9 Yoga Books That Can Free Your Mind and Change Your Life
If you are a yoga practitioner, then you may want to read some books pertaining to yoga. This might help you dwell deeper into this ancient science for rounding out your knowledge and improving your yoga practice. There may be certain yoga topics that you might want to explore further or might want to know the correct sequence or postures by means of graphical illustrations. We explored various books on yoga and have curated a list of 9 such books written by a credible authority in yoga.
So whether you are a beginner in yoga or a yoga aficionado with a few years of practice under your belt,
we have you covered here by enlisting 9 yoga books that have the potential to free your mind and change your life forever.
Light on Yoga
The ‘Light on yoga’ book was published in 1966 and is written by the famous yoga expert B.K.S Iyengar. This classic book on yoga is known for its comprehensive illustrations of various kinds of yoga poses and an almost equal number of pranayama or breathing techniques. This book transcends the realms of physical yoga asanas and delves heavily into the philosophy of yoga. This book is easy to comprehend and also contains modified yoga versions of some advanced asanas so as to be of use even for beginners in yoga. Furthermore, the book acts as a week-by-week pilot guiding you to progress to doing advanced yoga postures.
Lastly, the book will serve as an inspiration to anyone who feels stuck in their yoga practice and is seeking out novel ways to stay focused on yoga.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
For those unversed, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are Sanskrit manuscripts written by Sage Patanjali many millennia ago. However, it was Sri Swami who wrote the classic in a comprehensible version. The book contains the Sankrit language Sutras which are then elucidated in English. The author has taken a great effort in mentioning word-by-word meaning so that readers are better able to grasp the concepts.
The book is also replete with practical advice from the yoga master to attain peace at all levels of existence based on his personal experiences. The book emphasises ‘Raja Yoga’ which is written in much detail for the study and practice of meditation and concentration.
The Yoga Beginner’s Bible
The ‘Yoga Beginner’s Bible’ by Tai Morello, is a good read, especially for those who want to get acquainted with yoga even before they join their first yoga class. The book is quite illustrative when it comes to yoga poses. Each yoga pose is illustrated through graphical representation and is accompanied by clear instructions. Besides, as usually happens with beginners, their bodies are particularly stiff making it somewhat difficult to do some bendy poses. So, taking a cue, this book also offers some creative modifications that can be performed in class.
Lastly, the book also talks about pranayama or breathing techniques as a key part of the yoga practice.
Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha
Considered a good read for beginners, the ‘Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha’ is a work of Swami Satyananda Saraswati. This book was first published by the ‘Bihar School of Yoga’ in the year 1966. This book garnered international praise and is now considered one of the best-streamlined works serving as a yoga manual. The book includes easy-to-understand and sequential instructions as well as illustrations for all levels of Hatha yoga practitioners. The book contains a vivid explanation of yoga poses and detailed information related to psychic centers and Chakras. The book also illustrates various types of Bandhas, Shatakarma methods, pranayama and Mudras.
Lastly, the book contains sections of therapeutic advice useful for doctors and yoga therapists to treat patients.
Yoga: The Iyengar Way
This amazing book on yoga is written by Silva, Shyam and Mira Mehta. This book can serve as an adjunct to the ‘Light of yoga’ book by B.K.S Iyengar. The book is a comprehensive, authoritative and practical guide to yoga developed by Iyengar. Silva Mehta, a disciple of B.K.S Iyengar was instrumental in propagating yoga worldwide. She is particularly known for her role in establishing the Iyengar Yoga Institute in London.
The book illustrates 100+ postures with pictures while talking about various methods, alignment points and other instructions for ease of understanding.
Yoga for Everyone: 50 Poses For Every Type of Body
If you are a newbie to yoga but still want to take advantage of the encompassing knowledge of yoga, then this all-inclusive book is for you. The book enlists 50 yoga poses that cater to all kinds of age groups. Each yoga exercise incorporates the typical elements of yoga to gain physical and mental benefits. This book caters to people having diverse fitness abilities through visual illustrations of yoga. The 50 yoga poses are explained with 3 modifications so as to suit the abilities of different age groups. Also, these 50 exercises are combined into 10 sequences for the purpose of daily practice.
Lastly, the book rounds off with expert information on how to incorporate yoga into your daily life.
Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice
This is one of the best yoga books that you can buy if you are keen to explore the history of yoga asana. This book by scholar Mark Singleton charts out the roots of ancient yogic practices in India. The book can serve as useful literature, especially for those folks who are planning to pursue a yoga teacher training course in India. You can choose places like Rishikesh, Kerala or Goa for your yoga sojourn. A yoga course in Goa can be your perfect wellness holiday where you can combine your yoga classes with leisure activities in the coastal state of India. What’s more, read this book while lying down on the sandy beaches of Goa. The ambiance might just be perfect for absorbing all the yogic history explored in the book.
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit – A Return to Wholeness
This is one of the most user-friendly yoga books that focuses on the philosophy and practice of yoga in a grounded and practical way. This all-encompassing yoga book is written by Donna Farhi and contains about 240 illustrations for simple comprehension. The book elucidates the fact that yoga can be integrated for connecting your mind, body and soul. Based on the foundational rules of yoga, the book predominantly contains exercise sets that are accompanied by pictures and descriptions of each yoga posture or exercise.
Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful
This is one of the best yoga books on prenatal yoga. The book is authored by Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, a well-known Kundalini yoga teacher known for conducting pre-natal yoga classes. Besides the gentle yoga practice as adviced during pregnancy, the book stands apart from other pre-natal yoga books due to the many advice and anecdotes it carries. This book can empower anyone who is seeking out natural childbirth.
Yoga is a vast ancient science that needs to be explored through yoga books as much as through practicing asanas. The more you read about yoga the more you can explore and deepen your knowledge of this age-old philosophy. The books mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to yoga literature. However, these books can certainly usher you into understanding yoga more intimately as you transcend the spiritual realms of yoga.