What Yoga Books Have You Read/Are You Reading?

[lorajc]

Since I am so much enamored with Yoga right now and can't learn enough about it....I was wondering if I've missed out on some good books.

Here's what I've read and what I'm in the midst of reading.....BRACE YOURSELF...I have ADD and it's a LOT!! LOL

Read Eight Human Talents by Gurmukh....which started this all!

Mostly read Gary Krafskrow - Yoga for Wellness

Have Moving Into Stillness by Eric Schiffman....but only started it.

Only browsed thru Guide to Yoga by Shakta Kaur Khalsa (love her....as you'll see below...have many of her books)

Currently Reading the Following (in my defense ....some are Kriya books that I am studying the Kriya's to do as my practice's)

Kundalini Yoga Experience by Guru Dhuram Khalsa & Darryl Okeefe (this one has a lot about the different yoga bodies and numerology so you can figure out what is specifically relevant to you....and read about it. It also has charts to see what Chakra's you need to work on). Good book...I like. You can never get sick of it.

Sacred Therapies -- David Shannakoff Khalsa (This is for all kinds of behavioral issues, addiction, OCD, anxiety, post traumatic stress, etc. It is extensive in what it covers. I have many problems from past issues ...thus the book...very interesting)

Original Light - Snatam Kaur

Yoga for women - Khakta Kaur Khalsa

I am A Woman - Creative, Sacred & INvicible - Kriyas for the Aquarian Age as taught by Yogi bhajan

Yoga for Real Life by Maya Fiennes

Kundalini Yoga - Khakta Khaur Khalsa

Kriya Yoga Sets, Meditations, Chants and Kriya's from the early years as taught by Yogi Bhajan

Kundalini Yogi The Flog of of Yoga - Shakta Kaur Khalsa (another one that got me started on all of these)

Kundalini Yoga for the Body, Mind & Beyond, Ravi Singh

Whew.................that's it..........when there is nothing on at night.....I turn the tv off and read....but I need a better reading light!!!

[eam531]

I got The yoga of aging and chronic illness recently. It's by Jivan Joti Kaur Khalsa. It's aging and illness from the kundalini yoga perspective, with lots of info about kriyas and meditations, food, etc. The best thing about are the sections called "Yogi in the spotlight". These are interviews with long-time practitioners of kundalini yoga. They talk about how KY has helped them deal with aging and chronic illness. Most of these people have been living a "yogic lifestyle" for decades, and found out that is not a guarantee of perfect health. What their lifestyle and use of kriyas and meditation has done for them is to help them cope--"healing" them rather than "curing" them, in many cases.

If you don't have A woman's book of yoga: embracing our natural life cycles by Hari Kaur Khalsa and Machelle Seibel, you might want to check it out. It's from a kundalini yoga perspective, with lots of good kriyas and meditations.

There are lots and lots of free lectures by Yogi Bhajan on the KRI Library of Teachings site. They are recordings of talks he gave. The site also has an index of kriyas he taught (click on Browse and then select Kriya Index)--you can browse or search these kriyas and there are instructions for each kriya.

I have a lot of other yoga books. Some favorites:

Ashtanga yoga: the practice manual by David Swenson. Terrific photos and explanations of the Ashtanga yoga primary series, and also his condensation of it. (His condensation can be seen on the Yoga Short Forms DVD, and he also has a DVD of the entire Primary Series.) Because it's David, it's quite down to earth and he shows you plenty of modifications of postures.

The art, science, and application of kundalini yoga by Nirvair. I used this heavily while teaching. Excellent kriyas and meditations--because this is Nirvair, the kriyas are usually quite gentle. I am not a fan of the extreme (and usually unsafe) kriyas so loved by Gurmukh and some other teachers.

The living Gita: the complete Bhagavad Gita (commentary and translation by Swami Satchidananda). This is the edition of the Gita that finally made it click for me. Ditto his translation/commentary of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. This book got lots of people interested in yoga, and it still does.

Sampoorna Yoga by Yogi Hari. Description of the style of yoga he created (Sampoorna yoga) and general yoga philosophy/info. I think Yogi H. is wonderful.

The heart of yoga: developing a personal practice by T.K.V. Desikachar. His yoga credentials are impeccable--his father was Sri Krishnamacharya, who trained both B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois, two of the giants of yoga in the 20th century. T.K.V. himself was a well-loved teacher.

[toaster]

My husband just bought me a new bookshelf for Christmas b/c I have so many yoga books! I recommend some on my yoga web site:
http://yogibethc.simplesite.com/426654552

That doesn't even cover many of the ones I use to help me plan my classes. My recent favorite has been Guiding Yoga's Light: Lessons for Yoga Teachers by Nancy Gerstein. I also recently read and loved Sharon Salzberg's Lovingkindness. Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga: A Quiet Practice is a great short introduction. You seem to like KY books, so you might enjoy The Body Temple: Kundalini Yoga for Body Acceptance by Ramdesh.

[lorajc]

Originally Posted by eam531

I got The yoga of aging and chronic illness recently. It's by Jivan Joti Kaur Khalsa. It's aging and illness from the kundalini yoga perspective, with lots of info about kriyas and meditations, food, etc. The best thing about are the sections called "Yogi in the spotlight". These are interviews with long-time practitioners of kundalini yoga. They talk about how KY has helped them deal with aging and chronic illness. Most of these people have been living a "yogic lifestyle" for decades, and found out that is not a guarantee of perfect health. What their lifestyle and use of kriyas and meditation has done for them is to help them cope--"healing" them rather than "curing" them, in many cases.

If you don't have A woman's book of yoga: embracing our natural life cycles by Hari Kaur Khalsa and Machelle Seibel, you might want to check it out. It's from a kundalini yoga perspective, with lots of good kriyas and meditations.

There are lots and lots of free lectures by Yogi Bhajan on the KRI Library of Teachings site. They are recordings of talks he gave. The site also has an index of kriyas he taught (click on Browse and then select Kriya Index)--you can browse or search these kriyas and there are instructions for each kriya.

I have a lot of other yoga books. Some favorites:

Ashtanga yoga: the practice manual by David Swenson. Terrific photos and explanations of the Ashtanga yoga primary series, and also his condensation of it. (His condensation can be seen on the Yoga Short Forms DVD, and he also has a DVD of the entire Primary Series.) Because it's David, it's quite down to earth and he shows you plenty of modifications of postures.

The art, science, and application of kundalini yoga by Nirvair. I used this heavily while teaching. Excellent kriyas and meditations--because this is Nirvair, the kriyas are usually quite gentle. I am not a fan of the extreme (and usually unsafe) kriyas so loved by Gurmukh and some other teachers.

The living Gita: the complete Bhagavad Gita (commentary and translation by Swami Satchidananda). This is the edition of the Gita that finally made it click for me. Ditto his translation/commentary of the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.

Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda. This book got lots of people interested in yoga, and it still does.

Sampoorna Yoga by Yogi Hari. Description of the style of yoga he created (Sampoorna yoga) and general yoga philosophy/info. I think Yogi H. is wonderful.

The heart of yoga: developing a personal practice by T.K.V. Desikachar. His yoga credentials are impeccable--his father was Sri Krishnamacharya, who trained both B.K.S. Iyengar and Pattabhi Jois, two of the giants of yoga in the 20th century. T.K.V. himself was a well-loved teacher.

OMG....off to Amazon to see if I can get the Illness book used!! I hope so....sounds right up my alley!

Beth...I'll have to check yours out later....I just got done Spinning on my bike for the first time in years.....not sure if my legs are gonna hold me up in the shower!! Ha...ha....

Betsy - revised to ask - HOW GOOD is this book? It is really expensive for a used one. Also, it's a CD not a book? or is it a CD AND a book? thanks ...Lora PS....also if it's just lecture's and such....may not be up my alley...I'm looking for a book of Kriya's for illness/injurie's.....any idea's?

[lorajc]

Originally Posted by toaster

My husband just bought me a new bookshelf for Christmas b/c I have so many yoga books! I recommend some on my yoga web site:
http://yogibethc.simplesite.com/426654552

That doesn't even cover many of the ones I use to help me plan my classes. My recent favorite has been Guiding Yoga's Light: Lessons for Yoga Teachers by Nancy Gerstein. I also recently read and loved Sharon Salzberg's Lovingkindness. Paul Grilley's Yin Yoga: A Quiet Practice is a great short introduction. You seem to like KY books, so you might enjoy The Body Temple: Kundalini Yoga for Body Acceptance by Ramdesh.

Oh...Beth...thanks, I'm getting 2 from your list...the one on Healing and the one on Chronic Pain....they are in my price range used....thanks so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[toaster]

Happy to help, Lora. I actually have a set of yoga books here at home and then another set in my office that are more therapeutic-related and could help in my work with my clients (I'm a psychologist). McGonigal's book offers very nice, gentle practice options. The Yoga as Medicine book (I assume that's the other you referred to) is extremely interesting about how yoga can be healing, but similar to Kraftow's Yoga for Wellness, it's not really prescriptive beyond the individual.

[sherry7899]

Lora- I may have some books to pass along. I will pm you later.

[PhyllisG]

I don't usually read yoga books. But there are few that I like. Raquel Welchs book and Savitri Yoga by Savriti Ahuja. I have had both for years. Any others I passed on. Right now I am reading Awakening Shakti The Transformative Power of the Goddesses of Yoga by Sally Kempton.

[eam531]

Originally Posted by lorajc

OMG....off to Amazon to see if I can get the Illness book used!! I hope so....sounds right up my alley!

Beth...I'll have to check yours out later....I just got done Spinning on my bike for the first time in years.....not sure if my legs are gonna hold me up in the shower!! Ha...ha....

Betsy - revised to ask - HOW GOOD is this book? It is really expensive for a used one. Also, it's a CD not a book? or is it a CD AND a book? thanks ...Lora PS....also if it's just lecture's and such....may not be up my alley...I'm looking for a book of Kriya's for illness/injurie's.....any idea's?

It's expensive because it is a BIG book that also includes a CD of mantras.

It includes kriyas to strengthen the nervous system, endocrine system, the liver, digestive system, lymphatic system, lungs, etc. I think most of these kriyas are available elsewhere--I know I have seen a good many of them in other KY books. If you have a lot of kriya and meditation books, you don't *need* this one. I bought it because it targets my age cohort and is really about using yoga to help cope with aging, illness, or being a caregiver.

Keep in mind that kriyas aren't meant to diagnose a disease or illness. Here's some really good info about that.

[try2bfit]

I have never read a yoga book but was very interested in Travis Eliot's book Holistic Yoga Flow. Anyone read it and can comment on it? Thanks.
Jody