Restoring Prana: A Therapeutic Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath for Yoga Therapists, Yoga Teachers, and Healthcare Practitioners

by Robin L. Rothenberg, Kirsteen Wright (Illustrator), Richard Miller (Foreword by)

Overview

One of the most common issues clients face is lack of energy, vitality or prana and this book presents a simple yet revolutionary breathing approach to restore balance. Grounded in the yogic teachings, this text introduces the Buteyko breathing method as a more contemporary way of understanding the original intention of pranayama. Through extensive research, Robin Rothenberg establishes that as with Dr. Buteyko's breath retraining technique, the ancient yogis prescribed breathing less not more. Vedic science and physiology are broken down and explained in accessible ways. The book presents a new understanding and application of breathing to address a wide range of ailments, including COPD, asthma, hay-fever, autoimmune disorders, anxiety, sleep apnoea and neurological conditions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848194014
Publisher:	Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Publication date:	12/19/2019
Pages:	408
Sales rank:	645,096
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Robin Rothenberg served for six years on the IAYT Accreditation Committee in addition to running a busy yoga therapy practice. Her yoga therapist training programme was one of the first to be accredited by IAYT in 2014 and she has been a yoga therapist for over 20 years.

Table of Contents

Foreword: Bhavana: Busting Myths; 1. Origins of Praṇayama; 2. Praṇa, the Subtle Body, and the Energy Bank Account; 3. The Bio-Chemistry of Respiration; 4. Hyperventilation: The Saṃskāra of Breathing Too Much; 5. The Nose vs. The Mouth; 6. Center Stage: The Diaphragm; 7. The Core, The Bandhas and the Breath; 8. The Emotional Brain and the Breath; 9. The Mind of the Subtle Body - Citta, Chakras, and the Breath; 10. Praṇayama as Kumbhaka; 11. Therapeutic Applications: Healing Through the Breath; Appendix 1: Asana Practices to Restore Praṇa; Appendix II - A guide to teaching functional breathing; Appendix III- Praṇayama Curriculum for Program Directors: Key Concepts and Practices; Sanskrit Glossary; Physiology glossary

Editorial Reviews

In this fascinating book, yoga therapist Robin Rothenberg pulls back what she calls a "curtain of mysticism" that shrouds pranayama and offers a comprehensive guide to respiratory physiology and the practice of breath control. Prompted by a health crisis, she embarked on an in-depth study of breathing - pouring over ancient yogic texts and modern scientific journals - and reveals how breath retraining transformed her life. She details the breathing practices and postures that helped relieve her asthma, apnea, and chronic cough-and shed 15 pounds-and challenges the commonly-taught emphasis on "big breathing" and "expansive inhalation and exhalation." Courageous and compelling, Restoring Prana offers essential information for yoga teachers, yoga therapists and health care practitioners who want to skillfully help students and clients enhance their health and vitality.

Carol Krucoff

Yoga teachers and therapists will find an unequalled and enthusiastic education in prananyama that evolves how we learn, understand, and teach the breath. From philosophical roots and physiological context to practical explorations, this book gives us Robin's deep wisdom and experience with every element of breath. It transforms our ability to educate and improve the countless conditions influenced by how we, and our students, breathe.

Rachel Lanzerotti

Restoring Prana is a must read for healthcare practitioners, regardless of their knowledge or experience of yoga. Robin Rothenberg masterfully weaves fundamental yoga teachings with the contemporary Western physiology of respiration and its role in health and disease to show that how we breathe is both a key measure of our health and an efficacious pathway to healing. Robin has done both the yoga community and the healthcare practitioner world a tremendous service in connecting the dots as she has in her book. It's nothing short of outstanding-practical, accessible, inspiring

Aggie Stewart

Restoring Prana by Robin Rothenberg is a delightful blend of personal and client stories, Yoga and The Buteyko Method, all integrated by cutting edge science. This book should be required reading in the education of all rehab professionals who are dealing with clients with breathing or other chronic health issues. It should also be read by anyone who has a breathing or chronic health issue that have not responded to conventional care. Hopefully the information in this book, will become conventional care in the future.

Staffan Elgelid

Restoring Prana delves deep into the physiology of breathing, explaining in understandable language what constitutes functional breathing and more importantly how to teach it. For any healthcare specialist who teaches breathing exercises, Restoring Prana makes for compulsory reading. Rothenberg offers simple strategies to improve oxygen uptake and delivery throughout the body. Yoga Masters of old knew about the importance of subtle breathing through the nose and admonished the practice of hard breathing. This book uncovers the truth about the breath and brings wisdom from the ancient Sutras into the 21stCentury.

Patrick McKeown

I have never met anyone with so much curiosity and drive to grow as Robin Rothenberg. Her journey into the breath from a new perspective contradicted decades of yoga training. By integrating the Vedic teachings with western science, Robin validates reduced breathing and its impact on the entire human organism (body, mind, and spirit). As a psychiatrist, I found this book incredibly satisfying and useful. Restoring Prana will help you understand the essential role of functional breathing on health and provide a framework to use the tools for retraining with confidence. There is no better teacher to guide you on this adventure than Robin.

Lynn Hughes

Restoring Prana is a pioneering work, looking at the function and effects of breathing from latest scientific and ancient yogic resources. Well written, thoroughly researched, referenced by author's own practice experiences. Provides navigating light into breath, breathing patterns and pranayama, and its effects on our health. Robin oscillates with ease between psycho-physiological effects of breathing and ancient texts on pranayama dispelling the popular myths alive in yogic studios today. Author reveals this knowledge as accessible to all of us regular folk: modern day yogis, teachers, students, and therapy clients alike. I especially appreciate the summary of each chapter followed by recommendation of specific breathing techniques to practice. Very needed book for all yoga teachers and yoga therapists.

Lee Majewski