Do you do yoga? Do you want to do yoga? Do you want to deepen your already existing yoga practice? Then look no further than these 5 books!
I’ll admit, this title was a bit clickbait-y, as I insinuated that there are lots of yoga books out there that you wouldn’t actually want to read. Not to offend anyone by this, but there are a lot of yoga books out there that are a bit dry, or that are super out there, or written in an inaccessible way. These five books all have the storytelling elements of novels (to varying extents), as well as super valuable information to deepen your yoga practice, no matter where it’s at! They are accessible, relevant, and relatable.
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5 Yoga Books You’ll Actually Want To Read
1. Do Your Om Thing – Rebecca Pacheco
This book should be mandatory reading for every yoga teacher training! It makes ancient yoga tradition so accessible and easy to understand. In part one it goes through all eight limbs of yoga and applies them to modern day life, making it super relevant and relatable. I included one of the stories in this book back in a post called “Do No Harm, Take No Shit” because it resonated so much!
Part two dives into the subtle body, including the chakras (energy centers throughout the body) and the koshas (layers of the body). Then part three focuses on the mind and teaches you how to meditate, including explanations of drishtis, mantras, mudras, oh my! Finally, part four rounds it out by focusing on the spirit and spirituality side of yoga.
Rebecca includes questions and prompts after each section to get you thinking about how the information relates to your real life, as well as recommendations for practices you can incorporate into your life. This is the type of book that will make you laugh out loud, but also teach you invaluable information!
If you’re looking to dive deeper into your yoga practice and go beyond the poses, this book is for you!
I was lucky enough to meet Rebecca at a yoga event a couple of years back, and she is actually a yoga teacher based out of Boston (though I’ve never taken her class, which is a shame!). She writes a blog called Om Gal and if you’re local, you can practice with her in Watertown or at a few different Equinoxes.
2. Where in the OM Am I? – Sara Divello
This one probably reads the most like a novel out of all of these books, as it’s Sara’s memoir. She tells the story of how she went from the corporate world (working at a major financial services company) to the yoga world (teaching yoga for a living). Another one that will make you LOL, because Sara’s tales of her wacky co-workers, like Vomiting Vicky and “The Meat,” will have you howling.
But alongside the hilarious stories are nuggets of wisdom and many lessons learned. In many ways throughout the book, Sara shows yoga off the mat in action as well. Here is a great excerpt from page 253:
“On my next deep breath, I take another step back from the anxiety cliff as I resolve not to hurry through this transition from Investorcap to – (deepest breath yet) – whatever comes next…For the rest of the practice, I keep pulling myself back. Back from worries about the future or regrets about wasted time in the past. Back to the present moment. Back to staying mentally anchored in my practice. It isn’t easy, but at least it’s a start.
I resolve to carry this commitment off the mat as well.”
This book is for anyone who feels stuck or needs an inspirational kick in the butt.
Sara Divello is another Boston-based author whom I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, back at W.E.L.L. Summit this past fall, where I got to hear her speak and take her book writing workshop! She teaches yoga sporadically at events and series in the Boston area.
3. Misadventures of a Garden State Yogi – Brian Leaf
I actually did a book review of this book a while back that you can read here. This is another book that reads like a novel, but teaches about the practice of yoga as well. Leaf has some pretty insane stories from his nomadic days, and they will make you laugh, cringe, and possibly cry!
Throughout the novel he delivers his eight keys to happiness, and his stories from his own life show how they apply. He also includes some really useful appendices at the end, with guides for yoga sequences, meditations, etc.
This book is for the yogi that wants an entertaining read that will simultaneously take their yoga practice deeper.
Brian Leaf is yet another Massachusetts based yogi and author (can you tell I love where I live!?). He runs The New Leaf Learning Center, which is a holistic tutoring center, and runs yoga workshops and teaches privates.
4. Yoga Girl – Rachel Brathen
If you do yoga and you’re on social media, you probably know Rachel Brathen, a.k.a. Yoga Girl. With 2 million+ Instagram followers and a worldwide reach, she has touched so many yogis’ lives. Rachel has an amazing story from being a rebellious teenager in Sweden, to a poor hippie in Costa Rica, to getting married and settling down in Aruba (though she still travels the world!). After the book, she’s give birth to a beautiful baby girl, not to mention a brick and mortar yoga studio, online yoga platform, and multiple non-profits!
Her book includes everything from her story, to her favorite recipes, yoga sequences, and quick, digestible “loving insights” that will inspire you and get you thinking. The book features gorgeous photos throughout, including many from her popular Instagram page.
This book is for anyone who wants to learn about the life and wisdom of a modern day world renowned yoga teacher.
Rachel is a yoga teacher, humanitarian, podcaster, and social media influencer. Hers was the first yoga Instagram account I followed and I’ve been following her story for years!
5. Every Body Yoga – Jessamyn Stanley
Jessamyn’s book is largely focused on explanations of asana (physical yoga poses) and yoga sequences, but her personal story is also sprinkled throughout the book. She is another person with an amazing story and a lot of wisdom about the practice of yoga!
As the title of the book states, Jessamyn believes that yoga is for everybody and every body. She knows what it feels like to be marginalized and feel like an outsider, so she tries to make everyone feel welcome! The diverse yogis that you will see modeling through the book will remind you that yoga is made for everyone.
This book is for the person who feels like an outsider in the yoga world.
Jessamyn is another lovely soul that I got to meet (and practice yoga with!) at W.E.L.L. Summit 2017. She is a badass body positive accessible yoga advocate and teacher!
Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any of these books, or if you have yoga book recommendations for me!
