10 BEST ESSENTIAL YOGA BOOKS FOR TEACHERS AND PRACTITIONERS OF YOGA.
Why YOGA books? Whether you are an expert teacher, a practicing, or just a beginner of YOGA who seeks to meditate or build your outer and inner health, having a steady amount of reference books will help you increase your knowledge and understanding of that practice. After all, yoga means ‘Yuj’ in Sanskrit, it’s the joining of body and mind, and you must work on both of them indeed cause the practice of it involves so much more than just performing poses and engaging in breathing techniques.
If you don’t know anything about YOGA yet, you will miss a lot in building your body and mind together, and perhaps you will want to read about everything you need to know on YOGA.
And after a lot of research and professional opinions, here are the ten essential YOGA books you can not afford to ignore; you bet you will benefit greatly by reading all or some of them.
BEST CLASSIC YOGA BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS
1- The Bhagavad Gita:
It’s a long poem which means “the song of god” it tells the story of a war between two clans of a royal family in northern India. The story tells about Prince Arjuna, who initially lays down his weapon, torn between his duty and desire not to harm. By his side is his faithful charioteer Krishna, who is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The lengthy dialogue about life, death, love, and spiritual practice unfolds between the two. At the heart of the Gita is the question ‘how should we live?’ it’s one of the world’s most famous and widely read yoga books.
The Gita book contains wisdom vital to any yoga instructor or teacher.
2- The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by “SRI SWAMI SATCHIDANANDA”:
this book offers advice and insight for mastering the mind, and it sets up what it means to practice yoga: “If the restraint of the mental modifications is achieved, one has reached the goal of yoga.”
You will read this book repeatedly, seeking insight and wisdom from the practice and taking away something new each time.
3- LIGHT ON YOGA BY “B.K.S. IYENGAR”:
Iyengar sets out the stances, breathwork, and mindfulness crucial for a yoga practice. It’s comprehensive and incorporates many pictures of the physical poses and directions for pranayama (breathwork) to wed breath, mind, and body.
BEST MODERN YOGA BOOKS FOR BEGINNERS
4- The Student’s Manual of Yoga Anatomy by “SALLY PARKES”:
The Student’s Manual of Yoga Anatomy is essential for aspiring yoga instructors or those who want to further their practice.
This yoga book provides 50 step-by-step illustrated poses accompanied by detailed descriptions of what the body is doing and which muscles are activated when the asana is performed. It’s a great way to bring yoga to life practically.
5- THE HEART OF YOGA BY “T.K.V. DESIKACHAR”:
This yoga book distillates Tirumalai Krishnamacharya’s teachings and understandings as written by his son. It’s based on the idea of viniyoga, encouraging practices to continually evolve and adapt to each person’s own needs, Including poses, meditations, philosophical practices, and more that each person can use to adapt and find their own perfect yoga practice.
6- Autobiography of a Yogi:
Originally published in 1946, the autobiography of Paramahansa Yogananda (born Mukunda Lal Ghosh) has not only sold millions of copies to date, but it’s also been hailed as one of the most spiritual books of the 20th century. The book chronicles Yogananda’s search for spiritual enlightenment, a journey spanning the Eastern and Western worlds that saw him come into contact with Therese Neumann, Anandamayi Ma, Vishuddhananda Paramahansa, and even one Mahatma Gandhi.
7- EASTERN BODY, WESTERN MIND BY “ANODEA JUDITH”:
You’ve probably wondered about the chakras and what those were. They’re energies within everybody, and Judith’s text explains them perfectly, aligning the eastern philosophies with western psychology in a way that makes ancient beliefs and practices click. This book is a reminder that the things western folks believe in psychology and call scientific come from eastern philosophy from centuries ago. This is a slower read and one you’ll read over and over again.
8- Hatha Yoga Pradipika:
If you are interested in hatha yoga or practicing it, or maybe you are a beginner at yoga practice, you will definitely go first to hatha yoga, so this is the right book for you. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika was written in the 15th century C.E. by Svatmarama, and it’s said to be one of the oldest surviving hatha yoga texts. It joins the Goraksha Samhita and Gheranda Samhita (Samhita meaning collection) as a classic hatha yoga text. Pradipika means ‘light’ or ‘to illuminate,’ and that’s what this lengthy and intricate text does.
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika intricately describes asanas (physical yoga poses), mudras (finger and hand positions), pranayama (breathing exercises), and samadhi (a state of deep concentration achieved through meditation).
9- LIVING THE SUTRAS: A GUIDE TO YOGA WISDOM BEYOND THE MAT BY “KELLY DINARDO AND AMY PEARCE-HAYDEN”:
This would be a great resource for those who really want a journaling and meditative practice around the Sutras. The Sutras are laid out succinctly, and DiNardo and Pearce-Hayden offer excellent reflection space after each. It is a perfect guide for dipping your toe into where and how you understand the Sutras and their impact on your own life.
10- MEDITATIONS FROM THE MAT BY “ROLF GATES”:
In 365 short passages, Gates explores how one can integrate yoga, mindfulness, and the principles of the practice into everyday life. This book would be excellent for seeing the yamas and niyamas in practice (i.e., the lessons of the Sutras and the eight-fold path as they relate to modern western life).
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