The Living Breath

We are delighted to announce the publication of The Living Breath, the English translation of Peter Hersnack’s La Chair Vivante. 

The book is available to order from Liz Knott at elizknott52@gmail.com .

Please contact Liz directly to place your order. Payment by bank transfer or PayPal. If you would like to order multiple copies for students, friends or colleagues, Liz can accommodate larger orders too.

The book deals with the five ‘energetic elements’ of candra, mūla, prāna, apāna and sūrya and is an exposition of some of the core elements of Peter’s teaching, drawing on his own experimentation with what he learned from his teacher, TKV Desikachar.

The text of the original French book was taken from notes and tapes made at a retreat Peter gave in France in 2002. For the English version, we have stayed faithful to the French original, seeking to find the voice of Peter throughout. We have also changed the formatting of the practices and practice instructions for greater clarity, and added small quotations from Peter’s teaching on the course, with original illustrations by Sheila Baker, who also designed the cover. There is a glossary to explain Peter’s coined terms, and certain yoga terms.

The original translation was made by Eleanor Dawson in consultation with Peter himself. After Peter’s death in 2016, it was fine-tuned by a small team of French- and English-speaking students of Peter’s under the supervision of his wife, Colette. It has been a labour of love all the way, and we are delighted to see it in print.

For more information regarding Peter, his legacy and resources related to his teaching, please visit the website: Art of Yoga – Peter Hersnack