it claims to be. It is very concise & does not explain concepts in detail.

It was written way long ago(1st edition in 1935), so you can see the timeline show in terms of language, analogy etc.

“Light on Pranayama” by BKS Iyengar is a much better book to get started as there are so many details to learn about Pranayama. “Prana & Pranayama” by Swami Niranjanananda is also a great book that helps you understand concepts much more easily than this book.

I believe both these books can be timeless reference books as you start with & persist with the Pranayama practice. The 1st book also has a 200 week plan to develop your practice.

[Amit Tapas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book definitely made me excited to start doing consistent pranayama. The book contains techniques, the do's and don'ts of various pranayama techniques and also focusses on diet, sleep and other daily aspects of life.

Although I did not understand some parts, I will come back to this book later when I become a little proficient in the techniques.

[Anurag Tripathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guide on meditation, pranayama and relaed practices.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short but FILLED with information, this classic, old-school book by yoga master Sivananda is a must read for anyone who is interested in the powers of breath. It may be a little hard to find this at your local Barnes & Noble book store but the rewards of reading this are well worth the hunt.

[Sushmitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

what's a Pranayama ~ how it's done~ uses~ cures ~ health benefits.

[Alphonse Devasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Simple book for those whose wants to practice Pranayama.