My Reading List - Books to Explore Yoga Deeper

I say it often, but I’d be remiss if I did not say it again. Yoga is not simply a body movement class, and it is certainly not an exercise. Yoga is a subtle science for attaining enlightenment. It is a way of being. It is mental; it is physical; it is emotional; and it is spiritual.

Yoga originated tens of thousands of years in India and South Asia as an oral tradition passed down through the intimate spiritual education taught by a guru to his or her group of students. Its influence has spread far and wide since then, but its principles are still the same.

As it is portrayed now, yoga has become synonymous with physical strength, flexibility, and toning. It has morphed into this grossly physical practice in many yoga studios. Thankfully, there are many teachers who still care about spreading the true roots of yoga philosophy and culture, and I have had the honor and the privilege to study from them throughout the years.

And I want to do my part to spread authentic yoga as well. So I have put together this reading list of authors and their works that I feel truly embody the heart and spirit of yoga culture at its core. I will continue to update it, so be sure to check back often to see what else you can learn. From asanas to history, from philosophy and spirituality to psychology, and from cultural appropriation to social justice, you will find that yoga is much more encompassing than you might have ever imagined!

My reading list:

Light on Yoga, B.K.S. Iyengar

Eastern Body Western Mind: Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self, Anodea Judith

Do Your Om Thing, Rebecca Pacheco

2,100 Asanas: The Complete Yoga Poses, Daniel Lacerda

Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda

The Second Coming of Christ: The Resurrection of the Christ Within You, Paramahansa Yogananda

The Complete Guide to Yin Yoga, Bernie Clark

Embrace Yoga’s Roots: Courageous Ways to Deepen Your Yoga Practice, Susanna Barkataki

The Physics of Consciousness: In the Quantum Field, Minerals, Plants, Animals and Human Souls, Ivan Antic

Eat Feel Fresh: A Contemporary Plant-Based Ayurvedic Cookbook, Sahara Rose