The Best Yoga Books

There are so many books about yoga and sometimes people want to get a good book to read but aren’t sure where to start. Here are are a few reviews of my favorite yoga books that are actually worth buying.

The Best Yoga Books To Buy for Your Home

Science of Yoga: Understand the Anatomy and Physiology to Perfect Your Practice

If you are the type of person that likes a very anatomically precise reference for yoga, this is hands down the best book on the market for you. It will give you very precise and in-depth details about the biomechanics of 30 key yoga asanas – in-depth and from every angle. And this will help you master poses with confidence and precise control.

Science of Yoga provides a detailed insight into variations of key yoga poses and the specific benefits of different styles of yoga on the human body, system by system. What is very unique about this book is the level of precision and scientific detail. For example: it has specially commissioned CGI artworks show 30 asanas in depth and detail the physics of the pose. Also 16 spreads of clear, easy-to-understand scientific facts and research answering key questions around ancient and modern claims. And it has an illustrated section showing the benefits of yoga on each system of the body.

If you really want to see how your respiration, blood flow and muscles and joints work together during specific yoga poses, this is the only book I’ve seen that has this level of scientific depth.

To summarize, this is really the first yoga book on the market to combine detailed anatomical drawings, pose mechanics and key scientific research.

If you are totally new to yoga, this book is probably NOT the best place to start – it felt a bit intimidating to me. I would recommend one of the options below instead. And then later if you commit to a regular yoga practice, come back and check it out again.

Yoga: Your Home Practice Companion: A Complete Practice and Lifestyle Guide: Yoga Programs, Meditation Exercises, and Nourishing Recipes

If there is one book for most people, this one is probably my top recommendation? Why you ask? Because it focuses on using yoga and meditation to lead a healthy lifestyle, along with nourishing recipes.  Most 

This book will help you achieve a healthy body, mental alertness, and inner serenity through the practice of yoga. It has very detailed and step-by-step asanas too. So it is a helpful home reference guide when you want to check your positioning in a pose. It will also help you master breathing and mindfulness techniques to recharge your energy levels and combat stress.

Recipes – This book will help you eat a more yogic way with more than 40 delicious plant-based recipes.

In short, this book has mindfulness techniques, step-by-step yoga poses and nourishing recipes. If you want a beautifully illustrated book that you can use as a home companion, this book is an excellent choice. You will learn the 12 classic asanas and can choose from a range of 20, 40 and 60 minute programs.

If you want a book that you can use to reference poses. Or help you transition to a vegetarian diet (with recipes). Or relax and recharge with mindfulness techniques, then this is a good option for you.

Restorative Yoga for Beginners: Gentle Poses for Relaxation and Healing

This book is best if you are looking for a more chill, relaxing form of yoga. Not gonna lie, this is personally what I prefer most of the time!

Restorative yoga focuses on simple poses in supported positions – encouraging deep relaxation so your mind can enter a peaceful, meditative state. If you just want to chill with your yoga and use it as a natural way to relax, or as a relaxing addition to your usual workout routine, it can be very relaxing.

The book starts with an introduction to the spiritual origins and rejuvenating benefits of restorative yoga. It will help you find the right position to reduce lower back pain and relieve stress, improve your overall energy and even breath easier.

It comes with beautiful illustrations to help you visualize and learn each pose. The book contains 36 essential restorative yoga poses, including labels with the therapeutic benefits of each. Also, it shows 20 yoga sequences to help turn the poses into simple routines. 

So if you want a more chill approach to yoga, I would highly recommend this book.

 

Yoga Fitness for Men: Build Strength, Improve Performance, and Increase Flexibility

If you are looking for a book specifically for men and yoga, this is a great option. Especially if you are a bit anxious about going to a yoga class without any prior background or knowledge.

This book is perfect for beginners, with straightforward language and easy-to-follow steps.

Yoga Fitness for Men will teach you how to execute the yoga postures you need for greater endurance, flexibility, balance, and strength. You can prop the book in front of your mat and let the full-color, step-by-step photography guide you through everything you need to know for an effective yoga practice.

If you are looking to improve your mobility with some yoga poses, this book will help educate you and start doing some yoga at home.

Then guide contains 25 yoga workouts, and over 50 key postures so yoga can make you stronger, fitter, and more mobile. It also includes visual modifications show you how to tailor the pose for your body. And the thing that is most helpful – for my husband at least – is that it has a dashboard chart for every pose explains what you should and shouldn’t be feeling in your body while doing the pose.

If you have a specific goal like improving your core strength or lower back relief, this book also has structured work out plans that are easy to follow. So in summary, this book has very structured and easy to follow plans that will help men incorporate some yoga into their fitness routines. Its focus is not for the person that wants to get super deep on yoga, but for the guy that wants to learn a few poses to improve their athleticism, or reduce pain or increase flexibility.

Also, see our full review of Yoga for the Inflexible Male – another great option for men new to yoga.

The Inspired Yoga Teacher: The Essential Guide to Creating Transformational Classes your Students will Love (The Language of Yin)

This last one is perhaps the best option for yoga teachers. Personally I have never taught yoga, but I have looked at this book for inspiration and have friends that have it.

The author is Gabrielle Harris, who is a mindful writer and teacher is one of the 2019 finalists in the Ashton Wylie Mind Body Spirit awards.

Gabrielle has been teaching and practising yoga for over fifteen years. Her writing has been featured in Yoga Journal, Mind Body Green and various other publications. Her teaching and writing inspiration arise from over 1000 hours of studying with some of the world’s leading teachers in both the yin and yang world.

This book is a tribute to the many styles of yoga she has studied on her path.

“My ultimate goal is to help students and teachers move beyond the poses and see how the teachings relate to their own lives with all the struggles and joys. In doing so my wish is that people live a life that is more easeful.” This practical guide is an accessible way to weave the teachings into our everyday life by providing a translatable guide to life off the mat.

-Gabrielle Harris

If you are a new or experienced yoga teacher and looking for a book to give you some fresh perspective on what to teach today, this book is for you. It is full of yoga ideas, scripts, sequences, philosophy, poetry and quotes. Tons of things you can use in your classes. The book is essentially a toolbox that will give you some inspiration and breathe some new life into your classes. And your students will appreciate and benefit from this too!

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