Here is my list of top yoga books to have in your library (or to get at the library), or to gift that special yogi in your life! Many of these may seem geared to women, but fellas, there is great info found within these pages!
I’ve listed them within the groupings of asana/anatomy (physical postures), philosophy, personal accounts & conscious communication/guides for teachers.
Asana (the physical practice of yoga):
1. Yoga- A Path to Holistic Health by B.K.S Iyengar
2. Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness by Donna Farhi
3. 30 Essential Yoga Poses: For Beginning Students and Their Teachers by Judith Hanson Lasater
Philosophy:
If you are not familiar with the Yoga Sutras, start here:
4. The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjai: A New Translation with Commentary by Chip Hartranft
Then this:
5. Threads of Yoga: A Remix of Patanjali’s Sutras with Commentary and Reverie by Matthew Remski
6. The Bhagavad Gita translation by Eknath Easwaran
7. Living your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life by Judith Hanson Lasater
8. The Deeper Dimensions of Yoga: Theory and Practice by Georg Feuerstein
Personal Accounts, weaving the practice into life:
9. Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living by Donna Farhi
Conscious Communication/Guides for Teachers:
10. Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship by Donna Farhi
11. What We Say Matters: Practicing Nonviolent Communication by Judith Hanson Lasater
Bonus books, because these are also great:
- Breathing Book By Donna Farhi
- Yoga for a World Out of Balance: Teachings on Ethics and Social Action by Michael Stone
- Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach
- The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health: A Life Long Guide to Wellness by Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden (must have for pre & post natal, menstruation & menopausal years)
Happy Reading (and practicing)!