Here’s some yoga book recommendations from Yogamasti! Whether you’re a beginner or experienced Yogi, you’ll love these books! We believe they’re well worth a read and could give you that little spark of insight and motivation you’ve been looking for! There’s plenty of great reads out there in the Yoga community so it’s well worth a look. Tip: cookery book holders work great for keeping your yoga books open while you’re on the mat. If you like ebooks, having your tablet set up while you practice works great for visual guides, and you can flip pages more easily.
1.Every Body Yoga
Out of all the ‘yoga for everyone’ style books, this is definitely the best! One of the common things we hear in our Coventry store is ‘I’d do yoga but…’ followed by all kinds of problems with feeling self-conscious or worries about their body type or age. We always say – you’re never too old! You’re never too big! Your mobility needn’t stop you! THE biggest misconception about yoga is it’s only for thin, young female practitioners. Do people assume jogging or weight training is, too? No! So why Yoga? Everyone can benefit from Yoga practice and this book gives down-to-earth practical info and adaptations so anyone can access Yoga. It’s written by someone who has really been there, and understands the insecurities we all have when facing the mat. This will end up being your go-to reference for poses, with plenty of images and insight.
2. Yoga Touchstone by Norman Sjoman and H. V. Dattatreya
Now this is an academic yoga perspective you can really get your teeth into! We wanted our yoga book recommendations to have a good balance of academic & lightweight. And this book is certainly not lightweight! But it does contain several essays with insights on yoga (Ashtanga specifically) and it’s place in a contemporary context, questioning the function of historical perspectives and assumptions about how the body and mind relate to one another. The author has a scholars understanding of both Sanskrit and Yoga history. It’s written by probably one of the most knowledgeable Yoga teachers alive today, and while his thoughts on contemporary practice are considered controversial by many in the community, you cannot find another with that breadth of knowledge and understanding. It’s a heavy read, but if you want a serious look at yoga principles, this is your guy. We’d also recommend his other works.
3. Functional Anatomy of Yoga: A Guide for Practitioners and Teachers
This is (in our opinion) the best yoga anatomy book out there – and it’s so well explained that you needn’t be an anatomy buff to keep up! If you’re curious what’s happening in your body while you do yoga practice – look no further. This is a great reference book for when you’re feeling tightness in certain areas when you practice & will help you identify where the problem is. A lot about your body isn’t as it seems on the outside, so take a look inside and see what makes you tick.
