The Breathing Book : Vitality & Good Health Through Essential Breath Work

Rating:
Summary: Breath Practice Demystified
Review: Clearly written and very readable, the focus of this book is not on esoteric breathing excercises but on remembering and relearning the deep, smooth, easy breath we had as children. With lots of explication and diagrams for the analytical among us, and many postures, excercises and meditations to try, this book offers good advice on how to identify and remove habitual stress patterns that encourage shallow or restricted breathing. The last two chapters- "The shared breath - Inquiries for couples" and "Minding the Breath - Cultivating Mindfulness" were definitely my favorites.

Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: I almost wonder if I have the same book as the other reviewers. I found this book very difficult to use. The chapters go on and on with theory and philosophy, but very little in the way of simple to follow exercises. Also, the book assumes you are already familiar with Yoga and are comfortable doing long stretching exercises before you begin.

I became interested in breathing excercises from Andrew Weil's tapes that accompany the "8 weeks" book. I was hoping for more exercises and perhaps even a couple of complete sets of exercises to go with what I had heard on the tapes. I envisioned doing excercises at the office in the morning or at home before bed to improve health and reduce stress. I did not need or want (yet) an exegesis of the theory of breath and health; nor was I looking for techniques that require special clothing, mats and pillows, and 10 minutes of set up.

If you want the full dose of theory, spirituality, new age physiology, etc., this is the book for you (and probably a very good one at that). But if you are looking for a simple breathing book to introduce you to breath work, this is probably not the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I must admit I wasn't expecting to be impressed by this book yet I was. I liked the way the exercises were grouped so as to provide maximum benefit. It's also nice to get a complete understanding of what are the benefits to an exercise too. You can't go wrong with the clear directions provided by the author.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I must admit I wasn't expecting to be impressed by this book yet I was. I liked the way the exercises were grouped so as to provide maximum benefit. It's also nice to get a complete understanding of what are the benefits to an exercise too. You can't go wrong with the clear directions provided by the author.

Rating:
Summary: Easy to understand, read and implement step-by-step guide.
Review: I really liked this book! It is thorough, easy to read and understand. This is the first time someone has explained it to me in a way I can understand it! Excellent diagrams, exercises, etc. Not only an outstanding yoga teacher but also a good book writer!

Rating:
Summary: A Breath of Fresh Air
Review: The book is simple to read, easy to follow and has clear explanations. It is well organized and the pictures are relevant.

Rating:
Summary: A Breath of Fresh Air
Review: The book is simple to read, easy to follow and has clear explanations. It is well organized and the pictures are relevant.