Light on Pranayama The Yogic Art of Breathing

Light on Pranayama The Yogic Art of Breathing

I am not a “Yogi,” so I had some trouble grasping reading this book.  I think that this is definitely a different look at breathing, but was not as easy to understand as I would have liked.  There were so many yoga terms used, I had to keep going back to check what they meant and it took me a very long time to get through this.  However, I did like the way the book was organized, in bullet points as an outline.   If this book was a dense grouping of paragraphs, I’m not sure I would’ve gotten anything out of it.  The diagrams presented are similar, if not the same, to those in Miller’s The Structure of Singing, which was helpful.  It was also a nice break from the confusing text.  Once the book began talking more about the anatomy, I began to sink into it and understand much more. This was probably due to the fact that it touched upon many of the ideas we have been discussing in class. 

I believe that anyone who wants a different approach or look at breathing should read this book.  It is interesting to think about the fact that someone who wants to work on relaxation and breathing can read this book, not just in the context of singing.  This could be helpful to a student who has a lot of tension in their body, is not breathing properly, or does not understand how to breathe properly.  It explains why breathing is important and why proper breathing is essential in a different way than most textbooks.  It would also be helpful to a teacher dealing with a student with these problems. 

I think all of the anatomy information is the same as what we have studied in class.  The diagrams look the same, and some information on the muscles is included too, which I think is helpful.  It seems as though this book combines information from our class with information one would attain in a yoga or Alexander Technique class. I recognize the muscle diagrams from my Alexander Technique class, which was interesting for me.  One of the techniques used for inhalation is to hold a bar behind your back using your elbows, which reminds me of many teachers’ techniques of holding your arms behind your back to keep your chest and ribs open, including Manuel Garcia.  Overall, I think this book was a bit “out-there” but had some useful and interesting information and outlooks on breathing.