Pranayama: The Energetics of Breath

by André Van Lysebeth

What is Prana? Prana is cosmic energy, the dynamism of life. According to yogis it is present in the air, in our food, in our water, in our sunlight. It has no chemical or physical form, but it is our true nourishment, for without prana there can be no life. Not only does this energy exist, but it can be stored in the nervous system and through yoga the current of prana can be directed at will.

The science of controlling prana is called pranayama (ayama – to curb or master). To interpret pranayama as ‘breathing exercises’ would be severely limiting the scope of the exercises and their true purpose. In this book André van Lysebeth describes the laws and techniques which are necessary for collecting, storing and conscious control of pranic energies within the body.

PRANAYAMA is an excellent practical handbook on the yoga of breathing. This art, or science, is little known in the West, but, with discipline anyone can use it to gain great energy and calm in situations of stress.

Genres: Spirituality, Health, Nonfiction, Meditation

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1971

About the author

André Van Lysebeth has practiced yoga since 1945 and is the founder of the Belgian Yoga Federation and co-founder of the European Yoga Foundation.

Reviews

[Adeline · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as part of my YTT programme and years later, it remains one of the top books to read and refer to (imo) for anyone interested in a proper yoga practice.

As a heads up the writing can be pretty academic, in particular for the first part of the book which discusses prana and Eastern / Western approaches to it (super interesting chapters btw). And by academic I don't mean that as a criticism - but basically if you're looking for a book that discusses new agey, woowoo 'commune with the universe' type of stuff, this one isn't it.

The rest of the book is devoted to highly detailed instructions for breathing exercises inc. breath retention, working with the bandhas, kundalini and awakening the chakras. It even includes suggestions of exercises routines and schedules. Basically it's excellent and mine is covered in post it notes. I do think it's useful to have some prior knowledge of chakras and bandhas, in particular, or else it's a heck of a lot to take in - or at least not something I'd recommend to beginners.

[Ametista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essenziale

Preziosissimo. Da leggere, rileggere, tenere sempre a portata di mano per essere consultato.

Pranayama è un libro essenziale.

[Fulvio Tai Chi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un eccellente manuale teorico-pratico sul Pranayama; oltre a presentare molteplici tecniche organizzate in un percorso accessibile anche ai neofiti dello Yoga, si occupa inoltre del lato più "scientifico" analizzando il sistema Pranayama come "Scienza metafisica".

[Guillaume Grgt · Rating 5 out of 5]

a classic must-read, to understand how breathing is the most important foundation for a good yoga practice.

[Denis Kolokol · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfect guide if you really want to understand and start practicing right away

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente libro sobre la ciencia del pranayama, de indispensable lectura para los practicantes de yoga.