Upanishads

Mark Stephens: Pranayama, Conscious Breathing & Meditation

Earth AncientsNov 11, 2026

Yoga teacher and author Mark Stephens joins host Cliff Dunning to discuss his 528-page book 'Breathing: The Art and Science of Pranayama,' arguing that conscious breathing is the overlooked core of yoga and a key mediator of consciousness. Stephens traces breath practices from the Vedic era through their major development in the medieval period, and links ancient yogic observations to modern brain imaging findings. He also takes a skeptical look at claims of yogic superpowers, firewalking demonstrations, and the commercial 'breathwork' trend, describing love as the only true superpower.