The Yoga Books Which Most Inspired Me
The Yoga Books Which Most Inspired Me:
I have been asked from time to time which books on yoga are my particular favourites. This is a really difficult question, as there are a number of them which have each inspired me for different reasons, some in a profoundly personal way. I’ve tried for a top three, but there are a few others which also deserve a mention…
Ganga White – Yoga Beyond Belief
This book contains so much, it’s hard to know where to start. Ganga White is the closest thing to a household name in the world of yoga today and he released this in 2007, around the time when yoga was very much becoming the ‘in’ thing due to its being practised by a number of celebrities, one of whom, Sting, wrote the foreword. It crosses many boundaries, covering philosophy, science, the practical and the spiritual, with many beautifully written anecdotes and personal insights.
One of the book’s main themes is how we can integrate yoga into every strand of our lives, making it something that is present in everything that we do, rather than just a bit of exercise to dip into for an hour once a week, like going for a run or working out in the gym. It also covers the history of yoga, explaining how the many disciplines all come together as various parts of one whole and where Flow Yoga, which he helped to pioneer in the 1970s, fits in with that philosophy.
Yoga Beyond Belief is one of the first books I recommend to my students, not just because the flowing, personal style make it such an easy read, but also because it is so informative, covering everything from self-awakening to the avoidance and healing of injuries. There is a section in Chapter Five (Upwards & Downwards & Standing Waves) which completely changed my approach to yoga, teaching me how to use upward biochemical energy to control the way my brain relates to pain and how to use movement to ease stiffness by utilising the earth’s gravitational force. There is “movement in stillness and stillness in movement”. This is a quote from an ancient yogic text, but is equally relevant today.
David Keil – Functional Anatomy of Yoga
Some things in life seem self-evident. But sometimes it takes a very clever person to point something out before the rest of us see what, in retrospect, seems obvious. So it is with this book. It’s central theme is how yoga affects the human anatomy and how the better you understand the one, the better you will understand the other. The deeper your knowledge of the human anatomy, the better you can understand how it is affected by the practise of yoga. It makes perfect sense that you will gain a better understanding of how hard you can push your body if you have a good working knowledge of how it works on the inside as well as the outside.
It’s not just cold, hard facts though. Actually, the book is written in a flowing and conversational way that belies its subject matter, making it a great pick for both teacher and practitioner. We can feel the good that yoga is doing for us when we practice, the Functional Anatomy of Yoga puts that into words and breaks down exactly what is happening on a physical level.
Perhaps not one of my top three, but another book I can heartily recommend to anyone particularly interested in anatomy and its connection to the spiritual is The Psoas Book by Liz Koch. This focusses on the Iliopsoas muscle, one of the most important muscles in the human body, and how it affects our mind, body and emotions.
Saradananda Swari – The Power Of Breath
Breathing. Blinking. Swallowing. These are things we do all the time. Things which come naturally, that we do without even noticing. What this book does is to take one of these natural processes, breathing, and show us how we can use it to control various aspects of our lives in order to improve our lot. Do you suffer from stress? Lack of confidence? Low energy levels and timidity? Taking control of our breathing can have a positive effect on all of these and more, improving our health and our general outlook on life.
Yoga is part of this equation and control of breathing is deeply connected to the way we use our mind, body and spirit when practising.
A few final recommendations:
The following is a highly personal list of writings which have inspired me along my journey of self-development…
Joe and Melody Cheal - The Little Book of Persuasion: A pocket-sized book chockful of useful tips on how to make relationships work successfully, both at home and in the workplace.
Brene Brown – TED Talk on the Power of Vulnerability: Brene is a student of the human condition, with her focus being on our ability to connect with each other in terms of empathy, belonging and love. I found this talk particularly moving and inspiring.
Stephen Covey – The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: We all have our favourite books that we return to time and again. This is one of mine. My first, and favourite, business book. And that leads me nicely onto…
Kathleen Adams – Journal To The Self: 22 Paths To Personal Growth – Open The Door To Self-Understanding By Writing, Reading & Creating A Journal Of You Life: I stumbled upon this when my relationship was floundering and took its advice. I began to keep a journal, a habit which I have continued ever since. I have found that it has helped me to grow, both in my personal and professional live. It’s such a great tool for dumping all the rubbish which is cluttering my brain and really helps me to start my day in a positive way. It can be great fun too.
Well, that’s it for now. I hope you have been able to gain something from learning about my favourite and most inspiring reads. Have a think about those which have had a positive effect on you and been an inspiration in your life…
Natalie Farrell is a Certified Wellbeing Health and Lifestyle Coach, Yoga Instructor, Practitioner of NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Hypnotherapist and professional member of ANLP International CIC.
www.cosmicsoulschool.com
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