Every yogi, whether they have recently started doing yoga or have been doing it for ages, looks for an interesting yoga book at some point in time. And let’s admit that the purpose of investing in a yoga book is different for each and every individual. Some buy it just for the sake of learning new and trendy yoga poses, while others do it to get inspired and enlightened.
And for some people, their curiosity gets the best of them, making it irresistible for them to splurge on motivational yoga books. But there also happens to be a dedicated lot that invests in inspiring yoga books to fully train themselves.
For whatever reason, you want to buy a yoga book, consider the following suggestions.
1. Light on Yoga by Iyengar
If there is a book that can help you deepen your yoga practice, it has to be Light on Yoga by B.K.S. Iyengar.
It is a classic 1966 book that features hundreds of must-know yoga poses for both beginners and experts. The reader will also come across various incredible breathing techniques that will enhance his/her regular yoga practice.
The subtitle explicitly says The Bible of Modern Yoga. And well, we totally second that!
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2. Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Mathews
Yoga practitioners who have little to no knowledge about human anatomy must get this book today. Through excellent examples, the book illustrates everything related to the human body that every devoted yogi must know in advance of their yoga practice.
If you want to gain more knowledge and passion for yoga, now you know which book to pick up.
3. Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses
What really sets this book apart from other fascinating yoga books is its amazing writing style. The writer Claire Dederer shares her personal story about how yoga changed her life forever.
The narrative is beautiful and inspiring to the extent that every non-yogi reader will be compelled to try yoga too. The book goes beyond discussing yoga’s physical benefits, shedding light on how it improves one’s overall well-being.
4. Cool Yoga Tricks by Miriam Austin
This is one of the most ideal yoga books for beginners who want to start their yoga practice in their homes.
As the title suggests, the yoga book contains some really cool tricks that will help you get started on the right foot.
Plus, all the techniques explained in the book would make your initial stage of yoga easy. How? The writer has given a creative twist to typical yoga poses. She has described how these conventional poses can be made interesting by incorporating them with fun props such as blocks, tables, chairs, sofa, and blankets.
5. Teaching Yoga: Essential Foundations and Techniques
This is a perfect resource for all yogi teachers looking for a simple yet informative guide for their students.
Incredibly written by Mark Stephen, the book can also come in handy for those students who want to enhance their yoga skills and tactics.
It covers over 150 yoga posture photos and illustrations that touch upon a wide array of topics history, philosophy, and techniques of yoga.
6. Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful by Gurumukh
In the sea of yoga books for pregnant women, this is the one that is a treasure of wisdom in the truest sense of the word.
Pregnant women, belonging to different walks of life, would find the information extremely inspiring.
Written by famous yoga teacher Gurumukh, the book revolves around the spiritual meditations and physical practices of Kundalini yoga. In this step-to-step guide, all expectant mothers would rediscover a profound love for yoga which they would not have felt ever before.
7. Perfectly Imperfect by Baron Baptiste
In this fabulous yoga book, Baptiste admires both the fun and serious side of yoga.No matter at what stage you may be in your yoga practice beginner or advanced you will be able to relate to this book on many levels. After reading the book, you will view your yoga practice in a completely different light.
If you are into simple, enjoyable, and sincere yoga poses, this book is definitely for you. It will also teach you ways to make yoga more practical. To say the least, it is a highly empowering and engaging read.
You don’t want to miss out on this one!
8. Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice
Did you think that you knew everything about yoga’s origin in ancient India? Well, we’ll advise you to have a look at Yoga Body right now. Trust us; you wouldn’t act like a know-it-all then.
In this captivating book, author and scholar Mark Singleton shares a fresh and unique perspective of yoga that will broaden your horizons.
By the end of this book, you will be questioning many typical ideas that you might probably have learned at your yoga classes. Unlearn those conventional pearls of wisdom by giving this book a thorough read!
9. Hell-Bent by Benjamin Lorr
If you are fond of Bikram yoga and appreciate a good sense of humor, you should give this book a read.
It is not one of those serious, information-ridden yoga books. In fact, it is witty and wise, apt for both yoga practitioners and those who don’t practice yoga.
The book explores the dark and competitive side of Bikram yoga with a tinge of humor in the narrative sounds interesting, right?
10. The Goddess Pose by Michelle Goldberg
The Goddess Pose highlights how yoga has transformed from an Eastern meditation technique to one of the most integral aspects of Western society.
The author enlightens us with this crucial idea through the biography of Indra Devi one of the first people who taught postural yoga in the United States.
The history of modern yoga is incomplete without understanding the role and influence of Indra Devi in shaping it. For a knowledgeable insight into the beginning and spread of modern yoga, this book is a great choice.
11. Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life
What’s the best way to expand your knowledge about the meaning of yoga? Read Living Your Yoga.
The author Judith Hanson Lasater – beautifully explains that one doesn’t need to embark on the journey of yoga simply to enjoy its health benefits. Yoga is much deeper and meaningful than that.
The author considers yoga more as a lifestyle than a practice. If you believe the same or want to learn about it more, get this book right now.
12. Yoga: The Iyengar Way
Written in 1990 by Silva, Mira, and Shyam Mehta, The Iyengar Way covers about 100 postures created by B.K.S Iyengar the founder of the Iyengar Yoga. Along with a step-by-step guide, you will find plenty of pictures that will help you visually understand the yoga poses in a clearer manner.
13. The Yoga Bible by Christina Brown
Learn the most common and popular yoga poses through this book where about 150 positions along with a step-by-step guide are described in detail. Both the physical and mental benefits of yoga are extensively discussed in this book.
Many find The Yoga Bible a well-compiled book, discussing everything that yoga entails. For readers’ convenience, it also illustrates poses through excellent-quality photos. This will ensure the readers that they are following the guide correctly. Along with poses and photos, you will also come across variations of poses and some useful information about them.
14. Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit by Donna Farhi
It is a yoga book that is considered to be a must-have for all yoga beginners. The book is enlightening for so many reasons, especially the way it guides on how yoga helps asanas come to life with the help of seven moving principles breathe, yield, center, radiate, support, align, and engage.
The author not only discusses various kinds of poses including seated poses, standing poses, backbends, arm balances, restorative poses, and breathing poses, but it also points out what practitioners must NOT do.
15. The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga by Ray Long
The third edition of The Key Muscles of Hatha Yoga comes with extended content. A new chapter on breathing techniques during yoga is added to the book.
The graphics of the book are worth the praise as they explain every step of the pose wonderfully. The outstanding feature of this book is that it discusses the chakras and bandhas too. If you happen to be a Hatha Yoga teacher, you must purchase this book for a helpful guide.
16. Yoga for Beginners by Susan Neal
Written by a nurse and certified yoga practitioner, Neal describes a step-by-step guide to various yoga poses. Follow the guide, and you will be able to achieve the inner peace that yoga offers.
The book is an excellent resource for yoga practitioners who have just started with the meditative practice. The tone of the book is encouraging, and it will motivate beginners to try different poses without any hesitation.
The book also touches base on how yoga practitioners can become more flexible and relieve stress two of the most fundamental parts of yoga! To be specific, the book describes 60 of the most significant yoga poses with specific directions. You will also find full-length photographs that show what each pose should really look like.
17. Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers
Filled with wisdom and insight, Insight Yoga throws light on Sarah’s view of meridian theory and how it is linked with yoga. The fresh perspective is, indeed, food for thought.
Since the book is primarily based on yin yoga, it explains numerous yoga poses that are specifically designed in accordance with the Chinese medicine called meridians.
Each yoga practice is divided into a short and long version, helping the practitioner incorporate them into their daily routine.
18. Yoga Body and Mind Handbook by Jasmine Tarkeshi
A beginner’s guide to yoga is incomplete without the inclusion of the Yoga Body and Mind Handbook. Composed by keeping beginners in mind, the handbook is a staple for beginners who want to uplift their body, mind, and spirit.
One of the most renowned yoga teachers, Tarkeshi gives a brilliant introduction to key topics like yoga poses, meditation, and breathing techniques.
The book’s detailed and clear instructions along with high-quality graphics are a bonus. Bear in mind that the book mostly covers areas that only beginners would find useful. Experts may not find the information too important.
19. Meditations from the Mat by Rolf Gates
Incorporate mindfulness well into your lifestyle by making Meditations from Matt your guiding light. It offers 365 meditations in total. So practice a new meditation each day and make your yoga practice more meaningful and worthwhile.
Gates recounts his own personal experiences, reflecting on how yoga improved his life. Reading this book may give you hope that the teachings of yoga can enhance your life’s journey too.
20. Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving Through Stillness by Erich Schiffmann
If you are curious to explore different kinds of yoga approaches, then you will definitely take a liking to this book. It explores a plethora of approaches ranging from Iyengar to Desikachar.
Learn about meditation, asanas, pranayama, and lots more by getting yourself a copy of Yoga. The book is a page-turner, challenging the reader to try a new pose every day.
21. Mindfulness Yoga by Frank Jude Boccio
Designed for both beginners and experts, Mindfulness yoga teaches how to excel at mindfulness yoga.
The author gives a brilliant introduction to this new, modern form of yoga. The author elucidates how practicing this yoga can make your body healthier and smarter and rejuvenate the mind and spirit.
The text of the book will appeal to all those people who have a likeness for yoga, meditation, and Buddhism. The greatest feature of this book is its lay-flat binding. The structure of the book will come a lot in handy when you are practicing yoga. It would be easier to read and follow the instructions.
22. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda
There is no better way to learn yoga techniques directly from the master himself. And the good news is that the author of this book is a monk who has dedicated his time and life to God.
Yoga practitioners interested to learn Raja Yoga would find the priest’s writing spiritual and influential. The book consists of sutras with pronunciation and translation in English. Get this book to indulge yourself in unique form of meditation.
23. The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
Son of a renowned yogi of modern times Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, Desikachar encourages the practitioner to understand himself/herself first and then decide which of the poses they will prefer to try.
The book focuses on Krishnamacharya’s concept of viniyoga and presents fundamental yoga practices based on it. It is a perfect combination of the author’s own approach and his father’s beliefs and what readers get is a terrific blend of old and new principles of yoga.
You will be illuminated about all different elements of yoga meditation, breathing, poses, counter poses, and philosophy.
24. Eastern Body, Western Mind by Anodea Judith
The beauty of this book lies in the fact that it will help you when you are feeling dull, depressed, and stuck.
Judith, through her powerful writing, provides ways of how one can heal their wounded soul. The book will help you explore the deeper spiritual meaning of life. And mind you, all of this can be achieved by doing yoga that’s what Judith convinces her readers through this enticing book.
Polish up your psyche and belief system by purchasing Eastern Body, Western Mind. You will end up learning a unique connection between Eastern philosophy and Western medicine.
25. Head Over Heels by Rachel Scott
With this book, the author will surprise you how yoga a spiritual practice can also help you with dating and relationships. Yes, you read that right!
The book is packed with wisdom and yoga practices that will help you sail through the storm of dating life and relationships with your loved ones. By the end of the read, you will feel more empowered, confident, and independent.
Follow the guide and avail yourself the opportunity to live a happier, brighter, and healthier life.
Surely, there is no shortage of yoga books on the market. And here we talked about the best ones that every Yoga lover must consider investing in.