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Learn To Love Yoga with Amber > Beginner Yoga  > My Recommended Reading For Aspiring Yogis and Yoginis
yoga recommended reading list

My Recommended Reading For Aspiring Yogis and Yoginis

As an avid reader, deepening my understanding of yoga by looking further than the physical practice of yoga is something that has always interested me. As part of my teacher training we were recommended a number of books to read, some of which I had already read and some that were on my radar but I just hadn’t got round to yet in addition to some that I had never heard of before. These were a mix of spiritual and anatomical books which, when read in conjunction, built a broader understanding of yoga that has not only complimented my physical practice but has day to day applications in the real world. These books have been a source of inspiration for me and I hope that they will be for you too.

The list below is comprised not just of books recognised for their focus on yoga but also of those that I feel resonate with the principles of yoga, namely those of mindfulness and kindness to others.

Knowledge was always the power that kept the Universe in its place and the stars turning in their orbits. - Paulo Coelho

LIGHT ON YOGA by B.K.S Iyengar

B.K.S. Iyengar has devoted his life to the practice and study of yoga. It was B.K.S. Iyengar’s unique teaching style, bringing precision and clarity to the practice, as well as a mindset of ‘yoga for all’, which has made it into the worldwide phenomenon it is today. ‘Light on Yoga’ is widely called ‘the bible of yoga’ and has served as the source book for generations of yoga students around the world. It is the classic text for all serious students of yoga.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE BHAGAVAD GITA by Eknath Easwaran

The Bhagavad Gita, “The Song of the Lord,” is probably the best known of all the Indian scriptures, and Easwaran’s clear, accessible translation is the best-selling edition. The Gita opens dramatically, with prince Arjuna collapsing in anguish on the brink of a war that he doesn’t want to fight. Arjuna has lost his way on the battlefield of life, and turns to his spiritual guide, Sri Krishna, the Lord himself. Krishna replies in 700 verses of sublime instruction on living and dying, loving and working, and the nature of the soul. This book includes an extensive and very readable introduction, which places the Gita in its historical setting, explains the key concepts, and brings out the universality of its teachings. Individual chapter introductions prepare the reader for the main themes, and notes, a Sanskrit glossary, and an index are included. Although the battlefield is a perfect backdrop, for Easwaran the Gita’s subject is the war within, the struggle for self-mastery that every human being must wage. Arjuna’s dilemma is acutely modern, and the Gita’s message remains as relevant for us now as it was for ancient India.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE UPANISHADS by Eknath Easwaran

In the Upanishads, illumined sages share flashes of insight, the results of their investigation into consciousness itself. In extraordinary visions, they have direct experience of a transcendent Reality which is the essence, or Self, of each created being. They teach that each of us, each Self, is eternal, deathless, one with the power that created the universe.

Easwaran’s translation of the principal Upanishads and five others includes an overview of the cultural and historical setting, with chapter introductions, notes, and a Sanskrit glossary. But it is Easwaran’s understanding of the wisdom of the Upanishads that makes this edition truly outstanding.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE YOGA SUTRAS OF PANTANJALI by Alistair Shearer

The basic questions of Who Am I? Where Am I Going? What Is the Purpose of Life? are asked by every generation, and Patanjali’s answers (given in the third century BC) form one of the oldest spiritual texts in the world. ‘That which unites’ is called ‘Yoga’ – and is thus much broader than the form of exercise so popular today. It is a way to restore our lost wholeness, our integrity as complete human beings, by unifying the personality around a centre that is silent and unbounded. Alistair Shearer’s superb introduction and translation bring these ancient, vital teachings to life in the modern world and are for all those who seek the benefits of self-knowledge.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

AWAKENING SHAKTI by Sally Kempton

In Awakening Shakti, Sally Kempton shows readers how to recognise and invite: Kali, bringer of strength, fierce love, and untamed freedom Lakshmi, who confers prosperity and beauty Saraswati, for clarity of communication and intuition Radha, who carries the divine energy of spiritual longing Bhuvaneshvari, who creates the space for sacred transformation Parvati, to awaken creativity and the capacity to love With a wealth of meditations, visualizations, mantras, teachings, and beautifully told stories, this book provides a practical guide for activating the currents of the divine feminine in every aspect of your life.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE HEART OF YOGA by tkv desikachar

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya’s teaching have become well known around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya’s son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya’s yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya’s fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual’s changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value.

In The Heart of YogaDesikachar offers a distillation of his father’s system as well as his own practical approach, which he describes as “”a program for the spine at every level–physical, mental, and spiritual.”” This is the first yoga text to outline a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to the age-old principles of yoga. Desikachar discusses all the elements of yoga–poses and counterposes, conscious breathing, meditation, and philosophy–and shows how the yoga student may develop a practice tailored to his or her current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. This is a revised edition of The Heart of Yoga.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE PROPHET by Kahlil Gibran

The time has come for the revered Prophet to leave Orphalese. Before he departs, people gather around him and ask him to speak of love, marriage, time, sorrow, friendship and children. The Prophet’s replies are illuminating and humane and provide a timeless guide to living.

The Prophet was an instant bestseller on publication in 1923. Since then it has been translated into more than 20 languages and is a classic work of inspirational fiction.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE ART OF HAPPINESS AT WORK by The Dalai Lama and Howard C. Cutler

Of the many Dalai Lama titles on sale, THE ART OF HAPPINESS – written with western psychiatrist Howard Cutler – is by far the biggest bestseller of them all. A huge international success, it has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, with nearly 300,000 of these in the UK alone. Now, this inspirational new book brings the successful East-meets-West pairing together again to provide a practical application of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual values to the world of work.

In this wise and practical book, the Dalai Lama shows us how to place our working lives into the context of our lives as a whole. Rather than striving to find a role which suits us, we should allow our work to arise naturally from who we are – and what is most important to us. From here we reach a pathway that can lead us to true life fulfilment and purpose.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE ALCHEMIST by Paulo Coelho

A global phenomenon, The Alchemist has been read and loved by over 62 million readers, topping bestseller lists in 74 countries worldwide. Now this magical fable is beautifully repackaged in an edition that lovers of Paulo Coelho will want to treasure forever.

Every few decades a book is published that changes the lives of its readers forever. This is such a book – a beautiful parable about learning to listen to your heart, read the omens strewn along life’s path and, above all, follow your dreams.

Santiago, a young shepherd living in the hills of Andalucia, feels that there is more to life than his humble home and his flock. One day he finds the courage to follow his dreams into distant lands, each step galvanised by the knowledge that he is following the right path: his own. The people he meets along the way, the things he sees and the wisdom he learns are life-changing.

With Paulo Coelho’s visionary blend of spirituality, magical realism and folklore, The Alchemist is a story with the power to inspire nations and change people’s lives.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

THE DEVIL AND MISS PRYM by Paulo Coelho

A community devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear. A man persecuted by the ghosts of his painful past. A young woman searching for happiness. In one eventful week, each will face questions of life, death, and power, and each will choose a path. Will they choose good or evil?

In the remote village of Viscos — a village too small to be on any map, a place where time seems to stand still — a stranger arrives, carrying with him a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. He comes searching for the answer to a question that torments him: Are human beings, in essence, good or evil? In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives.

Paulo Coelho’s stunning novel explores the timeless struggle between good and evil, and brings to our everyday dilemmas fresh perspective: incentive to master the fear that prevents us from following our dreams, from being different, from truly living.

The Devil and Miss Prym is a story charged with emotion, in which the integrity of being human meets a terrifying test.

You can buy it on Amazon here.

 

My hope is that you will enjoy these books as much as I have, happy reading! x

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