Recommendations ~ Yoga & Yoga Practice* as distinct from the bhakti (devotional) books, not starred in purple, I also did not star anything that I have not read from cover-to-cover.

Sherry Summers 2010

B.K.S Iyengar Yoga the Path to Holistic HealthB.K.S. Iyengar

Sequences for healing particular ailments, detailed instructions for each pose*

 

The Tree of Yoga (Shambhala Classics), B.K.S. Iyengar

Nice comprehensive overview of all Yogic aspects...*

 

Light on Yoga: The Bible of Modern Yoga..., B.K.S. Iyengar

Especially good for instruction on advanced poses and how to get into them. Succinct.*

 

Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff

Very cool Illustrations! Detailed guide for poses, breathing techniques*

 

Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times, Judith Lasater, P.H.D.

Restorative practice, very detailed, use of props, Nighttime and healing practices, etc*

 

The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice, T.K.V. Desikachar

Developing personal practice, some bgd on lineage, some Yoga Sutras, ...Recommended by Rod, I have not yet read... *

 

Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Swami Muktibodhananda

Important Vedic text as important as the Sutras, “practical” applications, Recommended by Rod, I have not yet read... http://www.kundalinibooks.com/Hatha-Yoga-Pradipika-by-Swami-Muktibodhananda-p-8.html *

 

                                   

Books published by the Himalayan Institute:

Portion of proceeds go to humanitarian concerns ~ better than buying from Amazon...

 

Yoga & Ayurveda: Self-Healing and Self-Realization, *David Frawley ~  (I recommend ANYTHING by him!) Ayurveda is the healing, sister science to Yoga, very important for understanding of the whole cosmology of Yoga and it’s major aspects, Gunas, Doshas, Koshas, etc...*

 

Ayurveda and the Mind: The Healing of Consciousness, D.F...

authentic... he  transmits the wisdom as a Vedic scholar and also through his own personal experience of consciousness, ...rare!) Some of the same as above, approach is more for specific our psyche...

 

Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom Goddesses, D.F

Explains Tantra and the devotion to the Goddess, very beautiful and important work!  Not easy to find authentic work on this subject ...

 

Four Chapters on Freedom: Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Swami Satyananda Saraswati ~ In the lineage of  Swami Rama and H.I. Interprets the Yoga Sutras, the most respected ancient treatise on Yoga. Includes the full Sanskrit text, explains the text and path of Raja Yoga.*

 

Kundalini Tantra/2009 Re-print, Swami Satyananda Saraswati

Kundalini, Chakras and Kriya Yoga. Details of Kundalini awakening... advanced practice!

 

The Art of Joyful Living, Swami Rama guru, founder of H.I.

Philosophy of living and practical suggestions... a wonderful read...  *

 

At The Eleventh Hour, Pandit Rajmani Tigunat, Ph.D., head of H.I.

Biography of Swami Rama, guru of The Himalayan Institute.

 

The Himalayan Masters, A Living Tradition, Pandit Rajmani Tigunat, Ph.D.

Explores the lives of 8 Himalayan sages who held the distilled wisdom and power of the world’s spiritual traditions... plus practical insight.*

 

 

Other Lineages:

 

The Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramahansa Yogananda

A “must read.”  Founder of the Self-Realization Fellowship and their Kriya Yoga practices.... so inspiring*

 

I Am Harmony, A Book About  Babaji..., Radhe Shyam 

*Babaji is the Guru for the ashram that I stay at each summer, with beautiful devotional practices. You can buy books and CDs, murtis (statues) and other devotional items at their shop: http://shop.babajiashram.org/

 

Fire of Transformation, My Life with Babaji, Gauri Devi

Another book about being in the presence of the Guru... Same as above

 

Sri Karunamayi, A Biography, Murugan

*Divine Mother incarnation, I follow Sri Karunamayi’s devotional practices, especially in the form of her beautiful chants... buy her books and especially CDs: http://www.karunamayi.org/

 

The Book of Secrets: Keys to Love and Meditation,*Osho ~ I recommend any book by him that attracts you       Osho reveres spiritual freedom and meditation as the way. He is a bit of a Spiritual renegade as far as teachers go and I love him. 

 

 

Other Inspirations and Teachings:

 

Anything by him!, ***Adyashanti ~ in the Advaita, non-dual tradition... http://www.Adyashanti.org

 I highly recommend any of his CDs and DVDs  – especially if you have a practice and have been spiritually striving...  gives a clear idea of what being in awareness is, what consciousness really is...

 

Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential , Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing, *Carolyn Myss, Expand your outlook on the reasons why people get sick, soul’s purpose, very, very good!  Books and CDs

 

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, *Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D.

I highly recommend this work! Learn how to feel your feelings and recognize what is moving through you, staying in the present, relating to self and others with Compassion...

 

The Enneagram, Understanding Yourself and the Other in Your Life, Helen Palmer

“Enneagram” is a model of human personality which uses a diagram used in the teachings of G. I. Gurdjieff, can be very helpful in “knowing thyself”  and seeing how your perception is conditioned

 

Enlightened Sex, *David Deida, ~ check out any of his work... CDs, books; manuals and guides for men and women on intimacy, relationship and consciousness

 

Mysteries of the Dark Moon, The Healing Power of the Dark Goddess, Demetra George

Wonderful view of the history of the Goddess and worship of the Divine Feminine in cultures throughout the world

 

Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Chogyam Trungpa  Rinpoche

Had much impact on me when I was younger, important for seeing your identification spiritually...

 

Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki

Informal Talks on Zen Meditation and Practice. Very helpful for starting meditation.

 

Prescription for Nutritional Healing James Balch, M.D., Phyllis Balch, C.N.C.

Awesome book! With info on fasting, supplements, etc, and  it lists ailments and how to treat with diet, herbs, etc.

 

Thai Massage Manual, Maria Mercati

Sequences for every part of the body, photos

 

 

Others authors:

 

        Anandamayi Ma ~ Divine Mother Guru!

 

        Gangaji, Eckhart Tolle ~ Non-dual stuff, wonderful!

 

        Deepak Chopra ~ All kinds of books!

 

        Abraham Hicks ~ Channeled, intention-setting, etc...

 

        Don Miguel Ruiz ~ The Four Agreements

 

        Neale Donald Walsh ~ Conversations With God

 

        Carlos Castenadas ~ The Don Juan books

 

       

 

 

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