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.
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.
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)
