Path of Fire and Light: Advanced Practices of Yoga

Rating:
Summary: Good description of techniques - but be warned
Review: Absolutely a book of deepest wisdom and breath of knowledge. This treasure of a book combines yoga philosophy with very specific hatha yoga techniques. To those who wish to discover what a deeper practice of hatha can lead to, and for those who want specific guidelines into the process of deepening their practice, this book will deeply and eloquently, aid, transform, and inspire you.

Rating:
Summary: This book is a yogi's treasure chest!
Review: Absolutely a book of deepest wisdom and breath of knowledge. This treasure of a book combines yoga philosophy with very specific hatha yoga techniques. To those who wish to discover what a deeper practice of hatha can lead to, and for those who want specific guidelines into the process of deepening their practice, this book will deeply and eloquently, aid, transform, and inspire you.

Rating:
Summary: Good description of techniques - but be warned
Review: People can I please advise you to make sure you are first very well established in the first 2 levels of Yoga before you embark on any Pranayama (breath-control). First be steeped in Yama(abstinences - alcohol, drugs, sex, meat, etc) and Niyama(observances - love, kindness, non-harm, patience, etc) before moving on to asans(postures) and especially pranayama. Every swami will tell you that if you are not living a committed Spiritual life in every respect, then practicing the 4th level of Yoga - breathing exercises, especially the advanced ones, can potentially be harmful. You should really only practice techniques like this within the framework of a spiritual society and Guru-disciple relationship. Breathing techniques force prana up the subtle spine, thus awakening higher and higher chakra's. This process should occur naturally and gradually as part of a disciplined spiritual life - it should not be forced.

Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable
Review: This is a truly unbelievable book on advanced yoga. The greatest section of the book is the description of advanced (very advanced !) pranayama. Swami Rama first gives a lengthy explanation of the preparation for pranayama & nadi shodhanam. Then, he instructs you on how to achieve amazing spiritual transformation through extreme breath-holding. In what is surely the most fascinating section, Swami Rama describes, in detail, what happens to the body & energy of a yogi as he holds his breath for 5, 10, 13 or more minutes. Using Swami Rama's wisdom I have already achieved kumbhaka's (breath-holds) of over 7 minutes! What an amazing feeling to feel your heart rate drop to 20 beats per minute after 5 minutes! And the state of consciousness that ensues is of course indescribable. I have one suggestion: Get this book! (Swami Rama's 'Science of Breath' is a great companion book).