Check Out These 3 Best Books For Yoga!

Yoga is a practice and a lifestyle. It has not only changed the lives of many people but made them infinitely better. However, there isn’t any one way of experiencing or approaching yoga. Plus, there are so many techniques and thoughts on the subject that it may be difficult for a beginner to test them all out.

This is where books for yoga come in. if you're thinking about starting yoga or have already begun your journey; picking up a book is a great idea. Books can provide so much that one cannot pick up on their own. This includes different perspectives, shifts in viewpoints, and so much more. Read on for a list of books about yoga that could transform your way of looking at it and trying it out:

Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit - A Return to Wholeness

(By: Donna Farhi )

This book has proved especially helpful for students of yoga. The yoga journey can be a hard one to navigate, and this book takes the reader over the initial stages. The book actually approaches yoga in a really complete and whole manner. Yoga comprises of asanas and seven main principles.

The concepts of breathing, yielding, radiating, centering, supporting, aligning and engaging are explained beautifully here. Readers of this book would find it very easy to correct their posture and positions. This is because not only are the movements explained in great details, but the pictures are a sight to behold. In fact, there are even photos showing the readers where they might be going wrong.

They are in black-and-white, but still clear enough to let one see what’s going on. The concept of the yoga poses is a huge one within this area. ‘A Return to Wholeness’ again comes to the rescue here with separate sections on different kinds of poses.

We have our breathing practices as well as restorative poses; arm balances along with standing and seated poses. If you’re not sure how to do any back bending postures, you can chase away your doubts with this amazing work. Hence, this book is highly recommended for both students and teachers of yoga.

Teachers or instructors could utilize it in order to help a student through a rough patch. For a student, this book could really come in handy for self-practice or preparation for the next class. What’s more, the author Donna Farhi also deals with several different yoga approaches.

A student could read about all these and decide which one is best for him. If one is unfamiliar with yoga philosophy and their relation to the postures, that information’s available here too. However, philosophy is not such a huge part of this book. If that part is your main interest, we would suggest going for a different work.

In short, this book is one of the best guides out there who want a quick background on yoga and then delve right into it. It opens up the whole practice and may even introduce practices you haven’t heard of. If not now, you may need this book at some point in your yoga journey.

Light On Yoga

(By: B.K.S. Iyengar )

If you’re more into learning about the philosophy behind yoga, this work is a good choice. It’s less of a book and more of a manual that explains everything in great detail. You have your bandhas, pranayama, a proper guide on every asana, and the background of it all.

This could be a viable way of getting interested in the practice before you take the first step. Iyengar is considered by many to be one of the greatest yoga masters in existence today.

He is hence well-qualified to talk about all these things. We as readers are quite privileged to have his words in such an easy and convenient packaging. The way this book reads would really appeal to those who fall in love with old-fashioned things.

The tone is ancient, so much so that you’re carried back to the origins of yoga. The writing tone is further enhanced by the aesthetics, namely the pictures. They have perhaps been left grainy on purpose. However, this part may not appeal to every reader. The pictures can become hard to read as they don’t look too professional.

A beginner can start on this book and become more advanced in their knowledge as they progress. At the end of the books, there are certain bonuses such as asanas for curing diseases and yoga courses to go through.

A Path With Heart: A Guide Through The Perils And Promises Of Spiritual Life

(By: Jack Cornfield )

The final book here deals not only with yoga practices and philosophy but how to inculcate them in our lives. This work serves to familiarize students with Buddhist yoga practices.

It then guides them to the path of meditation. The practices told here are quite easy to follow. Readers can learn the way to transforming themselves from the inside. What is of special importance is how they're taught to blend spiritual and modern life together.

Cornfield is a teacher and psychologist who specializes in meditation and spiritual practices. He is hence one of the best people to approach on the subject of balancing modern life with yoga philosophy.

Western life is especially besieged with a lot of problems such as addition, relationship problems, lack of empathy and compassion, and psychological problems. This book is a valuable tool in not only helping the modern individual cope with these issues but also helping out their loved ones. The way to healing inside and out may be through this beautiful and much-needed work.

Wrap-Up…

When you’re on the mat, the different positions and techniques can be overwhelming at times. Reading a good book on any subject makes you prepared for it. Yoga isn’t any different. In fact, it is a line of education unto itself.

Here’s hoping that you would find yourself able to get further on the mat once you’ve picked up a couple of books. Whether the books are about poses, philosophy, or the practice of yoga, they would certainly help one on the way to becoming a true yogi.

Amelia Knight is a Blogging Geek, and an Academic Counselor. Being an academic counselor, she serves at Essaystar.co.uk to students at any academic standard. In addition, she is a Yoga Instructor who teaches people about the different aspects of meditation and how it benefits them.