 2008-10-14 - a very studious read
What a disappointment! So many other fabulous yoga books out there written in a friendly and nurturing way with beautiful illustrations. In this book the illustrations are accurate but there is no beauty. That is also how I felt about the writing. If you just want an intellectual approach to yoga this book might do the trick. I think yoga deserves so much more.
 2008-10-13 - Good introduction to Pranayama
Being a relatively new yogi, I found this book to be extremely helpful. It'll be nice to read some other books on the subject eventually, but this book had enough detail to satisfy me for the first year of beginning practice. It was required reading for the yoga teacher training and it made a nice addition to the lessons that we received. Even though pranayama is traditionally taught one on one, having written material to refer to was very helpful. After watching BKS Iyengar on youtube, what was described in the book and what he did on video were very different things. Much like anytime you read something and the see it.
I think you must think of this book as almost like a cook book. Just because you read the recipe, doesn't mean you truly know what the food is supposed to taste like. The recipe book helps, but it isn't a true representation.
2008-03-23 - for advanced yoga students and teachers
This book deals with a very detailed and in depth description of pranayama practice. It is an invaluable document for those who are interested in learning more about yogic breathing practice. In this edition the type is really small (7pts) which is tiring to read.
 2006-12-17 - Highly detailed classic for serious practioners
I teach meditation and I am educated in biology, biochemistry and psychology. I am also a student of world religions and a yoga practioner. During my graduate school years, I was also a Teaching Fellow in Physiology and I teach workshops on pranayama and biofeedback. Therefore, I think my opinion has some weight in this arena although I realize there are more serious yoga practioners who have more in-depth knowledge than me. My purpose in sharing this information is to provide context from my review. I hope this is useful.
This book is incredibly detailed and goes deeply into respiratory physiology, muscles, practices and the details of pranayama practice. There are clear explanations, however, many people may find them to technical without a biology background or the desire to take this information in slowly.
There are many good diagrams and photos in the book that any practitioner will find helpful. In some cases, they are unique in the yoga literature in some way and I can't imagine not having this book on your shelf if you are serious about the practice of pranayama.
While this is not the most colorful or modern looking text, it certainly packs a lot of information into a small space. It is also written by someone who has travelled this road and understands it both technically and from the inside. In short, it is an authoratative text on this subject.
A lighter book along the same lines which I have also read is the Science of Breath. For beginners, this title might be more appropriate. However, any practioner at any level will eventually want to own this book.
2006-10-23 - Perfect!
This book is a treasure to me. It teaches a safe means of progressing through all of the variations of pranayamas. If all of the advice is taken, there will be no problems in this area of your personal practice.
This is only one part of the yogic path, though. The rest needs to be in place for this to be effective. For that I rely on Yogani's Advanced Yoga Practices book. It gives step by step, safe instructions utilizing the techniques of the Gheranda Samhita, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, as well as other great works. I highly recommend it to any serious yoga student.
I am so glad to have found "Light on Pranayama". I am somewhat of a beginner to the serious practice I've undertaken, but with this book I feel confident that I will succeed. Thank you BKS Iyengar.
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