Robin Rothenberg is an internationally respected Yoga therapist who runs acclaimed training programs for teachers and therapists. She draws deeply from the authentic lineage of Yoga, while also incorporating a contemporary understanding of mind-body medicine, the result of her years of study in western science. She acts as a bridge, between these two seemingly disparate worlds, facilitating clients and teachers in breaking free of habits that are debilitating and developing a clear plan of action to help themselves find equilibrium and a greater sense of confidence and well-being.

When I first began to explore pranayama and breathing for health, I delved more deeply into the research for what was to become my new book: Restoring Prana: A Therapeutic Guide to Pranayama and Healing Through the Breath, for Yoga Therapists, Yoga Teachers and Healthcare Practitioners. I realized that while breathing is the means—restoring prana is the ultimate intention. In other words, the less we breathe, the more vital and alive we feel! Prana is the animating force that supports and sustains us—akin to the concept of qi in Chinese Medicine. Cultivating a rich reservoir of prana is the essential goal of Yoga practice and pranayama the primary tool to actualize it. It is the containment of prana that enables our vitality to thrive. This requires us to train ourselves to need less breath—not more. Restoring Prana articulates a step-by-step yogic process for achieving physical health and mental stability through breath re-education. Validated by the science of respiratory physiology, the text uniquely merges the wisdom of the ancient yogis, with modern day therapies, like the Buteyko Method and Intermittent Hypoxic Therapy. It is my personal mission in the upcoming years to inspire my colleagues in the Yoga community to return to the original Vedic teachings, which counsel us to make the breath subtle and still, in order to restore pranic balance, first in ourselves and then in our students.

About the Author:
Robin Rothenberg, founder of Essential Yoga Therapy, offers Yoga therapy at Evergreen Hospital and has a private practice where she adapts Yoga to students with disabilities and medical complications. She developed Living Yoga Radio, a talk show that interviews dedicated Yoga teachers and therapists, to bring awareness to the field. Her dedication to understanding Yoga as a healing modality leads her to be active in the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) and NAMA (National Ayurvedic & Medical Association). For more information, please visit: essentialyogatherapy.com.