Yoga Breath: Prana and Pranayama in Early Modern Yoga

A central practice to both premodern and modern yoga, pranayama (lit. "breath control") is practised in yoga classes worldwide. Just like pranayama, the notion of prana (lit. "breath", "vitality") has a longstanding history in South Asia. From 1850 onwards, prana and pranayama are reinterpreted in light of the Hindu reform, nineteenth-century occultism, science, medicine, and hygiene. Transnational players of modern yoga and physical culture shape the history of the practices. Prana and pra...