Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda: The Power of Rejuvenation and Immortality

Soma is one of the key words in the ancient traditions of India. It stands for all that is gentle, beautiful, delicate, and sweet of temperament. It is also a synonym for the Moon. A person is complimented by calling him/her saumya, moon-like. A saumya face, saumya mien is what one looks for in choosing a friend.

Soma is part of the eternal pair of Agni- Soma. Agni is the fire element; Soma is the water element, moonlike. This pair is the Vedic equivalent of the Taoist yin-yang principle, balancing of the female and the male, energizer (female) and the energized (male).

What is the secret of Soma, the legendary mystic drink of immortality, first lauded by India’s ancient Vedic seers? Is Soma a single plant, a type of plants, a way of healing, a special intoxicant, or an inner elixir produced by Yoga and meditation?

Going back to the vision of the Vedic seers, David Frawley reveals the secret of Soma for body, mind and spirit, with its profound implications from diet and herbs to pranayama, mantra and meditation. His new analysis of Soma, reflecting forty years of study of Vedic texts, is practical, comprehensive and deeply insightful so that you can bring the secret power of Soma into all aspects of your life and consciousness, and for the world as a whole.

Review(s)

Vamadeva’s tour of well-being, incisive and empirical, always comes back to us, to the goodness in our life. …This book’s fundamental message reminded me of Abraham Lincoln’s maxim: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years”. The difference is, Vamadeva teaches us how to put the Divine life into all our days and years. – Paramacharya Sadasivanatha Palaniswami, Hinduism Today, Editor-in-Chief.

Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda weaves together with remarkable clarity rejuvenation of the body, revitalization of the mind, and awakening to the inherent immortality of the Spirit. The book reveals special healing secrets of Soma from the ancient Vedic rishis and Yogis reflecting a profound vision and wide range of application that can transform both our individual lives and our collective culture. Vamadeva Shastri has provided one of the most important and original books on Yoga and Ayurveda in recent times that is bound to be studied for decades to come. – Deepak Chopra, author Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul: How to Create a New Self

Once again, David Frawley has produced a book of unparalleled depth and insight. Soma in Yoga and Ayurveda synthesizes profound teachings and practices from Yoga, Tantra, Ayurveda, and Jyotish for rejuvenating the body, elevating emotions, awakening the intellect, and realizing the true meaning of immortality. Vamadeva is one of the few authentic voices sharing this transformational knowledge, making it available and accessible to the modern reader. I am continually grateful for his work. – Gary Kraftsow, American Viniyoga Institute, author Yoga for Wellness and Yoga for Transformation

Soma in Yoga & Ayurveda cracks the secret code of “Soma” and demystifies the myth and logic about its practical application. Dr. Frawley has clearly outlined that the real fountain of Soma is well within you and tapping into that nourishment will make your life enlightened and blissful. – Dr. Suhas Kshirsagar BAMS, MD (Ayu), Director, Ayurvedic Healing

About the Author(s)

David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) is one of the few Westerners recognized in India as a Vedacharya or teacher of the ancient Vedic wisdom. He is the author of numerous books and articles on Vedic Topics including Ayurveda, Vedic Astrology,Vedanta, Hinduism, Yoga and Tantra, as well as translations and interpretations from the Vedas. Dr. Frawley has been given many awards for his work in India including the Veda Vyasa award by the International Institute of India Studies. He is a Jyotish Kovid through the Indian Council of Astrological Sciences, and is also the President of the American Council of Vedic Astrology, the American offshoot of the Indian council; He has a Doctorês degree in Chinese Medicine and has also been certified as an expert through the University of Poona for his knowledge of Yoga and Ayurveda. He is presently Director of the American Institute of Vedic Studies.