Holistic Health is one of the premier books on yoga. Written in an informal but easy to read style this book has great depth to it despite its simplicity. I recommend this book to all meditation students beginning or advanced. Swami Rama speaks from a profound depth of experience far greater then most realize. His knowledge is from first hand experience, not from academic learning. A classic!

This magnificent volume summarizes the life and teachings of one of the greatest yoga masters of the 20th century. Swami Rama demonstrated under rigorous laboratory conditions that the "miracles" attributed to the Himalayan yogis are actually true. The photography in this book is superb, and Pandit Tigunait's recounting of Swami Rama's adventures is thrilling--and deeply moving. This is a spiritual classic.

People can I please advise you to make sure you are first very well established in the first 2 levels of Yoga before you embark on any Pranayama (breath-control). First be steeped in Yama(abstinences - alcohol, drugs, sex, meat, etc) and Niyama(observances - love, kindness, non-harm, patience, etc) before moving on to asans(postures) and especially pranayama. Every swami will tell you that if you are not living a committed Spiritual life in every respect, then practicing the 4th level of Yoga - breathing exercises, especially the advanced ones, can potentially be harmful. You should really only practice techniques like this within the framework of a spiritual society and Guru-disciple relationship. Breathing techniques force prana up the subtle spine, thus awakening higher and higher chakra's. This process should occur naturally and gradually as part of a disciplined spiritual life - it should not be forced.

This is a truly unbelievable book on advanced yoga. The greatest section of the book is the description of advanced (very advanced !) pranayama. Swami Rama first gives a lengthy explanation of the preparation for pranayama & nadi shodhanam. Then, he instructs you on how to achieve amazing spiritual transformation through extreme breath-holding. In what is surely the most fascinating section, Swami Rama describes, in detail, what happens to the body & energy of a yogi as he holds his breath for 5, 10, 13 or more minutes. Using Swami Rama's wisdom I have already achieved kumbhaka's (breath-holds) of over 7 minutes! What an amazing feeling to feel your heart rate drop to 20 beats per minute after 5 minutes! And the state of consciousness that ensues is of course indescribable. I have one suggestion: Get this book! (Swami Rama's 'Science of Breath' is a great companion book).

Absolutely a book of deepest wisdom and breath of knowledge. This treasure of a book combines yoga philosophy with very specific hatha yoga techniques. To those who wish to discover what a deeper practice of hatha can lead to, and for those who want specific guidelines into the process of deepening their practice, this book will deeply and eloquently, aid, transform, and inspire you.

I read this book twice and I feel like reading it again. This book is a tour about life and spiritual experiences of Sages and Saints who do pennence in search of the divine light. A must read.

!Happy Reading!

I just love this book. It consists of a collection of short "essays", autobiographical, and philosophical, about the author's life growing up in the Himilayas.

Much of Swami Rama's life seems biblical in it spiritual "magic"--it displays similar themes and miracles that you find in the New Testament. For instance, his father's guru predicted that he and his wife--although he was over 60, and she over 40--would have a son who would follow the father's master. The parents, childless for years, declare that this would be a miracle, but that if it happens, the child is his. 18 months later, they have a child, the Swami. When is three, the Master returns and initiates him by whispering a mantra in his ear.

When the Swami is still young, his parents die, and the master comes for him, and they travel together. Often, the master sends his disciple off to study with another guru for a period of time, but throughout his training into his adulthood, the master is, so to speak, the point around which the Swami Rama orbits in his spiritual peregrinations.

He describes many miracles. We witness a resurrection, a miraculous feeding of the poor, and other bizarre, often familiar, miracles. India seems like a land of magic.

Is all this b.s.? Who knows. One thing is certain...the Swami Rama is not self-promoting in this book. He doesn't present himself, for instance, as the performer of miracles. But he does witness them, and is on at least on occasion the recipient of one.

In any case, this book is a good read--simple, wise, and entertaining. I can't recommend it enough.

One of the greatest books about living the life of a yogi, this book provides great inspiration towards spirituality and devotion towards one's own master(Guru bhakti). Reading this book provided a feeling of living with the great Swami Rama throughout his life in Himalayas. It changed my life and thinking and oriented me towards actions needed to reach one's own goal.

This book is not just the story of a great master. It answers
many questions about spirituality. Many references are given
about the practices that are followed by the himalayan masters.
And its a well written very inspiring book.

I read it many times and will read it many more times.

This book is an outstanding opportunity for anyone who wishes to catch invaluable wisdom that has been handed down a lineage of great yogi's for thousands of years. This book literally has a life force of it's own much in the same way as 'Living with the Himalayan Masters' and 'Autobiography of Yogi', that will continue to reveal many more gifts each time it is read. While Swami Rama was born and raised in the Himalayan cave monastaries, when his master sent him to the west it was not to propagate any religion, "isims", "anities" or other forms of spiritual dogma. His master led him to the west to build a bridge between east and west which he clearly started at the Menninger Foundation in Kansas in the early 1970's by stoping his heart and voluntarily making it max out the limits of the testing equipment at 312 beats per minute. This book takes you through most of the Swami's life history but it's biggest gift is the intimate manner in which it is written, which makes the reader feel like she or he is the one these teachings are being imparted to. For those who are willing to walk the path of real spiritual progress ... this book will prove to be an endless source of inspiration.

An excellent account of Swami's life and his message to the humanity.

This book drawn from the lectures given by Sri Swami Rama during his world tours and deals with a perennial mystery that most people are fearful to face - Death.

It is true that one can not face death bravely unless you "live" towards it and hence (obviously!) substantial part of book deals with how to live our Life here. Don't expect details of life after death in this book because such details are not revealed to those who are not ready for it. However, basic details as known in Indian ancient texts are explained in simple way.

Concepts like true meaning of Yoga, idea of heaven, concept of eternal heaven, Atman (our soul), Brahman (soul of Universe), Ego, are explained in great details and gives clear insight.

References are given to concepts and theories in modern physics, thus trying to support ideas for modern reader.

A position of human life in complex world of cosmos is explained in great details and books probably highlights the ancient concept in India that "Life is but a comma and not a full stop".

However Appendix A of the books deals with signs of impending death where strong statements are made like "If a person does not see the tip of his tongue, he will live only for three days". No explanation of "true" meaning, how to interpret or observe such things or discussion is given for such statements and I feel this section out of place at the end of the book.