Your favorite book on yoga?

One of mine is Yoga Youth and Reincarnation; I love the yoga guide following the first biographical part of the book…the book is two in one so to speak.

I also have a favorite I used to check out often which has black and white photographs of a shiny yoga practitioner. Probably this book is out of print: I remember he like to use the word occidental when describing the western man. Anyone have this book or can remember it’s title?

Do you have a favorite?

By the way, I am a new member and this is my very first posting.

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Coincidentally I was going to answer that my favorite book was the very much out-of-print “Health and Yoga” by Selvarajan Yesudian–then I read the last part of your message.
In his books, the western society is always referred to as Occidental. Might it have been this one? Or “Yoga Uniting East and West” by the same author? I think he also wrote many others, but these are the only ones I’ve been able to find.

I just found a copy of “Yoga Uniting East and West,” in a specialty store in Chicago. It smells like a candle and incense shop and for this reason it may replace “Health and Yoga” as my favorite book… I’m suddenly inspired to start reading it immediately!

Anyway…
Favorite books are:
Health and Yoga
Jnana Yoga by Vivekananda
Gandhi’s book of Prayers
Every book by Eknath Easwaren
Every book by Krishnamurti

And all of my other 350 much loved books.
I can’t pick, guys… I just can’t!

[QUOTE=suryadaya;18181]Coincidentally I was going to answer that my favorite book was the very much out-of-print “Health and Yoga” by Selvarajan Yesudian–then I read the last part of your message.
[/QUOTE]

I just googled for his image on the net and voila, the very same author. Thank you!!!:smiley:

I am now on the hunt for this book. Interesting how you too remember and love this book.

Anyone ever heard of Yoga for Men Only…by Young. Interesting book for men only,yeah right!!!

Now that i know you have excellent taste in books, I’ll see if I can find the first one you mentioned. Haha.

I recently came across this book: myLife framework, check it out at Amazon. Loved the simplicity of it, sometimes philosophy is too much.

I’ve read numerous books on yoga throughout the years. The one that I would recommend would be: Yoga, The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness. It’s written by: Erich Schiffmann.
This book covers everything, from poses to meditation to divine techniques to help you reach that state of stillness.
I received this book from my teacher at my training course. It seems to cover a lot;)

Lexi

I was just about to write the same thing, LexiYoga. Erich Schiffmann has a way about him that is personal, humble and real. The way he describes how to move into and hold poses is fantastic and the book is full of great information.

David

Donna Farhi’s books are great.

Yogani’s 8 limbs of yoga

Thanks everyone for sharing your favorite books on Yoga! A book to me is like a constant friend you can ask for help at any time, at any hour of the day. And sharing one’s found pot of gold is king. That’s all I have to say. Keep it up!!!

The Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar

Yoga from Shore to Shore by Swami Satyananda, unfortunately out of print, but have a very old original copy.

My favorite book is a Sivananda Teachers Manual.

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My Favorite book on Yoga is Bhagwad Gita published by Gita Press Gorakhpur India and my favourite book on Physical Yoga (Yoga Postures) is “Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha” by Swami Satyananda Saraswati of Bihar School of Yoga

Namaste!

Regarding Philosophy of Yoga versus Hatha Yoga practice: My favorite book is the written interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita by Paramahansa Yogananda: [B]God Talks with Arjuna[/B]. Of course the book: [B]Autobiography of a Yogi[/B] by the same author rates high on my reading list as well.

‘[I][U]Advanced Yoga Practices[/U][/I]’ by Yogani.
Or ‘[I][U]Deep meditation[/U][/I]’, a little book,

as this is the core practice of the '“AYP” system.What is the AYP system? —well go to the web address provided below…If youare curious about applying self-development methods on on all levels beyond the asanas that are taught in class, and would like to learn more about the deeper, more spiritual, aspects of yoga.Some [U]applied[/U]philosphy can help here too.It covers all the limbs of yoga and integrates them pretty well, as a system.I’ve only been doing it for a short while. It looks like success on one limb may carry over into another. yeah it know it sounds in theory pretty obvious. In practice though it’s not the easiest thing to do.

Use alongside their website/forum located at www.aypsite.org
Deep Meditation is their core practice. You can find information on this, and more at the web address supplied.

if asana is not working ffor you ,then you could always try this. The DM practice, as the coommunity on that site call it, is like a turbo-charged version of meditation, so one must apply some of the safetty princiiples within the system so one can proceed safely and smoothly, without hitch or discomfrot, like anything in yoga.

Thanks Neil.

I hope this helps anyone else out there who may be feeling a bit stuck in their ‘yoga’ practice…

Welcome, LoveJoyStreet and thanks for your first post. This is my first post, too. I am very glad to be reading about all these favorite yoga books, some of which I have heard of, some not. I will refer to this thread when I buy or borrow my next one.
The only yoga book I have read so far, and the book that has changed my life more than any, is Yoga in Ten Lessons by J.M. Dechanet, O.S.B.
Althought the author is a Christian and there is some religious commentary in the text which I choose to overlook, the points are not belabored or lengthy and I must give credit to a member of the Christian clergy for first exploring hatha yoga and then writing a book on the subject (in 1964).
I have been following this book’s advice, practicing a flowing series of 13-14 postures, since 1980.

This system i refer to in above post shows or demonstrates quite well how a ‘[B]flexible mind opens up a flexible body[/B]’. ( i saw that quote in some’s u-tube video)

The powerful method of DM digs somewhat at the root of this issue, via the technqiue ti empploys.

So if those hamstrings are just oh so tight and won’t move an inch, then try this. At least give it a try and see where that leads. The effects are definitely different from asana but then life can be short.

that books sounds interesting Listener- i can only speak ffor what i have found useful and/or helpful. so to look at everyone’s suggesstion i inspect it would be a waste of resources. most yoga books with a compreehensive sytem that devle deep are either hard to come by or one needs someone preety steepd in yoga to guide you. otherwise you are in my case, a lost puppy. i could’nt comment, but there are books and there are books,some more useful and helpful than others. i can only speak from my won experience and what has helped me. but there is more than physical body than the yoga taught here will reveal to you.

asana just has not worked for me lately. although it is a very useful limb but it only one of eight and to engage with yoga with much depth like patanjali said you need all eight. you won’t get very far. at least i won’t. or you’ll hit obstacles like i did and get into a right pickle. maybe you dooing it over years helped. with self-apcing something this sysem goes into. if i had known about that ta the start3-4 years ago i would’nt have crashed so specttacularly.

hope this helps anyone else out there

[QUOTE=upwardfacingyogi;18342]Donna Farhi’s books are great.[/QUOTE]

I recently had Donna’s book [U][B]Yoga, mind body and soul, A return to wholeness[/B][/U] sent to me via the library and OMG, its a winner. AAA+++:) Thanks for the recommendation!

Fire of Love - For Students of Life, for Teachers of Yoga