However, it has come to our attention that some yoga books are much better than others. Especially if you’re looking for books centered around yogic philosophy and the more spiritual elements of traditional yoga practice.
For this reason, we have decided to put together a round-up of what we consider to be the best yoga books on the market.
We’ve endeavored to provide a broad selection of yoga books here, including both classic and contemporary texts.
We particularly wanted to include classic texts, so that you can obtain a greater understanding of the Veda roots of yoga, and the reasoning behind the practice.
Coming Up
This round-up of the best yoga books is loosely divided into two main sections. Three books on yoga philosophy and the yogic lifestyle, followed by two books relating to yoga anatomy and physiology. With a brief description on each.
And without further ado, let’s get into it!
Three Books On Yoga Philosophy And The Yogic Lifestyle
We’ll start by leveling with you…
The original texts on the philosophy and religion side of yoga practice don’t make for light reading! They date as far back as 1,200 BC, and as you may imagine, some of the meaning can get lost in translation.
For this reason, in this section, we have concentrated on books that are far easier to digest, yet still remain very true to the original philosophy.
Here are our top books on yoga philosophy and the yogic lifestyle – enjoy!
This book is considered by many to be the most traditional texts as the authority on yoga.
Not only is it an excellent manual for the various physical postures, and meditation, but it is also considered to be an excellent guide to yogi ethics, that you will be able to apply in your day-to-day life.
The author has taken the time to divulge his own experiences, which can serve as practical examples for you to learn from, all with the goal of helping you to attain optimal physical, mental, and even spiritual health.
The traditional Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as Gita for short, is a holy text that synthesizes Hindu ideas regarding dharma, theistic bhaki, and the yogic ideals of moksha. It is considered to be a love song sung by God to His friend, man.
This particular book has taken what was written in the Gita, and has used the most wonderful prose to express the meaning in this book in such a way to make it digestible and appealing to westerners.
The content is clear, easy to follow, profound, and easy to apply in your everyday life.
This book combines these concepts with more western ideas such as psychology, developmental theory, somatic therapy and metaphysics, in order to examine the structure of the chakra system and how it effectively provides a map that can be used to navigate individual psychological and spiritual development in terms of our Western understanding.
But then it goes a step beyond that to discuss how to heal from less beneficial conditions, and to maintain a healthy balance in all things.
For those who are more drawn to science rather than philosophy, then this is hands down THE best to explain the anatomy and physiology of yoga practice.
It features in-depth coverage of 30 different, illustrated asanas. What’s more, it explains everything from how the muscles and joints work in each pose, through to the blood flow and respiratory details of the various poses.
This is an excellent book not only for better familiarizing yourself with the physical poses, but also to draw your attention to which muscles are being exercised in each pose.
And at the same time, coloring the sketches is also an excellent mindfulness exercise to help you practice being in the movement, and in a state of peace.
Wrap Up
We hope you’ve enjoyed browsing through our round-up of the best yoga books out there. If you feel there’s not much detail in our descriptions, simply click on the links provided to find out more.
We can recommend each and every one of them, so it won’t surprise us if you decide to treat yourself to more than one – namaste!
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