Yoga texts

Other Media Recommendations: Articles , Inspiration , Meditation and Deep Relaxation , Yoga texts

YOGA PRACTICE

Light On Yoga.

B.K.S. Iyengar.

I’ve worn out my first copy and am into my second. While this text can be criticized for not showing all of the variations with props that we use now, it still is “pure” Iyengar. The source! Many times I have checked out the therapeutic sequences recommended in LIGHT. I credit my heel spurs being mitigated by Iyengar’s recommendation (in LIGHT)of daily practice of virasana. This was after I had run the gamut of what traditional physical therapy had to offer and was still unable to walk without pain. This text is an inspiration time and time again. It reminds me that yoga doesn’t become boring simply because, as Iyengar shows us so ably, there is always someplace further to go in a pose.

Yoga Body, Mind, Spirit, A Return To Wholeness.

Donna Farhi.

If I used only one book in my teaching, I think that this would be it. New Zealand yogini, Farhi knows how to explain yoga and provide exercises—she calls them inquiries—that DO transform the way we think about ourselves and our relationship to the “world.” Her seven moving principles have become the underpinning or theme of many a yoga class taught today—and for good reason. Try the Laughing Yogini’s Weight And Levity Home Practice session to find out for yourself.

30 Essential Yoga Poses.

Judith Lasater.

Most beginning yoga students are overwhelmed when they come home from class and begin their home practice. They don’t know what exactly they should be doing and they can’t remember the teacher’s instructions for getting into and out of the poses. 30 Poses comes to the rescue! This is Lasater at her teaching best. By concentrating on the essentials, any student can be assured of focusing on the necessary postures. The instructions are very clear and include sequencing, benefits, cautions, as well as further explorations and teacher notes with adjustments recommended, making the book useful for any level of student. The accompanying photographs are clear and useful. I love this book, not only for my own use, but for my beginner students.

Yoga, The Path To Holistic Health.

This book is a good example of Dorling Kindersley’s commitment to beautiful publications. The photographs enhance the text and point out areas of focus. Many pages also include thumbnail pictures of how to achieve the desired physical arrangement. Each pose description includes Benefits and Cautions. And unlike, Light on Yoga, postures are often illustrated with correct use of props. What I really like, however, and why I often recommend the book, are the photographic sequences of yoga poses that are suggested for a variety of conditions. This is Sri Iyengar’s great gift to the yogic literature. Many have followed, but he was the leader developing sequences and props that would assist those bodies not quite perfect, which really means all of us.

Yoga: The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness

Eric Schiffmann.

Schiffmann shines light on the art of yoga from the inside out. He clearly articulates what happens within the practitioner stretched in a yoga pose. He explains to the student how to integrate the energetic aspects of poses, facilitating meditation in asana. I’ve often recommended his chapter of practicing on the edge. Some of his meditation teachings are on Laughing Yogini’s article page. My copy of STILLNESS has been used extensively–it’s beginning to fall apart!

Yoga, The Iyengar Way.

Shiva, Mira & Shyam Mehta.

The Mehtas have succeeded in creating a very user-friendly yoga text. Like Lasater (30 Poses), they have chosen a limited number of poses to focus on illustrating and teaching. There are excellent illustrations showing the steps of moving into a posture and the points that should be stressed while in the pose are highlighted. The practice sequences at the back of the book are ones I have used while in teacher training as well as in my personal practice. Highly recommended for all levels.

Dancing the Body of Light, The Future of Yoga.

Dona Holleman and Orit Sen-Gupta.

Holleman provides a thorough compedium of yoga asanas with corresponding photographs. Her explanations of how to work the poses provide plenty of depth for even the most advanced practitioner. She will focus on a posture and then spin it out into many variations and further possibilities. In this way, it reminds me of the book by her teacher, B.K.S.Iyengar, Light on Yoga. Anyone who loves asana will love delving into this encyclopedic work by a master teacher. I have read her article on Playing With Gravity about a 100 times, hoping to influence my headstand! Check it out and become inspired to move your body.

The Heart of Yoga, Developing A Personal Practice.

T.K.V.Desikachar.

Desikachar describes a variety of yoga sequences for the home practitioner, but more importantly is his contribution to the field describing how to practice and how to bring yoga into your life. He does this through his discussion of breath and yoga postures, an entire chapter on yoga sutras, and another on obstacles to practice. The photographs of his father, Sri T. Krishnamacharya at 100 are invaluable and worth the price of the book! Asanas, bandhas, and pranayama are illustrated with line drawings.

Cool Yoga Tricks.

Miriam Austin.

This book is not what you think–at least it wasn’t what I thought upon reading the title. This is a classic! Miriam Austin analyzes some key yogic postures and shows the average practitioner how to assist their reluctant body into achieving the poses. Wondering which way the front thigh should turn in Triangle pose? Or wondering why your front knee feels icky in the pose? Austin shows how, using a yoga strap, you can you can accentuate the thigh turning out and experience a deepening into the pose as well as a greater degree of comfort. I’ve used this in my home practice as well as in my teaching. The photos show how to use props and/or partners to achieve more opening. This book is the next best thing to a real live teacher. Get yourself some props while you’re at it. Your body (and mind) will thank you!

Yoga, the Poetry of the Body.

Rodney Yee with Nina Zolotow.

What more is there to say about Rodney Yee? He’s far and away the most famous yogi in America. His face is everywhere from mattress ads to videos to yoga practice cards. He is a good teacher. A very good teacher; he’s very accessible and engaging. I consider Rodney one of my first teachers since I practiced every single day one year with Yoga Journal’s video Yoga for Energy before the first yoga teacher moved into town. I use his cd set, Breathe in my meditation and relaxation seminars. As a poet, I love Rodney’s metaphors and am moved by them while practicing along with his pleasant voice directing the flow. Check out his blog on Gaiam’s website if you are a Yee junkie.

INTEGRATING YOGA and LIFE

Light on Life.

B.K.S. Iyengar.

This book truly amazed me when I read it. It bears multiple rereadings because Shri Iyengar had distilled centuries of yogic wisdom as well as the knowledge gleaned from a long life of personal practice. A good book to keep at your bedside and read before sleeping so the words can infiltrate into your subconscious- or- to keep at your meditation place so you can read a passage and then contemplate it deeply, allowing the words to transform you.

The Tree of Yoga, The Classic Guide To Integrating Yoga Into Your Daily Life.

B.K.S. Iyengar.

Shri Iyengar answers the question, “What is Yoga” in this slim volume. To give you an idea of how he develops this thought, here is a quotation from the Foreword: ” When this uninterrupted awareness of integration of body, mind and soul is retained, then time does not know past and future; time is eternal, and as eternity is here in time, you and I become eternal . . . . Consider the sky. The sky is infinite as well as finite. None touch it, yet we are in contact with it at every moment of our lives. Similarly, you and I have to use finite means — body, mind, intelligence and consciousness — to reach the infinite seat of the soul which is the mother of all these things.” If this doesn’t make you want to read it, know that the metaphors he spins of a tree and its parts are worth the price and time invested to partake of the delicious sojourn into the deeper side of yoga.

Living Your Yoga, Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life.

Judith Lasater.

Bothered by confusion over what you think a successful life is and the messages you receive from the culture regarding success, then this is the guidebook for you. Written by the inimitable yogini, Judith Lasater, the practices spiral outward from three sections: Yoga Within Yourself, Yoga and Relationships, Yoga in the World. In immensely practical ways, Lasater provides mantras and daily exercises to implement a spiritual awareness in everyday existence. She provides steps to work with Greed, Suffering, Self-Judgement, Discipline, to name a few areas of common concern for most practitioners.

Happy Yoga, 7 Reasons Why There’s Nothing To Worry About.

Steve Ross with Olivia Rosewood.

Unlike the other texts in this section, Happy Yoga fills out the specifics of living your yoga covering everything from falling in love, and sex, to food and earning money. It’s kind of a blueprint for living a yogic life here and now. It’s written in an easy to read and digest manner that will keep you wanting to know more. Ah, the deeper we go, the deeper is the sea, of yoga, and life. Get ready to dive into some Happy Yoga.

YOGA FOR WOMEN

The Women’s Book of Yoga and Health: A Lifelong Guide to Wellness.

Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden.

Sparrowe and Walden honor the stages of a woman’s life and presents yogic strategies and poses for nourishing body and mind during each stage. I use this book as a resource for myself and I recommend it when students inquire about a female issue. A great present for teenage girls or for brides–one they’ll use from menstruation through menopause.

The Woman’s Yoga Book, Asana and Pranayama for all Phases of the Menstrual Cycle.

Bobby Clennell.

Bobbie Clennell provides detailed information for dealing with all issues regarding a woman’s menstrual cycle. If you suffer from prolonged bleeding, irregular menses, severe cramps, headaches, or bloating, you’ll find excellent suggestions for alleviating your symptoms with home practice sequences. The simple drawings are clear and enhance the text. Bobbie is an Iyengar teacher with much experience, so you know you can trust her advice. Yoga teachers will find this an invaluable source to consult for student issues.

The Secret Power of Yoga, A Woman’s Guide to the Heart and Spirit of the Yoga Sutras.

Nischala Joy Devi.

YOGA FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

(See also Calm Kids A parents’ guide to choice yoga books and games for youngsters.)

Rachel Carr’s Creative Yoga Exercises for Children: Be a Frog, a Bird, or a Tree.

Rachel Carr.

This was the first English language text specifically geared towards young practitioners and it is still widely used. I used this years ago when I taught young people in Montessori schools in NYC. I used it later when my own children were young. And I have lent it to at least one young student in the studio. The first edition came out in 1973. There is a paper edition currently available. Since its publication, other excellent texts for young people have been published, however, kudos to rachel carr for blazing the trail so effectively.

Children’s Book of Yoga, Games & Exercises Mimic Plants & Animals & Objects.

Thia Luby.

This is a delightful book which is geared toward both solo practitioners as well as groups of children. The photos are joyful and energetic–makes me want to hop in with the children. Who wouldn’t want to practice this way? Luby includes a page on poses recommended for healing (stomach ache, constipation, cold, headache, lower back ache) and a page directing readers to poses for strengthening specific body areas. Highly recommended.

Yoga Pretzels, 50 Fun Yoga Activities for Kids and Grownups.

Tara Guber and Leah Kalish.

This collection of cards from www.yogaed.com will be inspiring for kids of all ages. The suggested intentions before each movement are very helpful for centering in your yoga practice. At the end of each pose one or more questions are posed, enabling the students to proceed deeper and integrate the practice with their lives. Invaluable resource for individuals, families, and classes.

DVD: YOGA JOURNAL’S FAMILY YOGA

I love this family practice dvd. It reminds me of younger days of my own family – everyone on the living room rug trying the poses in a Richard Hittelman book (yes, these were the dinosaur days before anyone had ever coined the phrase family yoga!). The practice opens with each family member leading a sun salutation and proceeds through some fun backbends, handstands, twists and balance poses, culminating in savasana. The attitude is light, yet inspiring. Adults as well as children in the family will find plenty to challenge themselves here.

YOGA HEALING

Yoga From the Inside Out.

Christina Sell.

Christina Sell has been trained in the Anusara yoga tradition which emphasizes practicing “from the heart.” Anusara founder, John Friend has written an introduction to Yoga From the Inside Out. This is a beautiful book about feeling beautiful, from the inside out. I have loaned it out many times. If you have become caught up in the self-destructive pattern of pushing yourself into poses that were not what the body needed at the time, then read this book to realign yourself in the spirit of ahimsa. SEll’s message, to love yourself, is one that bears repeating. It is only from this love that the seeds of compassion can grow.

Yoga For Depression.