Books are organized by: Instruction in Yoga Asana, Philosophy and
Poetry.
Unless otherwise stated all hyperlinks lead to
Amazon.com. I am a big fan of purchasing from their Used section and
have been very pleased with the pricing and quality of the books I have
received at a fraction of retail cost.
Hatha
Yoga Illustrated, For Great Strength, Flexibility, and Focus
by Martin
Kirk and Brook Boon
I feel like this is one of the best yoga books in my collection. It
has a very insightful introduction to the art and science of yoga and then
moves right into well written and illustrated presentations of the poses,
divided into well organized groupings of pose types.
Yoga
Heals Your Back, 10-Minute Routines That End Back and Neck Pain
by Rita
Trieger Beyond the
obvious benefits listed in the title this book has groups of progressively
sequenced poses all presented clearly and with great photos. I come back
to it time and again for the sequences.
Lilias!
Yoga Gets Better With Age
by Lilias
Folan What a delight
to see has this American pioneer of yoga has remained relevant and right
in touch with a growing population of older students. There is a lot
of very useful material, both philosophical and instructional, in this
book.
Anusara
Yoga, Teacher Training Manual
by John Friend Written by the founder of Anusara Yoga this manual gives great
insight into the governing philosophy and Universal Alignments of
the fastest growing school of yoga in the nation. Although this
teacher's manual doesn't include many diagrams or pictures the text is invaluable
for learning the Anusara way, regardless of whether or not you are
studying to teach it. Available for purchase through the www.anusara.com
website.
The
Yoga Handbook, A Complete Step-By-Step Guide
by Noa Belling I come back to this book time and again for inspiration and
insight on how to teach sequencing of poses. The pictures and
guidance are great. The Posture Summary Chart is an awesome
visual compilation of the main posture groups. I rate this book very
high.
Light
on Yoga
by B.K.S. Iyengar Written by the founder of Iyengar Yoga, this is considered to be "the bible" for studying Hatha
Yoga and asana postures. The book is a classic, but a bit old in its
presentation.
Dancing
the Body of Light, The Future of Yoga
by Dona Holleman and Orit Sen-Gupta
A thorough, in depth yet easy to read manual on Yoga. Her
seven principles of yoga are very clear and insightful.
Yoga
Mind Body (DK Living)
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center
/ Paperback Another well written and illustrated guide for asana and Yoga
philosophy
Yoga
Mind, Body & Spirit, A Return to Wholeness
by Donna Farhi Donna Farhi shows yoga students of all levels and traditions how
to use yoga as spiritual practice and a vehicle to connect body and mind.
This is a resource I come back to time and again. Her interpretation
of the Eight Limbs is one of the best I've read for the western
mind.
American
Yoga, The Paths and Practices of America's Greatest Yoga Masters
by Carrie Schneider This is a wonderful book for giving insights into the
lives of some of the greatest Yoga instructors that have come out of
America. The biographies are insightful and the instruction on a
diverse selection of poses is worth every penny of this low-cost
book.
Partner
Yoga, Making Contact for Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Growth
by Cain Carrol and Lori
Kimatta, N.D. This delightful book offers
something unique and fun in regards to applying Yoga postures as part of
the interplay with others. It gives clear guidance and pictures of
how to do the postures with another person.
Myths
of the Asanas, The Stories at the Heart of the Yoga Tradition
by Alanna Kaivalya & Arjuna van der Kooij This is and exceptional book of stories and myths that gives
clear and well-written insight into the names behind the poses and core
yoga principles. Very much recommended!
Shiva
Sutras, The Supreme Awakening commentary
by Swami Lakshmanjoo Deep, but relatively easy to follow, commentary on a classis
Kashmiri Shaivism text giving clear teaching into Tantric Yoga (not the
sex stuff...) philosophy. I love the way the author knows how to
communicate to the Western reader this deep Eastern teaching.
Kashmir
Shaivism, The Secret Supreme
Revealed by
Swami Lakshmanjoo This book is the source for deep insight into one of the most
refined yogic philosophies and how it helps one find their true nature
which is all being, all consciousness, all bliss. The author goes
into the heart of the teaching.
Desire,
The Tantric Path to Awakening by Daniel
Odier Profound teachings about the nature of desire and its tremoring
vibration pulsing through life; how to be present to the world and savor
all aspects of it through full consciousness. This book is a
definite must for very practical insight into Tantric Yoga living.
Yoga
Spandakarika, The Sacred Text at the Origins of Tantra by Daniel
Odier This book is an excellent companion to the one listed
above. It is a translation and commentary on a couple profound
Tantric Yoga texts. It addresses concepts such as how to be in
harmony with the cosmos and how to explore the unity of consciousness that
is divine presence in all things.
The
Doctrine of Vibration, An Analysis of the Doctrines and Practices of
Kashmir Shavism by Mark
Dyczkowski The author explains the central feature of Kashmir Shaivism: the
all pervasive Consciousness of Shiva. This is one of the most
profound and powerful books into a all too little know area of deep yogic
philosophy. I found the book to be indispensable, compelling and
mind expanding overall. One of the best additions to my yoga library.
Tantra,
The Path of Ecstasy by Georg
Feuerstein Feuerstein draws on the ancient texts to describe the Tantric
path in great detail, including realization of the subtle body, directing
energy through the chakras, and, yes, sex. Taken together, tantra becomes
a vivid, multifaceted path to self-realization. This is a good overview of
Tantra in general.
Heart
of the Yogi, The Philosophical World of Hatha Yoga
by Doug Keller This is one of the most thoughtful and clearly expressed book sharing
great insight into the background of yoga's development through the Vedic
periods, the Preclassical, Classical and the Tantric Yoga
Revolution. His knowledge is profound and his way of expressing it
in a easy to follow and informative way speaks volumes. Highly
recommended, especially if you want to go deeper with your insight of the
Tantric path.
Note: To buy this book you must order through the author's site and use a
PayPal account. I ended up emailing him at DoYoga@aol.com requesting a
copy and he mailed it with an invoice. Well worth the $32 price.
Yoga
from the Inside Out, Making Peace With Your Body Through Yoga
by Christina Sell Anusara teacher and student Christina Sell relates her personal
story of making peace with her body. In doing so she writes a
wonderful practical guide of how self acceptance can lead one deeper into
a state of grace and inner peace. Her insights on applied yoga
philosophy make this a very valuable addition to your library.
Yoga
of Heart, The Healing Power of Intimate Connection
by Mark
Whitwell This is a very personal look at the practice of yoga and how it
can serve to deepen our relationships, within and without. It
warm-heartedly guides the reader to accept there divinity as it is
expressed in our everyday living. It is a wonderful source for creating a
sense that we are OK as is and our life has its merits and purpose by
nature of its existence; life affirmations run throughout the book.
Bringing
Yoga to Life : The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living
by Donna Farhi Farhi (Yoga Mind, Body, and Spirit; The Breathing Book) explains
how to begin the process of integrating the principles of yoga into daily
living. This is not a book for seekers of a quick self-help fix; Farhi
points out "the ancient science of Yoga does not pretend to be
simple, quick, or easy." Rather, it's for readers interested in
learning about the origins of yoga and using this deeper understanding to
bring slow improvement to mind and body.
Jnaneshwar's
Gita
Translated by Swami
Kripananda One of the most insightful translations of
the Bhagavad Gita. Jnaneshwar was an Indian saint who wrote his
commentary on the Gita around 1290 AD as an enlightened yoga master while
still in his teens. This jewel of a book was a treasure when I
discovered it as a recommendation by John Friend. As a note, the
link above is to the Siddha Yoga publishing bookstore website and $18.95
price. Amazon's price is hyper-inflated so don't buy there.
Bhagavad
Gita, A New Translation
Translated by Stephen
Mitchell On the list of the greatest spiritual books
of all time, the Bhagavad Gita resides permanently in the top echelon.
This poem of patently Indian genius sprouted an immense tree of
devotional, artistic, and philosophical elaboration in the subcontinent.
The scene is a battlefield with the prince Arjuna pitted against his own
family, but no sooner does the poem begin than the action reverts inward.
Krishna, Arjuna's avatar and spiritual guide, points the way to the
supreme wisdom and perfect freedom that lie within everyone's reach.
Stephen Mitchell's translation is written for the western reader and is
clean, clear and easy to read.
Bhagavad
Gita: The Song of God
Translated by Swami
Prabhavananda and Christopher Isherwood This is another excellent translation of the Gita.
The
Essence of Yoga, Reflections on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
by Bernard Bouanchaud This translation of the Yoga Sutras illuminates the
underlying philosophy and spiritual dimension of yoga. For the first time,
in this new and elegant translation from the Sanskrit, all the sutras
appear in an accessible question-and-answer format, along with special
queries that encourage self-reflection.
Meditation
for Starters
by Donald Walters (Swami Kriyananda) This is an informative guide into meditation written by one of
the foremost direct disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda.
The
Autobiography of a Yogi
by Paramahansa Yogananda Yogananda's autobiography has long been
regarded as a spiritual classic, revealing the sentiments and teachings of
one who helped spread Eastern knowledge in the West.
At
the Eleventh Hour: The
Biography of Swami Rama
by Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, Ph.D. This biography of Himalayan Institute founder
Swami Rama consists of anecdotes centering around the transmission of
ascetic spiritual traditions from grandmaster to master to disciple.
The
Soul of Rumi: A New Collection of Ecstatic Poems by Coleman Barks, John Moyne (Translator),
Nevis Ergin (Translator), A. Arberry (Translator), Reynold A.
Nicholson (Translator), Maulana Jalal al-Din Rumi (Contributor)
The
Love Poems of Rumi
by Jalal Al-Din Rumi, Deepak Chopra (Translator), Fereydoun Kia
(Translator)
