"The science Of Pranayama" & "Secret Power of Tantrik Breathing": Book Reviews

Anything that comes from the pen of Swami Sivananda is a prized jewel. This book is no exception.

A casual or cursory search on Google will yield not just a plethora but an unaccountable and endless list of books on pranayama, a subject matter that has been an obsession with curious spiritual-mongers and people who look for shortcuts to success for almost a century.

Swami Sivananda has, in this book, stripped Pranayama of many superstitions, fears, misinformation that usually surround the useful spiritual practice. Using jargon-free language and simple prose, the author has explained the myth and mysteries of the sadhana that has variously been extolled by rishies, puranas and the Ithihaas.

Anyone who is interested in gaining control of his life, mind, emotions, feelings, destiny and desires ought to read this 130-page book that, I can say with absolute certitude, will change his course of life for the better.

While in the first part of the book, Swami Sivananda explains the theoretical aspects of Pranayama, which are highly pivotal to the proper practice of it, in the middle part, He patiently explains how Pranayama can be practised by anyone in the privacy of one's home. In the last part of the book, He has answered a number of valuable questions about the efficacy of the sadhana.

This book dismantles such arguments used by the so-called scientific-minded people. On the other hand, however, it cannot be read on its own. When it is studied together with Swami Sivananda's "The Science of Pranayama" and "Svara Yoga", and Swami Rama's "Science of Breath", it will make a lot of sense, and will also be a very valuable addition to one's bookshelves.