Prana - by Bernie Clark (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

What is prana?

Is it just breath? A metaphor for spirit? A biological energy? Or something more?

In Prana: One Breath, Many Worlds, Bernie Clark--author of the bestselling The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga--invites readers on a journey through ancient myths, spiritual practices, and cutting-edge science in search of one of yoga's most mysterious and foundational ideas: prana. Blending historical scholarship with personal experience, Clark weaves a tapestry of stories that explore prana as fire, wind, water, and breath--moving from shamanic roots to temple rituals, from the Upanishads to Theosophy, from early Greek philosophy to modern yoga retreats.

Combining rigorous research with captivating storytelling, the book offers:

• A deep dive into the spiritual and scientific roots of breath across cultures

• Personal vignettes and retreat experiences that ground the philosophy in lived practice

• Insightful comparisons of Eastern and Western views of soul, spirit, and vitality

• A mythological exploration of symbols like serpents, trees, water, and the stars

Part memoir, part history, part philosophical reflection, Prana offers an illuminating exploration of the life force that animates us all. Whether you are a yoga teacher, student, philosopher, or simply a seeker of deeper truths, this book will expand your understanding--and your breath.

Review Quotes

Praise for Prana--One Breath, Many Worlds

Prana is a luminous and deeply original work--part memoir, part mythic tapestry, part philosophical inquiry--that breathes life into one of the most enduring mysteries of human existence. With rare intellectual range and heartfelt storytelling, it explores the many meanings of breath, life force, and spirit across cultures and centuries. It is a masterful meditation on what it means to be alive--and aware--in the subtle currents that sustain us.

Mark Stephens, author, Breathing: The Art and Science of Pranayama and Yoga Sequencing: Designing Transformative Yoga Classes

Bernie Clark takes the reader deep inside the mystical, invisible, subtle, yet powerful realms of prana. Through extensive research, combined with personal experience and scientific studies, he sheds light on this intriguing and commonly misunderstood universal force, managing to do so in an engaging and accessible manner.

David Swenson, Author of Ashtanga Yoga: The Practice Manual

With Prana, Bernie displays what a thorough thinker, heartfelt practitioner, and deeply engaging writer he is of this essential subject at the nucleus of all yoga: prana. Another essential text for all yoga enthusiasts.

Sarah Powers, Co-founder of the Insight Yoga Institute and Author of Insight Yoga and Lit from Within

Having read all of Bernie's books, this is by far my favorite. It's a wonderful mix of the personal, scientific, and creative that explores not only the earliest origins and history of yoga but its underlying energetic and mystical aspects as well. Many of us as teachers have pondered these deep questions, and Bernie has brought his unique perspective to fleshing them out in ways that illuminate the principles and teachings that make yoga universal.

J. Brown, Host of the Yoga Talks podcast

Prana is a key concept in yoga theory and practice. But what is prana? Is prana a god? A physical force? Or the power that connects the immaterial soul to the material body? Is it just an ancient name for bio-electricity, or is it an intelligent life-force that modern science is slowly uncovering? Bernie Clark's new book, Prana, explores these questions by tracing the historical uses of the word prana in ancient and modern cultures. He has created masterfully imagined dialogues between ancient yogis, Greek philosophers, Taoist sages, and modern theosophists. His book is interwoven with Bernie's own experiences and culminates with a review of modern scientific investigations and theories. It is well researched, clearly written, and full of references. Read Bernie's book Prana. It might make you reconsider what prana is, and how breathing exercises and physical asanas influence it manifestations.

Paul Grilley, Author of Yin Yoga: Principles and Practice and Chakra Theory and Meditation

As a science educator, I've long struggled to reconcile the esoteric ideas of "prana" and "chakras" with scientific thinking. In Prana, Bernie Clark doesn't resolve that tension--he honors it. Blending myth, history, and modern insight, he invites us not into certainty but into informed wonder. Whether you're a skeptic or a seeker, Prana offers a compelling and nuanced map for exploring one of yoga's most elusive concepts, making it a must-read for any yogi.

Matthew Huy, Co-author of The Physiology of Yoga and Co-founder of the Enlightened Yoga Collective