Recommended Reading
Concise Light on Yoga; A Concise Version of the Classic Introduction to Yoga; BKS Iyengar; Unwin Paperbacks; London; 1980.
This is a small book and I’m not sure it’s in print any longer but it’s a smaller version of Light on Yoga.
How to Know God; The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjali; Vedanta Press; Hollywood, CA; 1981.
There are many books of the yoga sutras. This is one of them. Those who study the sutras have their favorites and have opinions. I do not have a favorite, but I do know that this one is more understandable for me than some others.
Light on Life; BKS Iyengar; Rodale Press; 2005.
Here is the hard back book to which I’ve referred in class. It is a wonderful exposition of yoga for the lay person and the experienced yogi alike. I turn to it again and again.
Light on Pranayama; The Yogic Art of Breathing; BKS Iyengar; Crossroad Publishing; New York, New York; 1992.
My impression of this book is that it is very technical and probably would not appeal to the averageˇ yogi, however, the degree to which Iyengar discusses and shows the techniques is notable, at the very least, if not incredibly advanced, and I just do not appreciate it.
Light on Yoga; BKS Iyengar; Pantheon Books, Random House; New York; 1979.
It seems to me that this could be the most famous book on yoga out there, if only because there are so many who refer to it and quote it and use it. Definitely a good book to have if you are a serious practitioner of the Iyengar method, although it may not be user-friendly for today’s savvy technological population.
The Tree of Yoga; BKS Iyengar; Shambala; Boston; 1989.
This sweet book is a metaphor. Iyengar uses the parts of the tree as a tool for describing yoga as he understands, practices and teaches it. One of the more poetic books on yoga.
The Woman’s Book of Yoga and Health; Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden; Shambala; Boston, MA; 2002.
This list would not be complete if I did include Patricia’s book. Patricia Walden is my lovely and longtime teacher whom I revere and love and wanted, at one time, to be like. It is a lovely book for women who long to nurture themselves and have an interest in practicing at home.
Yoga Anatomy; Leslie Kaminoff; Human Kinetics; Champaign, IL; 2007.
If you are at all interested in the poses and how they are supposed to look, here is a wonderful way to gain an understanding. This is especially good for the person who likes anatomy and/ physiology. I love the way they shoot from under the plexiglass floor.
Yoga The Iyengacr Way; Silva, Mira, Shyam Mehta; Knopf; New York; 1990.
This is one of my first books of yoga. I find the photos to be very user-friendly and the models to be excellent. The Mehta family have been longtime devotees and practitioners of Iyengar yoga.
Yoga; The Path to Holistic Health; BKS Iyengar; Dorling Kindersley; London; 2001.
This hard back book is a treat. It could be used as a coffee table book, but I would hope you would use the brilliant Dorling Kindersley photos as guides and teachers of the poses. The models are wonderful and the 360’ concept is novel and refreshing and illustrative.
