Diving into Yoga: A book list
Yoga can vary from trendy exercise based classes with weights, to long-hold restorative classes with meditation, to everything in between. Maybe the teacher mentions something about a chakra, maybe they threw in a few sanskrit words, or maybe you were thrown straight into the deep end, staring into the depth of the Sutras, or the yamas and niyamas.
Because yoga is not just movement, and not just philosophy, there’s a niche for everyone; kind of like finding a book you like. So for wherever your wandering yoga journey is taking you, here are some of my favorite yoga-based reads:
For diving into the philosophy and Sutras:
The Secret Power of Yoga - Nischala Joy Devi
As one of my teachers and mentors, Devi is incredibly fluent in translating the sutras in a digestable, applicable way. This is a interpreted translatino of the Sutras, the foundational Yogic text. No, this is not just for women.
For subtle energy and mudras:
Mudras for Healing and Transformation - Joseph & Lillian Le Page
“Mudras for Healing and Transformation is the most complete presentation available on the ancient yogic science of mudra, yogic hand gestures for healing the physical body, balancing the mind and awakening spirit. Contains 108 mudras with in-depth descriptions and drawings of the mudra.”
For science and research:
Science of Yoga - Ann Swanson
A picture is worth 1,000 words, right?
For a great personal narrative:
Yoga - Jessamyn Stanley
“Stanley explores her relationship (and ours) to yoga (including why we practice, rather than how); wrestles with issues like cultural appropriation, materialism, and racism; and explores the ways we can all use yoga as a tool for self-love.”
(This is also a great audiobook.)
For Nidra and Rest practices:
Radiant Rest: Yoga Nidra for Deep Relaxation and Awakened Clarity - Tracee Stanley
Tracee Stanley draws on over twenty years of experience as a yoga nidra teacher and practitioner to introduce the history of yoga nidra, mind and body relaxation, and the surprising power of rest in our daily lives. This accessible guide shares six essential practices arranged around the koshas, the five subtle layers of the body: the physical, energetic, mental, intuitive, and bliss bodies.
These are just a few (of a growing list) of personal suggestions. If you’ve found a book that really changed your journey, share it with me, I’d love to expand my list.
One tip for yoga teachers, your local office or print store should be able to spiral bind these to make keeping track of your pages easy!
