Breathing

0,00 

Health

Spirituality

Sports and Martial Arts

Mark Stephens

Inner Traditions

Language of origin

Publication date

Infos :

Length: 512 pages
Format: Trade Paperback

The art and science of pranayama.

A comprehensive guide to the power of breath

• An immersive guide to the ancient Indian tradition of pranayama that traces its evolution from shamanic and Vedic roots to modern yoga practices

• Integrates classical teachings with modern science, including anatomy and neurology, to explain the holistic benefits of pranayama

• Offers detailed physical and energetic preparation, including asanas, bandhas, and cleansing methods, plus instruction in over 25 pranayama techniques

Pranayama, the ancient yogic art of conscious breathing, holds profound potential to transform your physical health, mental clarity, and spiritual awareness. Current research into the respiratory and nervous systems helps illuminate the holistic benefits of this tradition.

Mark Stephens presents an accessible and comprehensive study of pranayama. He details its roots in the pan-Eurasian shamanic tradition, the Vedas, Upanishads, early Buddhism and Jainism, and its fullest development through tantra, hatha yoga, and contemporary breathwork. Stephens offers systematic instruction for foundational practices, such as posture refinement, nasal cleansing, and pelvic floor activation. He also teaches advanced techniques for cultivating presence, interoception, and spiritual insight.

Stephens shows how pranayama can benefit you across your lifespan, and he highlights its applicability to a range of health conditions, including pregnancy, ADHD, PTSD, long COVID, asthma, and other respiratory ailments. He shows how breathwork can deepen meditation, enhance intimacy, and restore our innate breathing rhythms that are often lost due to stress and social conditioning.

Uniting ancient wisdom and contemporary science, Breathing offers an immersive and empowering path to transform your body and consciousness.

Mark Stephens

Author of the best-selling volumes Teaching Yoga, Yoga Sequencing, and Yoga Adjustments, Mark Stephens has practiced yoga for over twenty-five years, teaching for the past twenty. For the last seventeen years, Stephens has taught workshops for teachers and students on working with common student injuries, ailments, and special conditions (including a 20-hour prenatal teacher training module since 2005). He regularly teaches on these and related topics at conferences across North America and Europe and served on the Yoga Alliance Standards Committee from 2012 to 2014.

Agence Schweiger