Recommend a good Yoga Book

[Ronan]

Hi,

I am just getting into Yoga and would like to do a bit of reading up. Can someone recommend a good Yoga book?

Thanks

[InnerAthlete]

Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health by B.K.S. Iyengar.

[Nichole]

Asana Pranyama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, Bihar School of Yoga; 12th edition (November 2002)

[Nichole]

Ashtanga Yoga Primer by Baba Hari Dass, Sri Rama Pub (October 1981)
Structural Yoga Therapy: Adapting to the Individual by Mukunda Stiles, Weiser Books (January 2001)

Ronan,
Here are 2 more great books to get you started. As a precaution, I want to add that as you read books from different lineages, do not mix the pranayama (breathing) practices. Most consider it safe to mix asana practices but not pranayama. For example, you'll find that the pranayama from Baba Hari Das is different than that of Prof. Krishnamacharya. B.K.S. Inyengar (IA's very good recommendation) and Mukunda Stiles are both in Prof. Krishnamacharya's lineage so they too are different from Baba Hari Das. It is best to learn pranayama directly from a qualified teacher, though I understand it may not always possible.

Best of luck as you discover what works for you. Enjoy your reading!
Cheers

[Trinity]

Three great yoga books:
1. The Heart of Yoga (T.K.V Desikachar)
- This was a required reading for my teacher training course. It is a comprehensive text written by the son of Krishnamacharya (one of the greatest yogis of the modern era). The book includes Pantanjali's Yoga Sutra - with a translation and commentary by Desikachar.

2. Jivamukti Yoga (Sharon Gannon & David Life)
- From the back cover, "The long-awaited, complete guide to the popular, vigorous method of yoga that is deeply rooted in ancient wisdom and scriptures". This is a wonderful, well rounded text. Die-hard carnivores beware - Jivanmukti Yoga (soul liberation) adheres to the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) and promotes a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle.

3. Quest for the True Self (Stephen Cope)
- This is a compelling read - less text and more autobiographical. Cope is a Western-trained psychotherapist, who lived and taught at Kripalu. From the back cover: "...Cope shows how yoga can heal the suffering of self-estrangement that pervades our society, leading us to a new sense of purpose and to a deeper more satisfying life in the world."

A while back I wrote a blog with an excerpt from Cope's book: click here.


happy reading,
Sonja

[InnerAthlete]

Originally Posted by Trinity

Three great yoga books:
...Die-hard carnivores beware - Jivanmukti Yoga (soul liberation) adheres to the principle of ahimsa (non-violence) and promotes a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle...

This is a bit understated as they are so "adherent" they themselves are violent and therefore violate ahimsa in the pursuit of guarding its doors. How ironic.

[siddhyogi]

Hari om tatsat

A good book on kundalini yoga is " kundalini " written by shri vibhakarji pandya

Siddhyog

[Hubert]

Upanishads du yoga: UNESCO Culture Sector

If you find an english translation, ( I have one in romanian) it is a very nice way to know yoga in it's traditional context.
Basically it is a translation by Jean Varenne (GALLIMARD, 1974), it contains the Upanishads about yoga, it has very good introduction and it's full of notes, those being explained in separate chapters.
Those who know the upanishads, know that there is very little about hatha yoga (asana) more on pranayama, and a lot about the other limbs. I especially like the parts about siddhis. I think that is a bit of ancient advertising ... even with the advise not to make them as objects of desire. (That just make them more desirable )

[Karin]

Swami Janakananda: "Yoga, Tantra and Meditation in Daily Life"

[spiridoul]

am interested in learning about yoga please reccommend some books, thank you.

[Pandara]

Hi,

There are so many books that can be recommended. Before I make my recommendation, may I ask a few questions in return.
Do you want to study asanas or do you want to study the philosophy behind yoga?
What is your inner motivation for studying yoga?
Have you done yoga before or are you totally new to yoga?
Do you have a teacher or are you going to attempt yoga on your own?

Your responses to these questions will help everybody to recommend the most appropriate literature for you.

[spiridoul]

Originally Posted by Pandara

Hi,

There are so many books that can be recommended. Before I make my recommendation, may I ask a few questions in return.
Do you want to study asanas or do you want to study the philosophy behind yoga?
What is your inner motivation for studying yoga?
Have you done yoga before or are you totally new to yoga?
Do you have a teacher or are you going to attempt yoga on your own?

Your responses to these questions will help everybody to recommend the most appropriate literature for you.

hi and thank you Pandara for your reply; yes there are too many books out there; i have two good books on yoga positions; have taken a few yoga classes which were really great, also;
so in essense, am very interested in yoga philosophy and asanas; am looking for something advanced, and would like to hear other's experiences;
no, i do not have a teacher;
thank you so much Pandara

[mkaytie5]

http://haas.110mb.com/yoga.html

[spiridoul]

Originally Posted by mkaytie5

http://haas.110mb.com/yoga.html

Excellent, thank you

[y1oga]

Dear All

Re : New to Yoga

I would like to commence practicing Yoga at home, for up to 1 hour per day, 7 days per week. Initially, my interest is in achieving higher levels of physical fitness.

Can you please recommend a book or books with Yoga 'programmes' that I could follow ?

Thank you.

[y1oga]

Can anyone please offer a response to my question ?

Thank you.

[benverner]

I first heard of Baron Baptiste in sharingsuccess.tv. I should say, I haven't read his book, but I've done a fair bit of research on the person and he just seems down to earth. I love what he had to say about energy flowing through the body and through the world.
You know a true teacher when he is able to speak even to a conservative audience.
Anyways, I think this might be something to look in to.
I know that he does have at least one book available.

[justwannabe]

Originally Posted by y1oga

Can anyone please offer a response to my question ?

Thank you.

aypsite.org has a very easy to follow method, go there and you can purchase his meditation, pranayama, and asana books. THose three give a good practice and easy to follow. good luck
Neil

[vibes]

I knew a great man who was a teacher of Yoga philosophy, snaskrit,pali,Indian logic,studied the koran,bible and various ancient Indian manuscripts. He said he would reccomend 'Karma Cola' by Gita Metha. I have read it too! It's great!

[A Better Me]

DVD,
Real Yoga for Real People by Mark Whitwell

[DianZz]

i have light on yoga..i think this is the most complete guide 4 asana..if u want get deep in asana,but my favorite chapter in in the fist chapter,it talks about philosophy and meaning of yoga,bks iyengar explained well and clear..but if u want a simply one just find out book from divine life society.. u can download free from the internet..and yea another recomendation from me is pranayama made easy by scottshawthis nice 4 beginner & easy to follow

[lakshmishegar4]

Hi!

I am just getting into Yoga and would like to do a bit of reading up. and it was very useful.

[MikeyD84128]

A book that I have read, which was extremely good for a new yogi, is called "MINDFUL YOGA, MINDFUL LIFE: A GUIDE FOR EVERYDAY PRACTICE", by CHARLOTTE BELL. Charlotte runs a studio in Salt Lake City, Utah, and has learned from the masters. Her book shares her story, and goes into great detail about the different branches of yoga, and how we need to incorporate them into our lives. I am assuming that Amazon.com carries it, but I know that it is available on Half.com.

[mMiddleton]

Hello all, can anyone recommend any good books on beginners yoga practices. There is so much on the internet that it's overwhelming.

Marilyn

[A Better Me]

Hi there, I've mentioned this dvd on another post recently, but I'll post again for you. Real yoga for Real People by Mark Whitwell has transformed my daily practice. Great for beginners and those who have practiced for a while too....hope it helps and enjoy!

[allyse]

I am currently reading, and have found helpful, Light on Life by BKS Iyengar. Also, Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra touches on some yoga principles and benefits and also covers other aspects of ayurvedic health.

[oak333]

Classic books of yoga (laya, kriya, and hatha yoga) include Gorakshashatakam,
Hatha Yoga Pradipika , Gherandha Samshita, Shiva Shamshita and Yoga Upanishads (about 20 of them).

Each is less than 500 verses long. However, almost the entire yoga literature is drawn or based on these works. It does not mean that other yoga books are not good enough.

I think it is about the same with Christian literature: most of it is based on the Bible, one single book.

[pardhling]

thank you very much