My Top 5 Yoga Books
This is a photo of my overflowing bookshelf – as you can see, I can’t resist buying books on yoga! I often get asked for recommendations so I thought I’d share my top 5 with you. The books listed below aren’t in any particular order but they are all ones which I have found invaluable over the years and regularly return to for inspiration and to support my own teaching and practice both on and off the mat.
1. 30 Essential Yoga Poses, Judith Hanson Lasater
A practical ‘how to’ book with instructions on 30 key yoga poses, including modifications and some suggested sequences. This is particularly useful if you’re not sure what poses to practice or how to modify them to suit your body. A great book for beginners and to support your home practice.
2. Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit – A Return to Wholeness, Donna Farhi
A wonderful book that introduces the main principles of the classical yoga tradition as well as setting out the author’s key principles underlying the practice of poses and taking into account anatomical considerations. It contains clear photos and explanations of key poses with lots of interesting inquiries and tips for how to modify poses.
3. The Heart of Yoga – Developing a Personal Practice, T.K.V. Desikachar
This book is for anybody who is interested in delving deeper into all aspects of yoga, it is essentially a manual for the classical tradition of yoga, looking at the physical, mental and spiritual practice, with a particular emphasis on the therapeutic value of yoga. The author is the son and lifetime student of Krishnamacharya who was known as the ‘godfather’ of modern-day yoga and credited with disseminating the teachings of yoga throughout the West through his main students (including B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois). The book also contains a complete translation and commentary of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali (see also suggestion no.5 below) which is useful for anybody wishing to explore the original teachings that underpin the practice of modern-day yoga.
4. The Wisdom of Yoga – A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living, Stephen Cope
This book is for anyone who likes a good story, it is about yoga philosophy rather than poses and tells personal stories to illustrate the concepts and fundamental principles of the Yoga Sutra, demystifying these principles for the modern day in a way that is easy to understand and identify with.
5. The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali, Translation and Commentary by Chip Hartranft
Patanjali’s Sutras are 196 short aphorisms setting out the Indian philosophy of yoga and how it is possible to attain liberation through training the mind (note there is barely any physical instruction and no reference to the practice of modern-day yoga poses). This is a more ‘intellectual’ book for those who are interested in the philosophy behind the physical practice.
Of course there are loads more great books on yoga, and I’d be happy to share further recommendations with you, so let me know if you’re looking to address something specific. I’d also love to hear what you think about any of these books and whether you have any other personal favourites.
