Richard Rosen Contributor Bio - Yogapedia
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Richard Rosen

Pranayama Expert

Bio

Richard Rosen began his study of yoga in 1980 at the Yoga Room in Berkeley, California. In 1982 he enrolled in the two-year teacher training program at the BKS Iyengar Yoga Institute in 1982 and graduate about three years later. In 1987 he and his friend Rodney Yee founded the Piedmont Yoga Studio in Oakland, California. This school served its community for 27 years, finally closing its door in 2014. Richard is the author of five books on yoga, the most recent Yoga FAQ (Shambhala, 2017). He’s also a contributing editor for Yoga Journal magazine, and since 1990 has written countless articles and reviews not only for YJ, but for other magazines and anthologies. Richard is the president of the board of directors of Yoga Dana Foundation, a grant-making organization whose mission it is to support yoga teachers working with underserved populations in the greater Bay Area. He lives in a cottage built in 1906 in Berkeley, California.

Articles by Richard Rosen

Q&A by Richard Rosen

  • Why did the early yogis want to practice pranayama?

    I own a good number of early texts, but not all of them, so this answer comes with a caveat, which is there may be some goals missing. I believe, however, that I’ve included most of them. These goals were culled from texts...

  • What are the common misconceptions about pranayama?

    Probably the most common misconception is that pranayama is somehow dangerous, that it can cause mental and physical upset. This is true enough if it’s taught improperly, especially when giving practices to students who...

  • Why is it beneficial for Hatha yoga classes to include pranayama?

    Most yoga classes that I know of are heavily dependent on asana, including my own. I’m aware though there are yoga schools that aren’t so closely tied into asana and include a wider variety of yoga practices and exercises in...

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