Yoga books help us to get the subject right. Yoga is related to mind and body. Many of us assume yoga asanas as a physical exercise involving bending joints and muscles. Yoga focuses on a lot more than just physical exercise. Yoga rejuvenates every cell of the body from deep within. To achieve the benefits of yoga, understanding the science behind it helps immensely.
With all of us confined to the home and fighting the deadly virus by building our immunity, there is no other good time to start yoga. Yoga videos online are a good start. However, Reading yoga books is an insightful approach to understand its potency. Here are yoga books for beginners that will help with your yoga journey.
Yoga Anatomy, by Leslie Kaminoff
Yoga is more than bending muscles. It works on your body the way you never even experienced before. Yoga Anatomy explains how each yoga pose helps your body and the science behind it. And once you understand this underlying secret, you can never stop falling in love with or miss another yoga session.
- Verdict: Not to miss book for beginners, practitioners, and yoga enthusiasts.
- Level: Beginner
Yoga Mythology: 64 Asanas and Their Stories
Have you ever wondered about the mythological significance behind the names of yoga poses? Every yoga pose name is derived from Sanskrit and signifies a strong meaning. The Yoga Mythology book By Devdutt Patnaik explains the fascinating tales behind every pose. You will also learn the secrets of getting each yoga pose right with this one of the most sought-after yoga books.
Verdict: Fascinating and intriguing.
Level: Beginner.
Hatha Yoga Pradipika: Classic Guide for the Advanced Practice of Hatha Yoga
Hatha refers to the hidden energy in the human body. It is a science that deals with awakening the chakras and the energy in them. This book talks about deeper aspects of Yoga and awakening Kundalini through yoga poses.
- Verdict: Highly scientific, only under Guru’s guidance and not for a light read.
- Level: Not for beginners, and only for expert yoga practitioners.
Yoga For Men: Build Strength, Improve Performance, Increase Flexibility
This yoga book will debunk the misconceptions that only modern exercises and intense gym sessions will help in bodybuilding. Specifically written for men, this popular yoga book will explain how one can constructively build the body with yoga. This yoga book comes with a fitness plan for bodybuilding, flexibility boost, and for anyone to turn stronger and fitter with yoga.
- Verdict: This book helps you very much to build your body with yoga.
- Level: Beginner to Expert level.
Guide to Yoga Boxset ( Light on Yoga, Light on Pranayama)
This is a combo of two yoga books – Light on Yoga and Light on Pranayama. The secret of reaping the benefits of yoga lies in breathing right. This yoga book combo helps you understand these aspects just the right way. Coming straight from the Yoga Guru B.K.S Iyenger, there is no other good way to your yoga journey through yoga books.
- Verdict: Comprehensive combo that teaches yoga and breathing techniques in a step-by-step manner.
- Level: Good start for yoga beginners
Yoga Mala: The Original Teachings of Ashtanga Yoga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois
An authoritative guide composed by Yoga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, this is one of the yoga books that give you an end-to-end understanding of yoga in a traditional way. Starting from Sun Salutations to explaining 40 yoga poses in depth along with their scientific benefits, Yoga Mala is where you should start once you get some basic knowledge of Yoga.
- Verdict: End-to-end knowledge about Yoga poses and Sun salutations.
- Level: Beginner and expert level.
Yoga: 30-Day Step-By-Step Guide Of Yoga For Complete Beginners
For Kindle lovers, here is one Yoga book in Kindle version you cannot miss. Written to meet every yoga enthusiast’s needs, this 30-day guide to Yoga is so good that you will start practicing the day you open it. In addition, the book covers yoga poses for people in bed and who cannot practice yoga explicitly. There is another dedicated section on Back pain as well as weight loss through Yoga.
- Verdict: Great choice amongst kindle yoga books.
- Level: Beginner to moderate.
Body Goddess: The Complete Guide on Yoga for Women
A woman’s body undergoes a myriad of changes with age. Right from teenage troubles like pimples and acne to fertility issues like PCOS and later stage troubles like Menopause, thankfully there is always a helping hand from Yoga. Body Goddess is one of the dedicated yoga books for women. It is a must-read for every woman who aspires to stay healthy with yoga.
- Verdict: Simple to understand women’s problems and prevent and find relief through yoga.
- Level: Beginner to moderate.
Certificate of Yoga Professionals: Official Guidebook
Yoga training and certification are a must in many countries to start your practice as a yoga practitioner. This is a comprehensive guide on Yoga and is a mandatory read for every yoga practitioner. Besides covering yoga end to end, this yoga book explains how yoga helps in attaining spiritual liberation.
- Verdict: Got to guide to understand Yoga as a subject and gain expertise to train others.
- Level: Expert level and for attaining Yoga Practitioner/Trainer certification.
Yoga Also for the Godless
There exists a misnomer that Yoga is related to some God or religion. Despite the awareness that is all around us on Yoga, this perception remains. Yoga is finding oneself from the innermost level. This book Yoga Also for the Godless explains the same in a very scientific manner. Once you are done with reading this yoga book, you will realize that Yoga is meant to find out ourselves.
- Verdict: Deep, thoughtful, and self-realizing.
- Level: Moderate to Expert.
Science of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect your Practice
Yoga is preventive medicine. But how does it work? This Yoga book explains the science of Yoga. It decodes 30 important yoga poses explaining in depth how each pose helps in strengthening from the core and preventing disease.
- Verdict: Expert-level writing and must-read book for yoga practitioners.
- Level: Expert Level and for Yoga Trainers.
Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion (Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centre)
The difference between practicing yoga at home and a yoga camp or a traditional yoga center is apparent. When we learn at yoga camp amidst nature dedicated to yoga training, the benefits become visible immediately. The secret lies in many aspects along with the diet and lifestyle changes that we implement there.
If you are looking to practice yoga at home just like how they teach and live in a yoga camp, this yoga book is for you. Besides talking about yoga poses, this is one of the best yoga books that guide you about the yoga diet and lifestyle too.
- Verdict: Best yoga book to reap the yoga benefits to the fullest.
- Level: Beginner.
Yoga & Stress Management
Stress is a silent killer these days. It just got doubled with all us our social life and the boundaries between work and life erased. This yoga book on stress management helps you to beat the stress the natural way through yoga.
- Verdict: An indispensable book for every modern living being struggling with stress.
- Level: Beginner to moderate.
Yoga: The Yoga Beginner’s Bible: Top 63 Illustrated Poses for Weight Loss, Stress Relief and Inner Peace
Here’s another from popular yoga books for the Kindle book lover tribe. Written for Yoga beginners , this book talks about best yoga poses for beginners step by step in a wonderful way. This yoga book will be a helpful guide in inculcating yoga in your daily lifestyle.
- Verdict: Excellent book on yoga to implement yoga in your daily life.
- Level: Beginner
Hatha Yoga Pradipika
The Bible on Yoga, any yoga books list is incomplete without a mention of this book. Hatha Yoga Pradipika narrates Yoga and its spiritual science like no other modern work does. Besides, it throws great details into yogic practices like jalaneti and tantra practices. Before grabbing this book, you should have a good practice with yoga first.
- Verdict: Deep and advanced level practices on yoga. Consider practicing them only under Guru’s guidance.
- Level: Expert and Guru Level
BKS Iyengar Yoga The Path to Holistic Health: The Definitive Step-by-Step Guide
Here comes the ultimate Yoga book for beginners. Written by Shri BKS Iyenger, this yoga book is a go-to -guide for anyone who wants to learn and benefit from yoga practice. The images presented are in 360-angle view to help you understand their practice clearly. The book also presents a deeper insight into various ailments of humans and how we can prevent and find relief through yoga.
- Verdict: Comprehensive and must add to your Yoga library.
- Level: Beginner to expert.
Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
Patanjali is the Father of Yoga. His Yoga Sutras guide humanity towards self-realization. This yoga book contains an in-depth interpretation of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Being translated by Swami Vivekananda is what makes this book further insightful.
- Verdict: A must-read book to grasp yoga sutras and understand the philosophy of yoga.
- Level: Moderate to Expert.
The Complete Book of Yoga: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga
For all those who know Yoga as only a form of exercise, this book will open up the other forms of Yoga. Yoga, as per Hindu Scriptures, is of many forms. And this book will explain each of them in detail. After reading this book, it becomes clear that yoga is a lot beyond exercises and is a tool devised for humans to attain spiritual liberation.
- Verdict: Complete guidance on what yoga is.
- Level: Beginner to expert.
The Power of Yoga
This is a yoga manual that explains how to beat modern life diseases with yoga. Designed for time-constrained people, this yoga book narrates techniques to reap the benefits of yoga through simple techniques.
- Verdict: Modern guide on yoga.
- Level: Beginner.
Light on Yoga: The Classic Guide to Yoga by the World’s Foremost Authority
Another book from BKS Iyengar and the most loved book from among the yoga books for beginner range, any yoga book list is incomplete without a mention of this book. A superb book that explains every asana with illustrated pictures. You can easily learn yoga from scratch through this book.
- Verdict: A bible for yoga beginners.
- Level: Beginner.
Have you read any of these yoga books? What is your review on them? Did we miss any fantastic yoga book? Please comment.