Yoga books we love
A yoga practice comes in all different shapes and sizes. The 8-limbs of yoga is cyclical and asana, our movement practice, is only one piece to self-study and mastery.
Reading. This can be a big part of your yoga practice.
When reading, you can welcome pratyahara (withdrawal) and dharana (concentration) or, even dhyana (meditation). Think about when you are so hooked by a book that you are concentrated on each word, hearing your inner voice telling you the story, tapped into the book like you entered a whole new world. That is yoga.
Our favorite yoga books
Journey to the Heart: Daily Meditations by Melody Beattie (this is a fan favorite!)
The Yamas and Niyamas by Deborah Adele (tied for first, fan favorite)
The Pure Heart of Yoga by Robert Butera
Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses by Sage Rountree
Yoga sutras of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda
Embrace Yoga’s Roots by Susanna Barkataki
Not yoga books but very close
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown
The Atlas of the Heart by Brene Brown
Non-violent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg (a nice compliment to Brene’s books)
Like the householder yogi that I am (this is Jordyn, by the way), I’ve been making reading and coffee my ritual every morning, or at least trying to. I wake up, gulp down my greens while I make my coffee, then get cozy on the couch to read my yoga book. This is my yoga.
Make it a point to read some pages a day—could be 1 or a whole chapter. See how you feel.
A fair warning
Recently, I was listening to a podcast, “Let’s Talk Yoga,” (a.k.a. my new obsession) and Arundhati, the host, mentioned that she doesn’t share a book list during her teacher training. It’s Episode 106, to be exact. This made my ear’s poke up. Arundhati went on to say that, while books can certainly increase your education, it’s not about that. Self-study becomes key.
To me, a book list was the gate way to continuing my yoga studies even outside of yoga teacher training. And while the endless books that I bought are keeping my morning coffee routine going, I do find that self-study overrides the words on paper. In other words, the book’s story keeps us hooked but, what’s more magical is the self-study and discipline that starts to solidify when we pick up our books and our yoga.
For the 603 book worms
In 603 Yoga fashion, we need to tell you about the local book stores (and maybe a few coffee shops) that can feed your book obsession and cozy coffee moment. To name a few:
Crackskull’s coffee & books in Newmarket, NH
Avenue Victor Hugo Book Shop in Lee, NH
Book Bar in Portsmouth, NH
River Run Bookstore in Portsmouth, NH
Sheafe Street Books in Portsmouth, NH
Water Street Book Store in Exeter, NH
Gibson’s bookstore in Concord, NH
Bookery in Manchester, NH
Let us know where you end up!
Spotted: Jordyn with a coffee, a book in hand, and her puppies
