Goes beyond the basic principles expounded in the book on Hatha Yoga - but I consider that book a perquisite before reading and practicing the principles set forth in this amazing and enlightening book.

The first paragraph of this book gives you a good sense for the rest of it: "This book is not a book of theories - it deals with facts. Its author regards the best of theories as but working hypotheses to be used only until better ones present themselves. The 'fact' is the principal thing - the essential thing - to uncover which the tool, theory, is used. The sanest thinkers - the best investigators - hold no theory, not even the one dearest to them, that they are not ready and willing to throw away when a better one presents itself, whether that better one be discovered by themselves or other persons. This is the true philosophical spirit."

If you aren't sure if there is such a thing as pyschic healing this is probably not the book for you. It says it's not a book of theories, and it's not. This is a concise summary of the basic methods used in yogic healing, the assumption being that your interest is in learning how it's done, not whether or not it's true. There are no argumentative proofs here - the proof of this book lies in an honest attempt to learn and apply the techniques described by the author. The typical Western thinker, who believes he can understand the world by reading about it in books, will almost certainly dismiss these ideas as naive folk-myth nonsense, but in healing as in anything else knowing how it works does not mean being able to do it, nor does being able to do it mean knowing how it works.

Even so, I'd have preferred a little more "theory," a little more of the philosophy behind the application of yogic practice. Even in sticking to how it's done, a lot of the philosophy involved comes out, but very little time is spent clarifying that philosophy - for that you're referred to other books. Three general approaches to healing are described: physical, mental, and spiritual. Ways of connecting these three types are also touched upon, and in doing so a distinct understanding of the way body, mind, and soul are related is revealed. This really aroused my interest, but those issues are dealt with in other books by this author... so only three stars for this book because now I have to spend more money on those.