Yoga is an ancestral practice very popular today for its health benefits: it improves flexibility, helps reduce stress, improves concentration, improves coordination… In other words, it ensures a state of harmony.

Best Books on Yoga

Because yoga improves our well-being in many ways, many books have been published with the intention of bringing both theoretical and practical knowledge of this ancient method to the readers.

But how do you decide among so many texts? In this article you will find a selection of the best books on yoga . They are the following.

1. Light on Yoga: Yoga Dipika (B. K. S. Iyengar)

Among the many types of yoga, Iyengar yoga emphasizes alignment, even in sitting postures ; the alignment of the head, spine, hips and feet are present for the correct flow of energy.

It owes its name to its founder, and is one of the most popular types of yoga today. This text is a book full of illustrations that aims to make the practice easier for the readers, and provides useful instructions to know exactly what to do in each moment. You can read more about this work by clicking here.

2. Anatomy of Yoga (Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews)

Few yoga manuals are as complete as this work, which in its new edition has been updated and is much more complete. It contains a large number of illustrations and the information is very well organized.

It is a great book, not only useful for those who are starting out but also for those who have been practicing it for years. The authors have created a very complete reference work. The new edition has sold more than 300,000 copies around the globe.

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3. Keys to Yoga (Danilo Hernández)

Keys to Yoga is a very complete manual both theoretical and practical in which the information is detailed and expressed in a clear and enjoyable way. The author of the book is a great practitioner who has been trained in India . It is useful both for the advanced practitioner and for those who want to introduce themselves to this ancient practice.

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4. The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice (TKV Desikachar)

This book helps readers to find their own essence and connect with themselves through yoga. It is a current classic, written by Desikachar who is considered the father of Viniyoga, a type of yoga that focuses on individual needs. A personalized way to benefit from this ancient habit .

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5. Yoga sequences. How to create great Yoga classes (Mark Stephens)

A great resource for yoga teachers, helping them to create beneficial and enjoyable classes. In its pages you can find 77 models of asana sequences that can be used taking into account the levels of the students. It is composed of over 1000 photos, which facilitate the teaching of this ancient practice.

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6. The Tree of Yoga (B. S. K. Iyengar)

Another BKS Iyengar play that fits this list. This book is an easy text to assimilate, with a simple reading and a concise language. It is a book that deepens in this practice and goes into the philosophy of this spiritual experience. Some questions are respected, like for example, how to include yoga in daily life . It is a good reference manual, ideal for those who are not experts and for those who are.

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7. The Wisdom of Yoga (Stephen Cope)

As the name of this work indicates, practicing yoga is an extraordinary experience. That is why the car decided to create a guide so that anyone can benefit from the tradition and practice of yoga. Stephen Cope is one of the most renowned yoga experts in the West.

  • On this page you can read more about the book.

8. Yoga. An Adventure for Children (Helen Purperhart)

Yoga is not only beneficial for adults, but also for children. That is why the author of this book decided to create a work, with scientific endorsement , that would facilitate the work of teachers so that they could teach this healthy practice to the youngest. This book provides a creative vision of yoga, which includes play, dance, music and drawing.

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9. The Yoga Bible: An Essential Guide to Yoga Postures (Christina Brown and Nora Steinbrun)

Although it refers to the Bible, this book has nothing to do with religion. It focuses on reviewing the philosophy behind yoga, and provides the keys to easily understand how to practice the different asanas , as well as the other elements that make up this ancient method.

  • For more information, you can access this page.

10. The key muscles in Hatha Yoga (Ray Long)

A great text, but suitable for yoga teachers. It deals with the anatomy and functioning of the muscles during the practice of yoga. Hatha yoga is a type of yoga, the most practiced in the world, and also the most physical.

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11. The Yoga Tradition (Georg Feuerstein)

It is rather a theoretical book that helps to understand yoga from its beginnings, since yoga is not only a physical practice, but also a mental one with a great tradition. It is intended for individuals who want to know more about this healthy method and understand where it comes from and what its purpose is.

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12. Yoga: The Spirit and the Practice of Transferring to Stillness (Erich Schiffmann)

As an oriental practice, yoga is ideal for achieving inner peace, living in the present and being aware of our surroundings and ourselves. The author of the text is Erich Schiffmann, a renowned teacher, one of the first to combine Hatha Yoga and meditation. Therefore, this book not only deals with the subject of yoga, but also with mindfulness.

13. Yoga, pregnancy and birth (Janet Balaskas)

Yoga can be a very useful tool for pregnant women , as it can help them to cope with both pregnancy, birth and the early stages after delivery.

“Yoga, Pregnancy and Birth” is a very useful work, in which it is possible to find from the most appropriate, soft and safe exercises to the most advanced ones to help the pregnant woman to be in contact with herself. In the pages of this book it is possible to find advice to be aware of one’s own breathing, of the body, of the mind in this great vital moment.

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