Yoga
Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar – Original guide to yoga by Iyengar is still the best guide, there is a gloss coffee-table size version too
Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar – A good read about yoga (explains the practice and understanding of yoga), includes introduction about the author’s father, Sri T Krishnamacharya (known as the father of modern yoga), plus commentary of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras
Ashtanga Yoga – The Practice Manual by David Swenson – pictorial guide to the Ashtanga sequences
Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Vishnu-Devananda (Sivananda Yoga) – commentary about source text
Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Yoga Swami Svatmarama (Foreword by BKS Iyengar) – commentary about source text (not an easy read!)
Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by BKS Iyengar – commentary about the original text for yoga Light on Pranayama by BKS Iyengar – hard to read
The Tree of Yoga by BKS Iyengar – a brief overview of yoga – easier to read than the above!
Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha by Swami Satyananda Saraswati Bihar School of Yoga)
Yoga – The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillnessby Erich Schiffmann – OK book, the title being its best feature!
Anatomy of Hatha Yoga by H David Coulter – for those who need to know every detail of the body!
Awakening the Spine by Vanda Scaravelli – inspiring teacher for those who feel too old (you’re not!) to practice yoga
Ashtanga Yoga (Sri K Pattabhi Jois) by Lino Miele – simple guide to Ashtanga practice
Yoga – the Path to Holistic Health by BKS Iyengar – glossy coffee table size book
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit by Donna Farhi – New Zealand based teacher
Overcoming Trauma through Yoga by David Emerson and Elizabeth Hopper – focusses on how yoga helps those suffering from trauma
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda – once the book every traveller had to read while in India (for the weird and strange worth a read)
Hatha Yoga – The Report of a Personal Experience by Theos Bernard – written in 1940s, interesting insight in traditional ways of yoga teaching
Meditation and Mantras by Swami Vishnu-Devananda (Sivananda Yoga)
Ayurveda (yogic medicine and science)
Ayurveda is the traditional Indian medicine and science which supports and works alongside yoga teachings, the books below cover ayurveda either in general or with specific topic
Prakruti – Your Ayurvedic Constitution by Dr Robert E Svoboda
Ayurveda – The Science of Self-Healing : A Practical Guide by Vasant Lad
Ayurvedic Home Remedies by Vasant Lad
Yoga and Ayurveda by David Frawley
Ayurveda and the Mind by David Frawley
The Book of Ayurveda by Judith H Morrison (foreword by Dr Robert Svoboda)
Hinduism
The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran
The Bhagavadgita by S Radhakrishnan
Advaita Vedanta
Part of the Hindu tradition and called Jnana Yoga (wisdom or knowledge yoga)
Talks with Sri Ramana Maharishi
The Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharishi
I Am That by Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
Buddhism
A Path with Heart by Jack Kornfield – classic guide to Buddhism by American teacher
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry – How the Heart Grows wise on the Spiritual Path by Jack Kornfield – his follow-up and interesting read about practice
The Book of Joy by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams – excellent read my blog https://www.yogabristol.co.uk/2017/05/08/masters-of-joy/
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche
Wisdom Energy – Basic Buddhist Teachings by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche
An Introduction to Buddhism by Peter Harvey
The Art of Happiness – A Handbook for Living by Hs Holiness the Dalai Lama and Howard C Cutler
The Power of Now by Ekhart Tolle – classic book and easy to read.
The Tibetan Book of the Dead – Liberation Through Understanding in the Between by Robert A F Thurman (foreword by the Dalai Lama)
Alone with Others – An Existential Approach to Buddhism by Stephen Batchelor
Buddhism Without Beliefs – A Contemporary Guide to Awakening by Stephen Batchelor
After Buddhism – Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age by Stephen Batchelor
The Green Buddha by Christopher Titmuss – as member of Green Party, this book deals with ecological issues from a Buddhsit perspective
Miscellaneous
A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled by Ruby Wax – excellent read making the subject of meditation accessible
The Path by Prof Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh – interesting insight into Taoism, Confucian and other Eastern philosophies
Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu – source text for Taoism
Breaking the Death Habit – the Science of Everlasting Life by Leonard Orr – esoteric views (perhaps hard to believe) but fascinating read with some valid points to make about how we live
The Book of Secrets by Deepak Chopra
The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins – controversial author but interesting views
Teach Us to Sit Still by Tim Parks – one man’s health worries take him on an interesting journey (with his mind)
Full Catastrophe Living by Jon Kabat-Zinn – the original book by the author who set up Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (8 week courses etc)
Coming To Our Senses by Jon Kabat-Zinn – the sequel so to speak
Enough – Breaking free from the world of more by John Naish – interesting views which shows how we have not changed our basic instincts since stone age, which has led to our “modern” problems
Irresistible – The rise of addictive technology and the business of keeping us hooked by Adam Alter : fascinating read and a warning about the gadgets and tech we rely on these days
The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de Botton: Author looks at problems of everyday life using insights of some of the finest minds in the history of philosophy
Age of Anger – The hostory of the present by Pankaj Mishra: author looks at history since Enlightenment to explain the current climate of anger we live in.