There are tons of Yoga books. As you dive deep in knowing more about the fascinating subjects of Yoga, you could end up not knowing which one to buy. You may also end up buying so many Yoga books that you would never read again.
Some of them have fancy Yoga titles. But when you sit down to read, you end up knowing nothing special. Some again could be collections of just good pictures of asanas and pranayama.
So, what are the most important Yoga books?
Here are the life changing Yoga books I would recommend that every Yoga practitioner should have.
Contents:
Books on Asana Practice
1. Light on Yoga by B KS Iyengar
It does not matter whether you are into Hatha Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga or Vinyasa Yoga. Sri B K S Iyengar is one of the foremost authorities on Yoga.
His book ‘Light on Yoga’ is the best yoga asana resource out there.
There is absolutely no other book that can match in terms of precision in explanation, in its traditional approach with modern perspective.
2. Ashtanga Yoga Practice & Philosophy by Gregor Maehle
Those who have been in Ashtanga Yoga Teacher Training know how much I love this book and Gregor Maehle.
This book is an absolute delight for Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga practitioners.
This book has great insights on Yoga Anatomical aspects of practice, traditional Vinyasa Krama and the second part of the book consists of Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. And his explanation..
Oh my boy.. Pure delight to read. It is a work of few years and you will love it.
3. Props for Yoga (3 Volumes) by Eyal Shifroni
He is a senior Iyengar Yoga Practitioner. He has been teaching since 1985. His books are the best in learning how to use the props in yoga asanas. It is so precise with so many variations and so many adaptations you will be just blown away.
All the three books are just the best books to invest in. I bought the kindle version of the books in the beginning and again, I bought the printed versions as it wasn’t easy for me to go through his so-in-depth explanations.
4. Your Body Your Yoga by Bernie Clark
Yoga is an individual practice. It is not a mass practice. However, due to changing times, we are adapting it and making it a mass practice.
I always say, you should not be teaching techniques, but teaching students using techniques.
This is one of those enlightening books in understanding the human body and different human bodies.
If you have completed a good Yoga Teacher Training, you should start reading this book and study it. It gives you amazing insights.
Books on Pranayama
5. Light on Pranayama by B K S Iyengar
Yes, Sri B K S Iyengar is that good. His book on Pranayama is by far the best book on Pranayamas. He explains from the simple pranayamas to the advanced level of pranayamas.
He also explains the impact of Pranayamas on different layers of the system. This is the best book for serious yoga practitioners looking to deepen the practice of Pranayamas.
6. Prana and Pranayama
This is another amazing book on Pranayama. Swami Niranjanananda Saraswathi is a big name in the Yoga Sadhana.
He has a lot of traditional Yoga books to his credit. In this book, he explains the traditional methods with references from different Sanskrit texts along with the proper methods of practices.
Books on Chakras & Tantra
7. Eastern Body Western Mind by Anodea Judith
8. Wheels of Life by Anodea Judith
Anodea Judith is one of the highest authorities on chakras today. She has been writing so many wonderful books on Chakras and her explanations are just beautiful.
There could be places where you might not agree with her explanation. But you can’t deny that her books are the best ones out there on Chakras.
9. Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Wallis
Christopher Wallis also known as Hareesh is one of the most well-read Tantra Scholars. He is not the one fascinated by the tantra practices like many out there.
He has traditionally, systematically learnt the Tantra practices started at the age of 16 and has over 30 years of experience.
This book is an eye opener on many layers. He offers a profound perspective from the traditional tantra practice background and his way of writing makes it easy to explore the most complex concepts of Tantra.
Books on Yoga Philosophy
10. A Life worth Breathing by Max Strom
What a title! Max Storm just makes the philosophy and its practice very interesting. Every page in the book is so interesting that you will not stop reading.
This is an amazing book that you can start reading any day, any time. Your mood just gets into a positive mode.
11. Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques by Mark Stephens
This is like a Yoga Teacher Training Manual. The Yogic concepts from philosophy to practice, from Pranayamas to creating a Yoga class, Mark Stephens offers everything.
This will be very useful regularly in your Yoga teaching profession.
Books on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
12. Inside The Yoga Sutras by Jaganath Carrera
A Comprehensive Sourcebook for the Study and Practice of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a very significant text that every Yoga practitioner wants to study. However, it is complex and not very easy to understand without a proper commentary on it.
This is one of the best books to make the complex sutras easy for Yoga practitioners and teachers.
Read:
13. The Science of Yoga by I K Taimni
You all know how much I love this book. I have always recommended this book. Prof Taimini is not interested in fancy explanations. He has written based on the Vyasa commentary.
What I love the most is he doesn’t think twice to break your popular myths and doesn’t try to please the reader with sugar coats. This is one of the best books on Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
14. How Yoga Works by Michael Roach & Christie McNally
The title of the book is definitely not very attractive. I know. However, the content of the book is Yoga Sutras in the form of a story! Yes, this is a very interesting book on Yoga Sutras.
This is like a coffee table book that explains the yoga sutras in a beautiful story.
You will not stop reading once you start this book. This can be a great beginning to Yoga Sutras.
Yoga Anatomy Books
15. Functional Anatomy of Yoga by David Keil
He is the best! There are so many Yoga Anatomy books. Often it’s very overwhelming when you are bombarded with so many anatomy terms. Even after reading ten pages, you don’t realize how to apply what you just read 🙂
David Keil makes it easy and lucid. He uses simple language and explains the complex concepts with so much simplicity.
He is an ashtanga practitioner. He, unlike many anatomy teachers, is a regular practitioner. He has written the book based on his experience along with profound anatomy knowledge. This is the best book for your Yoga Anatomy Journey.
16. The Key Muscles of Yoga, the Scientific Keys Volume 1
17. The Key Poses of Yoga, the Scientific Keys Volume 2
This is a little deeper compared to the book mentioned above. Ray Long takes every asana and explains with beautiful pictures.
18. Yoga Mat Companion Series (4 Volumes)
This is a little deeper compared to the book mentioned above. Ray Long takes every asana and explains with beautiful pictures.
Summary:
There are so many Yoga books and I am sure there are many other books which are very insightful.
I am in no way denying their uniqueness or ability to add value to Yogi’s life. I have tried to keep a small list of must-have books which directly help you in enhancing your knowledge of Yoga, practice and philosophy.
If you are interested we can also look at some more interesting Yoga books for every Yogi in another article.
Let me know if I missed an important book for a Yogi. We can update the list later if they are worth adding and updating.