Are you looking to deepen your connection with your yoga practice? Looking to learn more about yoga beyond the asana poses? (No offense bakasana!) In this article I share a yoga book list roundup of some of my favorites that have been written and filled my cup with gratitude. Why read yoga books? After all we become what we read and who we spend our time with. If you are looking to have the 8 Limbs of Yoga circulating in your days then reading and learning more about this beautiful practice and way of life is a great place to go.

Here’s your Yoga Book List Roundup!

1. The Radiance Sutras by Lorin Roche.
   With a title like the 112 Gateways to the Yoga of Wonder and Delight you might be curious who wouldn’t want to read about this?! This is a well done update on Patanjali’s classic sutras. Lorin writes in a easy way to understand and his additions are beautiful and profound. I have had this book with me for months at a time on road trips and have read through it several times. Once I did an entire meditation series for a community center on some of the different sutras.

2. The Wisdom of Yoga by Stephen Cope.
   Once again with a subtitle of “A Seeker’s Guide to Extraordinary Living” it seems tough to pass up! Stephen takes us on the journey of five individuals living in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts in the Northeast of the US. The story brings about the trials, tribulations, and complications of being a human and yoga is used in a brilliant way throughout. The themes, takeaways, and real life conversations provide a lovely guide in this well thought out modern version of the ancient practice.

3. The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran.
   Eknath takes the ancient Hindu verses that Ghandi modeled his life by and translate it in a spell bounding way for the Western reader. Opening on a battlefield with Sri Krishna as a charioter this takes the physical act of war as an overlay into our philosophical battle with ourselves. Stunning read!

4. The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran.
   Another classic and ancient verse turned into English with ease and beauty by Eknath. This was a collection of sayings, stories, and teachings of the Buddha. A Path to Truth and Righteousness would be a way to consider this read.

5. In the Name of the Cosmos by Yoga Bhajan.
   “May you all be excellent.  May your future be bright.  May you touch and change everybody who’s down to be up.  May ‘Keep Up’ become your own mantra, ‘Keep Up’ become your motive, ‘Keep Up’ become your mission.  May you keep up ’til the infinity. Sat Nam.” ~ Yogi Bhajan
   Short and action packed read to build around your yoga philosophy.

Yoga is so much more than asana.

While I still prefer a daily asana practice as my physical workout a majority of the time, asana is one of only eight limbs of yoga. It’s simply a practice to get us to meditation and savasana. It has MASSIVE benefits but these books will hopefully give you a glimpse into the other 7 limbs of yoga and how you can slide these into your routines, daily life, and way of living.

Come catch a class with me on my teaching schedule or experience and I’ll weave in all 8 limbs into an asana flow!

To Your Health,
Mike