Just as a skilled yoga teacher can transform your practice, a well-chosen book can become a lifelong guide, offering fresh insights each time you revisit its pages. When it comes to pranayama, the ancient art of breath control, there is always more to explore. The practice goes beyond simple breathing exercises, reaching into the subtle mechanisms of energy, mind, and body.
In this article, we review six essential pranayama books that every practitioner should consider. Each book is presented with its unique strengths and limitations, giving you clear reasons to read or skip depending on your goals. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced yogi, these books can help you learn, deepen, and expand your pranayama journey.
Rodney Yee’s The Yoga of Breath is one of the most accessible introductions to pranayama for beginners. His approach is practical and easy to follow, using simple concepts of breath and body awareness to help readers understand and experience pranayama directly.
A former Yoga Journal cover teacher in the 1990s, Rodney Yee blends the precision of Iyengar Yoga with clear instructions and the effective use of props. His teaching style makes this book especially valuable for those who want structured, step-by-step guidance.
Buy this pranayama book if:
- You are a beginner seeking a practical yet authentic introduction to pranayama.
- You want to explore the deeper meaning of what pranayama actually is.
- You’re interested in learning how to use props and breathing techniques to improve your practice.
- You want to integrate breath awareness into your asana practice.
- You are a yoga teacher aiming to refine your pranayama teaching instructions.
Skip this pranayama book if:
- All you want the name and instruction of classical pranayama
- You don’t want anatomical addition into your pranayama practice
- You want a book with color photos
- You’re satisfied with your current pranayama knowledge
Swami Ramdev, one of the most recognised figures in the Indian yoga community, presents Pranayama Rahasya as a guide to the therapeutic aspects of pranayama. The book reflects his own experiences, including practical applications of breathing techniques, experiments in meditation, and the awakening of Kundalini Shakti.
This work introduces readers to foundational yogic concepts such as Prana, the five koshas (body sheaths), and chakras, before moving towards the role of pranayama in health, healing, and meditation. It is especially valuable for those interested in the connection between pranayama and overall wellness.
Buy this pranayama book if:
- You want to explore which pranayama practices are beneficial for specific health conditions.
- You are looking for a practical home-based pranayama guide for general wellness.
- You want to understand pranayama in relation to chakras, kundalini, and subtle yogic concepts.
Skip this pranayama book if:
- You are looking for graphical demonstration of different pranayamas
- All you want the deep understanding around fundamental concepts of pranayama
- You want new tips and ideas to add on into your ongoing practice
In “The science of Pranayama” book you will see a glance of hatha yoga philosophy while going through various concepts of pranayama. The author Swami Sivananda who was a medical practitioner earlier is the founder of Sivananda style yoga which is based on the classical hatha yoga system.
As the book named “The science of pranayama”, it delves the reader into an entirely different realm by connecting the concept of pranayama with energy and matter. The book explain “Prana” in very detail and shows the different aspects of defining it as universal energy.
Buy this pranayama book if:
- You are looking to explore pranayama preparatory practices like Shatkarma, yogic diet, and asana as well
- You want to learn to do pranayama in different states like while walking, during meditation, while in Savasana.
- You want to understand how pranayama works with your different body parts
- You want to understand and add new Sanskrit yoga words to your vocabulary
Skip this pranayama book if:
- You prefer not to indulge much in ancient yogic terms
- You are looking for a book that shows new approaches and tips to traditional pranayama practices
- And, you aren’t interested in inner exploration
As the name suggests, this book explains various yoga breathing techniques which are not just the classical ones but many other derived techniques. Sundar Balasubramanian has explained all the techniques beautifully using illustrations, how-to instructions along with modifications and variations. It’s really worthwhile to read if you want to go beyond regular pranayama techniques.
The author Sundar Balasubramanian is a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and a yoga researcher from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC, USA. Apart from breathing techniques, this book contains the author’s personal experience and poetic description at the beginning of each chapter.
Buy this pranayama book if:
- You like to explore different approaches to doing pranayama
- You like to challenge yourself with new breathing exercises
- All you want a pranayama handbook
- You want an anatomical exploration of pranayama effects on the body & mind
Skip this pranayama book if:
- You want to understand some specific pranayamas with an in-depth elaboration
- You’re looking for real person images showing pranayama techniques
- You prefer brief something that goes into detail rather than the summary of pranayamas.
In “Science of Breath”, an Indian author Yogi Ramacharaka takes readers into the in-depth exploration of breathing. The book covers the various practical concepts of breathing including; the way we breathe, how lungs are involved in an effective breathing, how nostril breathing vs. mouth breathing affects the brain, and what’s the spiritual essence of a yogi’s breathing.
An Hindu philosophical touch can be easily seen in the language of yogi Ramacharaka’s approach of defining breathing concepts. It develops interest in reading more and more as you start with the very first chapter “Breath is Life”.
Buy this pranayama book if:
- You want to expand your knowledge of pranayama and breathing
- You are someone who is about to begin pranayama and first want to understand it theoretically
- The connective concept of breath, mind and soul fascinates you
- Knowing just pranayama techniques aren’t your area of interest.
Skip this pranayama book if:
- All you want different pranayama explanations and instructions
- You’re looking for illustrations explaining examples of breathwork
- You aren’t interested in philosophical concepts at all
If you have heard Iyengar yoga already, check out “Light on Pranayama”. Iyengar yoga is known for its alignment precision, unique approach, use of props in exercises, so this will show you pranayama techniques entirely with a new angle.
Book covers “pranayama courses” divided into 5 categories preparatory, primary, intermediate, advanced and highly intense courses. Week-by-week practice of different stages pranayama is given in the book for self progress. Moreover, book begins with small foundational concept of pranayama in order to make sure reader understand later concepts without any problem.
Buy this pranayama book if:
- You are looking for a book having pranayama illustrations by a real person.
- You want to know how to use yoga props in your current pranayama practice
- You value a book that is written by someone who is considered a master
- You are ok with black and white photos that don’t look professional
Skip this pranayama book if:
- All you care about name and instructions of pranayama techniques
- Anatomical exploration isn’t you want emphasize upon
- You aren’t interested in the historical view and philosophy of pranayama
