It is common knowledge that pranayama is about breathing exercises. Right? Wrong! Radhika Shah Grouven divulges some of the secret practices of the mysterious Oral Tradition to challenge this popular belief. Breathing exercises are not pranayama; they prepare you for pranayama. Prana is the life force and pranayama is done with the mind. Pranayama begins where the breath ends. With pranayama you can harness the unlimited potentials of the mind and become a balanced and creative individual.In this book you will learn: Why most of us do not breathe correctlyHow to unlearn faulty breathing patternsWhy the science of sitting is so importantHow to get conscious control over the breathHow to train the laser-like power of the one-pointed mindHow to plunge into the vibrant silence of the breathless state, rest in profound, reasonless joy and truly enjoy lifeMastering Pranayama takes you step by step over a period of 7-8 months to advanced pranayama practices such as Sushumna Kriya, Sandhya Kriya, Kumbhaka and Yoga Nidra that lead to kundalini awakening. The practices are explained in detail with the help of over 80 illustrations and tables.The answers to some commonly posed questions at the end of each chapter foresee the difficulties of most practitioners. The tips and experiments throughout the book are fun as well as insightful. An authoritative book on the subject, Mastering Pranayama is a classic you will return to again and again: the ultimate guide for novices as well as trained teachers

Mastering Yoga collects the essence of time-tested and proven ancient Indian texts like the Patanjali Yog Pradeep, Hatha Yoga Pradeep, Gherand Samhita, Vashisht Samhita, etc., comprehensively. In addition, it has copious details on a wide range of related topics such as Ashtanga Yoga; Yogasanas; Pranayama; Mudras; Hastamudras; Bandhas; unique energy-creating Yoga postures and practices; meditation; Shatkarma; Kundalini Yoga; Nabhi Chikitsa (Navel Therapy); Surya and Chandra Namaskars; Hasya Yoga (Laughter Therapy), and much more. This multi-faceted book elaborates on the art of living a fulfilling life through the sustained practice of Yoga; the mutually symbiotic relationship between Yoga and Ayurveda; the positive effects of Yoga on mental health, including stress management; the importance of a proper diet; yogic postures and diets that are suitable for, and also those that are prohibited for particular ailments and medical conditions and useful advice on achieving overall holistic health. Along with explaining the scientific basis of yogic practices, Mastering Yoga is a complete canon of the discipline of Yoga and its healing and curative powers, aimed at providing you with long-lasting physical, mental and spiritual well-being and good health.

Contains a unique exercise program geared specifically toward your health needs. Filled with photos that demonstrate different breathing and sitting positions.

In an ever-evolving world, achieving success can feel like an uphill battle, both personally and professionally. In this groundbreaking book, readers delve deep into the fundamental "HOW" of winning and succeeding in this new era. Covering pivotal questions, this Book guides readers through a transformative journey. From unlocking life traps to constructing a sturdy foundation for success, it addresses the intricate balance of physical, mental, and energetic aspects that often hinder progress. Cultivating a healthy and wholesome life, encompassing physical, mental, and energetic dimensions, becomes tangible as this Book shares insights on mastering every life stage and shaping prosperous relationships, whether personal or professional. From mastering parenting and relationships to refining essential management and leadership skills, this Book provides a comprehensive guide for navigating life's diverse stages with grace and resilience. Ultimately, its narrative extends beyond conventional boundaries, inviting readers to confront the taboo of death and embrace life's journey fully. It navigates the path towards clarity, purpose, and unwavering inspiration, facilitating a focused journey towards fulfillment. Drawing wisdom from great leaders and integrating principles from Yoga, Ayurveda, Modern Science, and Psychology, this Book serves as encouragement for those earnestly seeking tangible change. Readers are equipped with practical tools, solutions, and a systematic methodology for real-life application—a transformative companion for total transformation. The book's structure is meticulously designed, progressing from laying the groundwork for success to mastering life's growth, culminating in the transcendence of self-imposed limitations. Readers learn to unlock their full potential, explore boundless possibilities, and maintain a healthy, vibrant life across all dimensions—physically, mentally, and energetically. This Book isn't merely about achieving success—it's about mastering it in every facet of existence. Join the journey towards self-realization and unlock the profound depths of human potential.

Yoga is so prevalent in the modern world--practiced by pop stars, taught in schools, and offered in yoga centers, health clubs, and even shopping malls--that we take its presence, and its meaning, for granted. But how did the current yoga boom happen? And is it really rooted in ancient Indian practices, as many of its adherents claim? In this groundbreaking book, Mark Singleton calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga (asana) and suggests a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by millions of people across the world today. Singleton shows that, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence in the Indian tradition for the kind of health and fitness-oriented asana practice that dominates the global yoga scene of the twenty-first century. Singleton's surprising--and surely controversial--thesis is that yoga as it is popularly practiced today owes a greater debt to modern Indian nationalism and, even more surprisingly, to the spiritual aspirations of European bodybuilding and early 20th-century women's gymnastic movements of Europe and America, than it does to any ancient Indian yoga tradition. This discovery enables Singleton to explain, as no one has done before, how the most prevalent forms of postural yoga, like Ashtanga, Bikram and "Hatha" yoga, came to be the hugely popular phenomena they are today. Drawing on a wealth of rare documents from archives in India, the UK and the USA, as well as interviews with the few remaining, now very elderly figures in the 1930s Mysore asana revival, Yoga Body turns the conventional wisdom about yoga on its head.

"Yoga to Master the Mind" is a quintessential preliminary guide to the Philosophy of Yoga, an ideal handbook for Yoga teacher trainees and instructors, Yoga enthusiasts and practitioners. Delve into the basics of Yoga philosophy, a sophisticated psychological analysis of the human mind - through the lens of Vedānta. Explore Patañjali's Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gitā, basics of Sanskrit, Mantra, Vedānta terms - Māyā, Kosha, Guṇa, Symbolism, and Pronunciations."Yoga is not about bending the body; Yoga is about straightening the mind."In this book learn about:*Real purpose of Yoga beyond physical health and wellness*"Mind" according to the wisdom of Yoga*How to deal with the incessant flow of involuntary thoughts*How to systematically analyze and transform the mind to competently manage stresses of everyday life by acquiring a resilient and mature mind*Techniques to apply spiritual teachings to discipline and master the mind for realizing the truth of one's own self as the source of limitless peace.This book explains the key concepts of Yoga on mastering the mind, and guides in understanding the wisdom of Yoga and its application in modern day life.

Stressed? Take a deep breath! But what is the science behind the connection between breathing and stress? How can regulated breathing help you prevent Alzheimer’s disease or cancer? In this seminal work, Sundar Balasubramanian has documented the scientific basis of yoga breathing techniques from an ancient literature called Thirumanthiram. He describes the importance of salivary biochemicals for a long healthy life.

Sundar Balasubramanian shows us that this ancient yoga practice is about more than relaxing-it can change us at the cellular level. -Discover Magazine Top of the 18 most groundbreaking recent discoveries on yoga's healing powers. -Yoga Journal Mind Your Breathing: The Yogi's Handbook with 37 Pranayama Exercises is from the award-winning author Sundar Balasubramanian In this work, Sundar compiles popular Pranayama techniques, their ingeniously modified variations, and some brand new exercises stemming from the ancient Siddha wisdom. This book, which captures the essence of the wisdom of centuries along with the innovations resulting from the author's ongoing research into the subject, is the best gift to your Yogi friend.

Meditation exercises for listening to the four levels of sound, to still the body, quiet the mind, open the heart, and connect with the Divine • Details the teachings on nada yoga from the Hatha Yoga Pradipika with clear, step-by-step instructions to find and hear the inner sacred sound of nada • Explains the 4 levels of sound through a series of practical meditation exercises • Includes instructions for a daily nada yoga meditation practice as well as ways to strengthen your advanced practice The ancient practice of nada yoga is not complex. It is the yoga of listening. It is a journey from the noise of the external world inward to a place of peace and bliss, to the source of the transformational power of sound--the nada. By meditating on the inner sacred sound of the nada, we can release ourselves from mind chatter and obsessive thinking. We can still the body, quiet the mind, and open the heart to create a state of mind where joy naturally arises. Sharing his experiential understanding of the classic Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Baird Hersey offers precise, step-by-step instructions on how to find the inner sound of the nada. He explains the first three levels of sound--first, how to truly hear the ordinary sounds of the world around us (vaikhari); second, how to quiet the sounds of the mind (madhyama), such as sound memories and internal dialogue; and third, how to access visual sounds (pashyanti), tapping in to our ability to see sounds and hear colors. Mastering the first three levels prepares one for the fourth level of sound (para), the heart of the practice that connects one to the inner sound of the nada. The author provides detailed exercises to guide you through each level of sound and instructions for a daily nada yoga meditation practice. Hersey explains that by focusing our minds on this internal sound we reunite our essential self with the eternal and infinite. In this re-union we find bliss in both body and mind, an uplifted spirit, and heightened states of consciousness.

World renowned yoga instructor Doug Swenson introduces Sadhana Yoga, which connects traditional yoga postures with flowing movements to enhance the experience-an experience that will help yoga students relax and build their strength. Utilizing movements similar to tai chi, Sadhana Yoga techniques connect the standard yoga postures-keeping the flow of positive energy circulating in an improved workout for fitness and relaxation. Now yoga students can achieve peace of mind and spirit while toning their bodies, with a revolutionary new approach that can be used with any type of practice.