Basile P. Catoméris: Foundations of Yoga

The Traditional Teachings of Sri Shyam Sundar Goswami

Inner Traditions, 2012     Amazon.com

From the Back Cover:

Foundations of Yoga presents the full and rigorous yogic training of traditional Hatha Yoga as taught by renowned Indian Yoga master the late Sri Shyam Sundar Goswami. Written by his disciple and spiritual heir, the book emphasizes metaphysical, spiritual, and psychological cultivation in addition to physical practice. It offers Yoga practitioners and teachers a way to enrich and advance their physical Yoga practice through a deeper understanding of physiology, psychology, philosophy, and spirituality centered on Vedic and Tantric principles.

Woven together with stories from Sri Shyam Sundar Goswami’s life, the book explains pratyahara (control of the senses), charana (yogic bodybuilding), mental concentration exercises, and the energy-focusing and purifying muscular-control movements known as mudras, including the metabolism-boosting mahamudra and advanced pelvic mudras and sexual practices to transcend the ego. The book explores methods of internal purification such as dhauti (cleansing of the stomach with air or water), vasti (intestinal cleansing), neti (nasal cleansing), trataka (visual concentration exercises), and kapalabhati (diaphragmatic hyperventilation) and shows how these purifications are necessary before beginning the advanced breathing practices of pranayama to eradicate deep internal impurities and strengthen the immune system. Exploring the philosophy of Yoga, the book shares meditative exercises for introspection, expanding consciousness, and seeking your true divine nature.

As the teachings and life of Sri S. S. Goswami show, by strengthening the body, vital force, and mind, one can master all three for a long, healthy, harmonious life.

Reviews:

“A profound and lucid study of yoga in the deeper sense of the term, covering both practice and philosophy. Foundations of Yoga is an important book for those who are interested in how Hatha Yoga relates to the greater transformation of body, mind, and heart.”  David Frawley, author of Yoga & Ayurveda and founder of the American Institute for Vedic Studies

“In Foundations of Yoga, Basile P. Catoméris presents a comprehensive view of the ancient practice of Yoga through the eyes of a present day yogi. Those interested in the roots of yogic philosophy and practice will find his clear explanations informative and enlightening.”  Biff Mithoefer, international yoga teacher and author of The Yin Yoga Kit and co-author of The Therapeutic Yoga Kit

“It is with the greatest pleasure I recommend Basile P. Catoméris’s book Foundations of Yoga. Sri Shyam Sundar Goswami and his understanding and practical application of hatha yoga has been instrumental in spreading this form of yoga in the West. The increased interest in the practice of hatha yoga in Europe and the United States makes this book especially important.”  Olle Qvarnström, professor of Indic Religions, Lund University, Sweden

“With Foundations of Yoga, devotee Basile P. Catoméris shares the Hatha yoga legacy of the late Hindu sage, Sri Shyam Sundar Goswami. His account of the lineage and life of the founder of the oldest yoga school in Europe, the Goswami Yoga Institute in Stockholm, is directed at the English-speaking yoga practitioner…Foundations of Yoga will cultivate the knowledge of yoga practitioners at every level and reinforce the expertise of the advanced yoga practitioner.”  Allyson Gracie, Retailing Insight, December 2012

“This book is recommended for those who want to move beyond a perfunctory level…In the spirit of his predecessor, Catoméris offers an excellent synthesis of the ancient science of yoga that will help guide serious aspirants on their journey toward a healthy body and peaceful mind.”  Ajoke Kokodoko, Library Journal, March 2013

About the Author:

Basile P. Catoméris is the disciple and spiritual heir of Sri Shyam Sundar Goswami. Devoting his life to the study and practice of yogic traditions, he studied under Sri S. S. Goswami from 1956 until Goswami’s death in 1978, whereupon he took over Sri S. S. Goswami’s teaching duties at the Goswami Yoga Institute in Sweden. In December 1983, he was granted yogic final initiation (brahma mantra diksha) by Ma Santi Dei, Sri Goswami’s “spiritual mother.” He lives in southern France.