Best Yoga Books for Home Practice: Recommended by Experts

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If you are planning to look for the yoga books for home practice available in the market, you are on the right page.

Our researchers have researched the domain for 22 long hours to list down the best 8 across usage needs, user needs and budgets. So, whatever your needs and budget  be you will find the best here.

Therapeutic yoga is the application of yogic postures for the treatment of health and involves yogic practices and teachings, to prevent structural, physiological, emotional and spiritual pain, suffering or limitations.

This ancient practice of meditation and exercise is beneficial on many grounds, providing not only physical well-being but internal peace, calm and quiet.

Yoga is a form of mind-body fitness that involves a combination of muscular activity and an internally directed mindful focus on awareness of the self, the breath, and energy. And nothing better if we get to access such an enriching experience while being at our comfort zone, in our home.

So we are going to share a reading list with you where you’ll get the Best Yoga Books for Home Practice.

Yoga Books for Home Practice

What are the Essential Yoga Books for Home Practice?

1. Light On Yoga By B.K.S. Iyenger

Hatha yoga is something that Iyenger endorsed and he focused on the physical alignment of the body in all of his recommended poses.

The focus is on the right posture and with regular practice, one would get to experience the perfect one. He believed that once the balance is bodily mastered, the mind also calms down and seeks that balance.

What we like in it ?

  • You are an enthusiast about yogic philosophy, asanas and kriyas.
  • You are genuinely interested in a comprehensive guide to yoga.
  • This book is in complete alignment with your growth.
  • You are kind of an old soul and happy with black and white pictures.
  • This book comes from one of the finest practitioners of yoga.

Cons

  • You want a short dig into yoga rather than detailed descriptions.
  • You are looking for a book that is filled with innovations.
  • Not a book full of digital illustrations.

2. Yoga-The Practice Of Movement And Stillness By Eric Schiffman

This book will take you through a lovely and unique experience where you’ll see a merging of two traditions namely, the Iyengar and the Desikachar.

It will have one of the most positive influences in your life shifting your ideas about yoga and how you relate to life and meditate on living it.

What we like in it ?

  • Exploring and challenging.
  • For those who are open to practising yoga following different approaches.
  • Those who want to enhance your sensitivity while doing yoga.
  • The illustrations make practice easier.
  • His method of teaching is easy to grasp and the transitions between all the postures is smooth.

Cons

  • Looking for guidance for doing asanas only.

3. Yoga Anatomy 2nd Edition By Leslie Kaminoff And Amy Matthews

This book is definitely for all you people who is love with vivid illustrations. The description of all the postures comes with a detailed photograph letting you know about the effective changes you can expect while practising them.

What we like in it ?

  • You will be able to experience yoga and the postures in a completely new light.
  • Very informative for every kind of performer, whether novice or a pro.
  • You can get a flavour of physiology along with yoga.
  • This is a good book for both the practitioners and students who want to delve deeper in this form of practice.

Cons

  • There is an absence of phonetic symbols.
  • Might seem jargon based to certain people. Definitely not a light read.

4. The Yoga Sutras Of Patanjali By Sri Swami Satchidananda

This valuable book will teach you the practice of Raja Yoga, the path of concentration and meditation.

Each of the verses is written in Sanskrit with proper pronunciation, then translated in English and then the insights of Swami Satchidananda is mentioned.

What we like in it ?

  • Swami Satchidananda offers practical advice, based on his own experience, for mastering the mind and achieving physical, mental and emotional harmony in his commentaries and translations.
  • As you embark on your spiritual journey you will find this book by your side.
  • More authentic as it contains the Sanskrit verses as well.
  • There is high degree of correlation between mind, stress, body and its functions.

Cons

  • The explanations may seem contradictory if one is devoid of accomodating broader perspectives.

5. Yoga Mind, Body And Spirit’ A Return To Wholeness By Donna Farhi

This book integrates the teachings of all the traditions and shows how practising yoga can enhance the connections between one’s mind, body, and soul.

There are more than seventy-five yoga asanas or postures. All of the postures are pictured and described in details. The different yoga practices of varying lengths, through their varied levels of difficulty challenges and, inspires the beginners, intermediate, and advanced students.

What we like in it ?

  • The edge this book has over others is its combination of yoga’s spiritual aspects with its physical components.
  • She addresses the core poses first and then goes on to the more difficult ones.
  • She talks about the seven simple movement principles that is the source for all human motion and provide exercises to help readers understand how they can achieve all the yogic postures.
  • She explains how to incorporate the rich wisdom of yoga into a spiritually and emotionally rewarding inner practice.

Cons

  • The illustrations might seem old and dated.
  • The author’s yoga specific language can be a hurdle for beginners.

6. The Heart Of Yoga: Developing A Personal Practise By T.K.V Desikachar

Desikachar, son of Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya (who was an eminent yoga practitioner), is the author of this masterpiece.

The best thing about this book is that it takes you within your core, your being, and makes you observe the postures and whether they are in perfect alignment with your realisations.

What we like in it ?

  • The breath alignment with movement is a very important aspect of Asana which is beautifully scripted here.
  • A lot of Yogic principles are comprehensively explained.
  • Desikachar teaches these postures so that you can reap physical, mental, and spiritual benefits.
  • It strengthens your inner core.

Cons

  • Stuffed with information.
  • This book is for serious readers.

7. The Yoga Beginner’s Bible By Tai Morello

This is an overwhelmingly comprehensive book on yoga poses. But more than simply a list of poses, it includes excellent, clear graphics of a person performing each pose.

It includes a lot of analysis, gives you tips on yoga practice, and information on making yoga a habit and an integral part of your daily life.

What we like in it ?

  • Stress on meditation and its beneficial effects on our health and mind.
  • Each pose is well described and lists the positive effects that the body would experience one it is practised.
  • Proper breathing is another important feature in yoga. The aspect of breathing is also covered with instructions on several special breathing techniques.
  • There are chapters regarding youthfulness to weight loss to relaxation and each of them accompanies illustrations.

Cons

  • The postures towards the end of the book can be a bit difficult for beginners. However, with practice they can get there.

8. Yoga Body: The Origins Of Modern Posture Practice

This book by Mark Singleton will take you on a ride of yoga tracing its roots and explaining how it evolved over time. He argues how the yoga that is in practice now has departed from the tradition of hatha yoga.

This book is mainly his PhD thesis and he shares his anecdotes while describing in detail all the different ventures that the path of yoga has been exploring.

He concluded that during the 1920s, an asana-based yoga emerged, with an emphasis on its health benefits, and flowing sequences (vinyasas), which has been adapted from the gymnastics of the physical culture movement.

What we like in it ?

  • The whole history of yoga with its evolution has been put together.
  • It strongly analyses modern yoga.
  • It explores the relationship between yoga and Harmonia Gymnastics and esoteric dance.
  • The book then looks at the importance of visual reproduction of images of yoga, through halftone engraving and photography, on the revival of asana practice.

Cons

  • It is very detailed, filled with interesting historical contents, so it is definitely not for light reading.

How can I practice yoga at home?

  • Requirement
    To all the yoga lovers out there who are bookworms too, gauge your options according to your requirements. There’s plenty for you to choose from, from beginners to advance level. We have covered an exhaustive list for you all, to suite your criteria.

  • Time Investment
    If you are into deep thinking and want to explore the philosophies of yoga, buy a book that’ll help you nurture your thoughts more. Do not go for the precise ones.

  • Picture Illustration
    If you are mostly into graphics then our recommendation will always be for the books with great picture illustrations. The monochrome one might not trigger your interest.
How can I practice yoga at home

Frequently asked questions

Can I Learn Yoga Without Yoga Classes?

With all these books listed above, and the detailed insights shared in each of them, you are in for an overwhelming experience of performing and practising yoga.

Yoga is not only about classroom training, it can be pretty well done in-home, as it hardly uses heavyweight machines required in the gym. The props are simple to use and it’s your choice to get hold of those and practice within the premises of your home.

Can Yoga Be Self-Taught?

For the beginners, it is always best to start with the Hatha asana which is very well put by B.K.S Iyengar in his book. Yoga is such a practice that it can be very easily self-taught with a few guidance, which can very well train your mind and body to come in union and enjoy the ecstasy of life and living.

What Is The Best Book On Yoga And Meditation?

Our comprehensive list entails this answer. The chosen ones out here are one of the best out there. You can go through the pros and cons and accordingly decide.

Conclusion

We sincerely hope this list helps you make a smart choice for your need. We welcome you to the world of yoga, and mind-body-soul unification.

These are the enlisted Best Yoga Books for Home Practitioners, so go grab your copy now!

We will love it if you like something from our selection and find it useful.