A great way to learn more about yoga is through reading. It doesn’t matter if you want to master the most complex yoga poses or simply learn more about what yoga is and why people do it, there are hundreds of different books you can read.
While the huge variety of yoga books gives us plenty of opportunities to learn more about yoga, it can also make the process of finding the best books to read quite challenging.
We are simply overwhelmed with too many choices. Luckily for you, we’re here to help. In this post, we’re going to show you the recommended yoga books you should read. The right yoga book can help round your knowledge and improve your yoga practice.
All the books we’re going to show you will help do just that.
If you’re looking for your next yoga read, stick around!
If you’re a beginner just starting your yoga journey, you need to read the Yoga Beginners Bible. This book is loaded with everything you need to take up yoga.
The book contains clear instructions and illustrations that outline some of the best and most popular yoga poses.
To be more precise, the book contains 63 different illustrated poses. What we love about this book is how it includes modifications too. This is perfect for those of us that aren’t as flexible as we’d like to be yet.
In many ways, this book is like having your own personal yoga instructor. Aside from yoga poses, the Yoga Beginners Bible also contains pages that discuss yoga anatomy, breathing techniques, and fitness.
Serious yogis that want to dive deeper into the world of yoga might want to read the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Written by Sri Swami Satchidananda, this book is widely accepted by most yoga schools.
It is a yoga guide and manual that teaches the reader everything they need to know about yoga. You’ll learn more about the spiritual, mental, and physical effects of yoga, why people do it, its history, and of course, how to do it.
Unlike other books, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali also details real-life situations in which yoga can help.
Despite being released in 1969 and re-released in 2008, Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha is still an extremely popular yoga book. Used by many yoga teachers, practitioners, and trainers, this yoga book is a great resource to have.
It features yoga pose illustrations, step-by-step instructions, and practical examples. One of the main focuses in the book is Hatha Yoga so if that’s something you’re interested in, this book is perfect.
This yoga book also features chapters that focus on chakra awareness which can be useful for beginners.
If you want to read a book that not only shows you how to practice yoga but also how it can help you through life, Yoga: A Manual For Life by Naomi Annand is a great choice.
Naomi Annand was a ballerina but an injury ended her career. Now, she is a yoga instructor that runs her own yoga teacher training program. Her book is designed for yogis of all levels, so it doesn’t matter if you’re a complete beginner or a yoga expert.
In the book, you’ll find practical yoga tips, the theories behind yoga, yoga history, and so much more.
One of the best things about this book is the clear photographs that detail every pose Naomi teaches. The chapters on meditation and mindfulness are very interesting and informative too.
Those of you simply trying to find a book loaded with yoga poses shouldn’t look any further than Yoga For Everyone: 50 Poses For Every Type Of Body.
This is a super simple, yet detailed yoga book that lists yoga poses that suit anyone. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what your body type is, you can use this book to practice your yoga poses.
If you’ve ever felt left out or found it hard to take up yoga, this book will be a breath of fresh air for you. Every pose comes complete with photos, instructions, modifications, and notes.
Poser: My Life In 23 Yoga Poses is a fantastic read for anyone that loves yoga. If you eat, live, and breathe yoga, you’ll thoroughly enjoy reading this Claire Dederer memoir.
Through her book, Dederer takes readers on a journey through her yoga experiences. She goes beyond the physical benefits of yoga by discussing how yoga helped her get through challenging parts of her life.
Interestingly, Dederer discovered yoga when trying to deal with a back injury. Her story is inspiring, motivating, and very relatable. While her story is universal, it will strike a chord with mothers who have struggled to find a balance after having children.
This next yoga book is a fabulous read for any yoga enthusiast that wants to learn more about the history behind the practice. Written by scholar Mark Singleton, this book dives into the history of yoga asana.
You’ll explore where yoga came from, how it has changed over the years, where it is heading, and how the predecessors of Western yoga are rooted in India.
By the end of the book, you’ll be a yoga expert that knows everything there is to know about the practice of yoga. You’ll also find yourself questioning some of the conventional wisdom we often hear in yoga classes.
Final Thoughts
There you have it, 8 recommended yoga books that you should consider reading if you love yoga. It doesn’t matter if you’re just starting your yoga journey or if you’ve already been on it for 20 years, there is a book on our list that you can enjoy.
In fact, we’d probably go as far as saying you’ll enjoy every book on our list, no matter what you’re looking for.
With that being said, why don’t you pick out the first book you want to read and see what you think? It might also be a good idea to save this list so you can pick more books further down the line.
Hello all! My name is Bailey, and I am a writer here at Yoga Holidays. I have had an interest in the benefits of yoga for the last 6 years.
Here at Yoga Holidays, I am the go-to person to tell you all about the best retreats the world has to offer, and how you can find your next yoga holiday.
I hope that you will join us, and become as passionate about yoga as we are.
