Recommended Yoga books for Yoga teachers and Yogis alike
Let’s face it there are plenty of Yoga books, so it isn't easy to know where to start with recommendations.
Our recommended yoga books for Yoga teachers and Yogis comprise the books we require for our 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training programme. And a list of books recommended by our teaching faculty.
These yoga books cover many topics that all combine for a good introduction to the many tools of Yoga. Covering yoga philosophy, anatomy, asana, pranayama, meditation, chakras, teaching, adjusting, yoga therapy, spirituality and general reading.
Required Reading for our 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training Programme
Considered the “teacher of teachers,” Donna Farhi has led international yoga retreats and trained yoga instructors worldwide for over thirty years. In Teaching Yoga, she shares the knowledge she’s gained from her decades of experience, exploring with depth and compassion a variety of practical and philosophical topics such as:
The student-teacher relationship and how to create healthy boundaries
How to create physical and emotional safety for the student
Reasonable class sizes and how much they should cost
How to conduct the business of teaching while upholding the integrity of yoga as a philosophy, a science, and an art
Filled with personal anecdotes and illustrations, Teaching Yoga is an essential resource for current or aspiring yoga instructors with questions about creating a safe, empowering space for themselves and their students.
As we now understand, the effects of trauma are stored in the body as sensations, pain and behaviours.
Bessel van der Kolk, a psychiatrist and researcher who has spent his career studying the effects of trauma on the brain and body - argues that trauma is not just a psychological or emotional experience but a physiological one that can have long-lasting effects on the brain and body.
He describes how trauma can disrupt the functioning of the nervous system, leading to a range of physical and mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and addiction.
Van der Kolk discusses various approaches to treating trauma, including traditional talk therapy, medication, and alternative therapies such as Yoga and mindfulness.
He emphasizes the importance of addressing trauma's psychological and physiological aspects to achieve lasting recovery.
Ethics of Caring, Finding the Right Relationship with Clients by Kylea Taylor
Unfortunately, the practice of ethics in spiritual traditions such as Yoga is sorely lacking. In this book, Kylea Taylor explores what it means to remain in the right relationship with a client.
Staying in the right relationship with a client is often an artful movement, a dance with a different "partner" each time.
Yet there are helpful rules of thumb that can keep us from stepping on toes (doing harm) and support both professional and client in doing a beautiful, healing dance together (creating client benefit).
The Ethics of Caring is a unique ethics text designed to guide the self-compassionate self-reflection of students and professionals (therapists, clergy, hospice workers, bodyworkers, educators, medical professionals, mentors, and other caregivers) toward understanding human motivations and countertransference, finding the professional right relationship, and making good choices with clients.
The Ethics of Caring illuminates the inevitable, profound, transformative moments in a professional relationship, which furnish greater potential for client healing and may bring greater ethical challenges.
The Bhagavad Gita: A Guide to Navigating the Battle of Life by Ravi Ravindra
“All there is Krishna.”
Upon hearing this famous and enigmatic line from Gita’s seventh chapter when he was a boy, Ravi Ravindra embarked on a journey to understand its deep meaning.
The search led him far beyond the tradition from which the text originally arose to explore world mystical wisdom, including Zen, Christianity, Yoga, and particularly the teachings of J. Krishnamurti and G. I. Gurdjieff.
Dr. Ravindra’s fresh prose translation with wide-ranging commentary is the fruit of that lifelong process.
It stands out from the many other versions with its assertion that the Bhagavad Gita is at heart a universal guide to navigating the battle of life required of every one of us.
Through that navigation, he shows, we can discover and connect with the Krishna deep within ourselves: The Eternal Witness who is above the battle, and who is, ultimately and joyfully, all there is.
Yoga Anatomy - 2nd Edition by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews
With clear, expert instruction and full-colour, detailed anatomical drawings, "Yoga Anatomy" provides a deeper understanding of the structures and principles underlying each movement and yoga itself.
Whether you are just beginning your journey or have been practising yoga for years, "Yoga Anatomy" will be an invaluable resource - one that allows you to see each movement in an entirely new light.
The best-selling anatomy guide for yoga is now updated, expanded and better than ever!
With more asanas, vinyasas, full-colour anatomical illustrations and in-depth information, the second edition of "Yoga Anatomy" provides a deeper understanding of the structures and principles underlying each movement and yoga itself.
From breathing to inversions to standing poses, see how specific muscles respond to the movements of the joints; how alterations of a pose can enhance or reduce effectiveness and how the spine, breathing and body position are all fundamentally linked.
With "Yoga Anatomy", authors Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews both internationally recognised experts and teachers in anatomy, breathing and bodywork, have created the ultimate reference for yoga practitioners, instructors and enthusiasts alike.
Your Body, Your Yoga by Bernie Clark
Your Body, Your Yoga goes beyond any prior yoga anatomy book available. It looks not only at the body's unique anatomical structures and what this means to everyone's individual range of motion, but also examines the physiological sources of restrictions to movement.
Two volumes are provided in this book: Volume 1 raises a new mantra to be used in every yoga posture: What Stops Me? The answers presented run through a spectrum, beginning with a variety of tensile resistance to three kinds of compressive resistance.
Examined are the nature of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments, joint capsules, bones and our extracellular matrix and their contribution to mobility. The shape of these structures also defines our individual, ultimate range of movement, which means that not everybody can do every yoga posture.
The reader will discover where his or her limits lie, which dictates which alignment cues will work best, and which ones should be abandoned.
Volume 2 will take these principles and apply them to the lower body, examining the hip joint, the knee, ankle and foot, and will present how your unique variations in these joints will show up in your yoga practice.
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Edwin Bryant
Written almost two millennia ago, Patañjali's work focuses on how to attain the direct experience and realization of the “purusa,” the innermost individual self, or soul.
As the classical treatise on the Hindu understanding of mind and consciousness and on the technique of meditation, it has exerted immense influence over the religious practices of Hinduism in India and, more recently, in the West.
Edwin F. Bryant's translation is clear, direct, and exact. Each sutra is presented as Sanskrit text, transliteration, and precise English translation, and is followed by Bryant's authoritative commentary, which is grounded in the classical understanding of yoga and conveys the meaning and depth of the sutras in a user-friendly manner for a Western readership without compromising scholarly rigour or traditional authenticity.
In addition, Bryant presents insights drawn from the primary traditional commentaries on the sutras written over the last millennium and a half.
Recommended Reading as a Yogi
Science of Yoga by Ann Swanson
Introducing Science of Yoga - an all-encompassing science book to help you better understand yoga anatomy and the medical science behind yoga to perfect your practice and poses.
Did you know that yoga practice can help treat age-related memory loss better than brain-training games? Recent scientific research now supports what were once anecdotal claims about the benefits of yoga to every system in the body. Science of Yoga provides a detailed insight into variations of key yoga poses and the specific benefits of different styles of yoga on the human body, system by system.
Science of Yoga is a riveting read, and reveals how your blood flow, respiration, muscles and joints work below the surface of each yoga pose, whilst teaching you to achieve technical excellence in your practice, from the comfort of your own home.
The first yoga book on the market to combine detailed anatomical drawings, pose mechanics and key scientific research, Science of Yoga is a must-have volume for yoga beginners and professionals alike, seeking an accessible and easy-to-read guide on the effects of yoga on the human body from a scientific standpoint.
Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali by Swami Hariharananda Aranya
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali are universally acknowledged as the fundamental text on yoga and meditation in the Indian classical tradition.
This English translation of the Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali is widely regarded as the most authoritative and authentic that has been available in recent times.
It is a serious and clear presentation of Patanjali's sutras and Vyasa's Bhasya, providing these basic texts both in the original Sanskrit and in readable and accurate English.
These classical works are augmented by the commentary of Swami Hariharananda Aranya, a scholar and yogi of great repute, who, in his lifetime, was the foremost exponent in India of the Samkhya Yoga system of which the Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali are the principal work.
Yoga of the Subtle Body: A Guide to the Physical and Energetic Anatomy of Yoga by Tias Little
If you spend considerable time doing yoga, you begin to see that it is about much more than just the body—the practice of yoga in fact reveals that the body is in no way separate from the psychospiritual forces that animate it.
Here, Tias Little provides a way to understand these forces as they relate to an integrated yoga of body, mind, and spirit. He unites somatic concepts and wisdom teachings in this practical guide to the anatomy of the physical, mental, emotional, and subtle (or energetic) body.
Little is a master teacher who offers us a guided tour of the body’s structure and physical anatomy and then uses this new structural awareness as the basis for exploring the subtle body.
In a meaningful and pragmatic way, the book maps the connection between the body and the rich symbolism that pervades the yogic imagination, including the chakras, nadis, and koshas.
Further, Little offers readers clear, insightful yoga, pranayama, and meditation exercises that apply these body-mind principles.
The Complete Book of Yoga by Swami Vivekananda
The concept and practice of yoga originated in India several thousand years ago. Its founders were great saints & sages. The great yogis gave rational interpretation to their experience of Yoga & brought about a scientific and practical method within everyone's reach.
This edition combines the four paths of yoga as expounded by Swami Vivekananda in the nineteenth century. They include the three Yogas mentioned in the Bhagwat Gita, Raja yoga, Jnana yoga, Karma yoga, and Bhakti yoga, which is based on Patanjali's yoga sutras, and together they speak to the active, the emotional, the mystic, and the philosophical inside us.
Complete with timeless universal wisdom, and not restricted to physical exercises, the yogic practices explained by Vivekananda become a way of life and hence lead to the realization of the absolute.
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by B.K.S. Iyengar
BKS Iyengar's translation and commentary on these ancient yoga sutras have been described as the "bible" of yoga. This new edition of the classic text contains a new introduction by BKS Iyengar, as well as a foreword by Godfrey Devereux, author of Dynamic Yoga.
Patanjali wrote this collection of yoga wisdom over 2,000 years ago. They are amongst the world's most revered and ancient teachings and are the earliest, most holy yoga reference. The Sutras are short and to the point - each being only a line or two long.
BKS Iyengar has translated each one and provided his own insightful commentary and explanation for modern readers. The Sutras show the reader how we can transform ourselves through the practice of yoga, gradually developing the mind, body and emotions, so we can become spiritually evolved. The Sutras are also a wonderful introduction to the spiritual philosophy that is the foundation of yoga practice.
The book is thoroughly cross-referenced, and indexed, resulting in an accessible and helpful book that is of immense value both to students of Indian philosophy and practitioners of yoga.
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramhansa Yogananda was the first great master of India to live in the West for an extended period.
Sent to America in 1920, he introduced thousands of Americans to yoga.
This is his autobiography.
Bringing Yoga to Life: The Everyday Practice of Enlightened Living by Donna Farhi
Internationally renowned and bestselling author Donna Farhi moves yoga practice beyond the mat into our everyday lives, restoring the tradition's intended to function as a complete, practical philosophy for daily living.
Expanding upon the teachings of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the core text of the yoga tradition, Donna Farhi describes yoga's transforming power as a complete life practice, far beyond its common reduction to mere exercise routine or stress management.
This is the philosophy of yoga as a path to a deeper awareness of self. Drawing upon her years of teaching with students, Farhi guides readers through all the pitfalls and promises of navigating a spiritual practice.
Farhi's engaging and accessible style and broad experience offer important teachings for newcomers and seasoned practitioners of yoga alike. And because her teachings of yoga philosophy extend into every corner of daily life, this book is an equally accessible guide to those seeking spiritual guidance without learning the pretzel bendings of the physical practice itself.
As one of the top teachers worldwide, Farhi's exploration of the core philosophy of yoga is destined to become an instant classic.
The Ultimate Understanding by Ramesh S. Balsekar
The Ultimate Understanding, is, according to Ramesh himself, "a book containing the full essentials of the philosophy of Advaita, or Non-duality (Unicity). It is perhaps the most explicitly expressed book on this complex subject. What is the ultimate understanding? That there is no one to understand anything."
Recognized as one of the foremost contemporary sages, married and father of three, and a banker who retired from the top of his profession, Ramesh could be considered a householder Guru. In his latest book, Ramesh shares openly, poignantly, and with stunning humility, how a sage lives his life.
Backed by the total conviction of the final understanding of a true Master, and at the same time presented from the perspective of "life as we know it", this treasure of Advaita is unrivalled in its unique conceptual expression of the highest Truth, delivered with fundamental wisdom, simplicity, and clarity - and with Ramesh's widely-loved gaiety and humour.
Ramesh elaborates his own concepts with those of his Guru, Nisargadatta Maharaj, the Buddha, Ramana Maharshi, selected Hindu scriptures, several Taoist Masters and Wei Wu Wei, all serving as pointers to the Truth, to the ultimate understanding.
While the book is a compilation of such classic themes as the nature of the phenomenal manifestation including the human being, the concept of space-time, temporality and Intemporality, the Guru, free will and non-volitional living, enlightenment and Self-realization, the Impersonal Energy - the Source, Noumenon or God, and conclusively, 'Consciousness is all there is', Ramesh explicitly summarizes that ultimately what he is talking about is "the most important thing in your life is peace and harmony in your life."
A rare gift to anyone and everyone seeking insight into how life happens, The Ultimate Understanding is perhaps the pinnacle of Ramesh's writing.
The Ultimate Understanding heralds the total message he has to convey. What else remains can only be the final understanding, the final Truth, the silence of Unicity.
Ashtavakra Gita - The Heart of Awareness by Ashtavakra
The Ashtavakra Gita, or the Ashtavakra Samhita as it is sometimes called, is a very ancient Sanskrit text. Nothing seems to be known about the author, though tradition ascribes it to the sage Ashtavakra; hence the name.
There is little doubt though that it is very old, probably dating back to the days of the classic Vedanta period. The Sanskrit style and the doctrine expressed would seem to warrant this assessment.
The work was known, appreciated and quoted by Ramakrishna and his disciple Vivekananda, as well as by Ramana Maharshi, while Radhakrishnan always refers to it with great respect.
Apart from that the work speaks for itself. It presents the traditional teachings of Advaita Vedanta with clarity and power very rarely matched.
The Reverend John Henry Richards, MA, BD, was an Anglican priest born in 1934 who was ordained a deacon in Llandaff in 1977 and a priest there in 1978. He served in Maesteg, Cardiff, Penmark, and Stackpile Elidor until his retirement in 1999, and died in 2017.
He is known for his English translations of the Ashtavakra Gita, the Dhammapada, and the Vivekachudamani, which he put in the public domain and distributed on the Internet in 1994. The text used here is the one revised in 1996.
The Yoga Of Jesus - Understanding the Hidden Teachings of the Gospels by Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda provides a revealing introduction to the hidden yoga of the Gospels.
Yogananda, who is widely known as the father of yoga in the West, explores the role of Jesus as a yogi and avatar (divine incarnation).