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Yoga Reading list - A personal selection for Beginners in the Ashtanga and/or Vinyasa Krama approach. Plus intermediate / proficient reading list and reviews.

In this post

1. Yoga beginners Reading list

2. Book/DVD Reviews

3. Sri K Pattabhi Jois' Reading List


4. Krishnamacharya's Reading List


*

I received mail



"Hello Anthony

I've been practicing yoga for 2-3 years and I decide to practice at home. I have several reasons similar to you.I want to begin by practicing ashtanga and vinyasa krama. I have your book and Ramaswami's.

In your web there is too much info and I'm a little lost.

What books I have to read by areas (asthanga, vinyasa krama, pranayama, anatomy, etc.)? I need a list of essentials books to read about yoga.

Thank You.



1. Yoga Beginners Reading list
(now a permanent Yoga Reading list page at the top of the blog
Yoga Reading List )


A personal selection - others will have different suggestions (add them to the comments section perhaps) but these have worked for me. This post is in progress and will no doubt be added to with more links and suggestions.


For Beginners in the Ashtanga and/or Vinyasa Krama approach
With the home practitioner in mind

( I've added links to Amazon for a look inside)


ASANA



ASHTANGA


 Ashtanga Manual : David Swenson

Includes simplified variations for every asana and Shorter (progressively more challenging) versions of the Ashtanga series as well as the full primary and Second series

Amazon link


or

 Ashtanga Yoga : John Scott

Amazon link

Also

Ashtanga Yoga As It IS (Revised Third Edition) Spiral-bound – 2006
by Matthew Sweeney

Matthew's book has been indispensable for me as a blogger for it's ease of reference (asana names), it's also excellent as a mat book while learning the sequence due to it's clear layout and straight forward introduction.

Amazon link



Follow up suggestions


Yoga Mala : Pattabhi Jois

Amazon link



Yoga Makaranda  : T Krishnamacharya

My free Downloads page

My own
Krishnamacharya's Original Ashtanga

In this book I tried to make Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranda more accessible


(See my Review resource page for more suggestions - I've added them to the end of this post)



*


VINYASA KRAMA



Emergence of Yoga : Sri Sribhashyam
Krishnamacharya's 3rd son has an excellent short introduction to yoga 
and a gentle development of practice. It's perhaps a little more accessible than Ramaswami's book

Amazon link


Yoga for the Three Stages of Life : Srivatsa Ramaswami
(First part is excellent concerning all aspects of Yoga. PART II deals with asana)

Amazon link


or

Complete book of Vinyasa yoga : Srivatsa Ramaswami

Amazon link

My own Vinyasa Practice Book

intended as a companion to Ramaswami's book
Lulu Link

Vinyasa Krama practice manual
Steve brandon

Link




Follow up suggestions


Religiousness in Yoga : TKV Desikachar

Amazon link


Yoga beneath the Surface : Srivatsa Ramaswami and David Hurwitz

(A Question and Answer format between teacher and student covering a wide range of questions concerning yoga)


Amazon link



*


YOGA PHILOSOPHY

(Several free Online editions of Yoga Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads and key Hatha yoga texts)


The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali: A New Edition, Translation, and Commentary, 2009
by Edwin F. Bryant 
 ( includes all the classic commentaries which is why I'm putting it first)


or 

Yoga Philosophy of Patanjali: Containing His Yoga Aphorisms with Vyasa's Commentary in Sanskrit and a Translation with Annotations 
by Swami Hariharananda Aranya

My personal favourite




Follow up Suggestions


Yoga Yajnavalkya: Trans: AG Mohan  
( My preference over Hatha Yoga Pradipka)


Amazon Link


Bhagavad Gita : Trans. Juan Mascaro ( my personal favourite translation)

Amazon link


The Upanishads Trans. Juan Mascaro

See my Pattabhi Jois Reading list for further suggestions/recommendations.
Also my Krishnamacharya reading list.

Amazon link


Learning Sanskrit

Yogavataranam: The Translation of Yoga: A New Approach to Sanskrit, Integrating Traditional and Academic Methods and Based on Classic Yoga Texts, for University Courses, Yoga Programs, and Self Study Paperback – August 4, 2015
by Zoë Slatoff-Ponté

Quick, pre-review note - I LOVE this beautiful, fascinating book, my current 'If I had to take one book to a desert Island...' choice, if only for the translations at the back of all the glorious passages from myriad of ancient texts. And what vocabulary, we're not learning 'How to order a taxi' Sanskrit here of course but how to talk about truth and beauty, the sacred and churning and doubt and devotion and the collyrium pencil of knowledge. Whether you intend to actually learn Sanskrit or just to just be able to write the characters or have it on your coffee table to get lost in for hours what a joy this book is. Full review to come.

Amazon link



*


ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

Functional Anatomy of Yoga: A Guide for Practitioners and Teachers  2014
by David Keil 



David's book is tied closely to the Ashtanga asana.

Applied Anatomy & Physiology of Yoga Paperback – January 1, 2011
by Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss 

Link



*

DVD's


Ashtanga yoga Short forms : David Swenson


Ashtanga Primary : Mark Darby and Nicole Bordeleau

Link


Ashtanga Primary : Sharath ( only the count )

Sharath hurtles through the practice in just under an hour, I practiced with this dvd for three months or so and it was useful for tightening up my practice and allowing me to do the full primary before work. Personally I now prefer to take it more slowly but Sharath's practice is the perfect antidote for all the flashy, floaty, alignment obsessed videos flooding the net, he just gets on and practices with efficiency focus and attention.

Link


Ashtanga Primary series  Richard Freeman

However many times you practice with this and over however many years your sure to take something new away each time you practice with it.





*


APP
Richard freeman



*

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Appendix

Reviews and Intermediate and Proficient reading list


2. Book/DVD Reviews

3. Sri K Pattabhi Jois' reading List

4. Krishnamacharya's Reading List



*


2. Other suggestions from my Review page


This is a page in progress as I try to bring about all the...., I hesitate to call them reviews, posts on different Books, DVD's, Mats and what have you that I've put up since 2007

Once I've added all the titles and links I'll see about organising them into categories and perhaps adding Cover shots of the books dvd's etc..

Within the categories I've kept them in the order in which they were posted on the blog.






Tuesday, 4 June 2013




Tuesday, 23 April 2013




Thursday, 27 June 2013
Book(let) Review : Ashtanga yoga Anusthana - R. Sharath Jois


Wednesday, 6 February 2013


Tuesday, 5 February 2013

Sunday, 3 February 2013


Thursday, 27 December 2012

Thursday, 1 November 2012

Monday, 24 September 2012


Sunday, 23 September 2012


Monday, 20 August 2012


Wednesday, 8 August 2012


Tuesday, 7 August 2012


Monday, 16 July 2012


Saturday, 26 May 2012


Thursday, 17 May 2012



Wednesday, 2 November 2011


Tuesday, 18 October 2011

Tuesday, 13 September 2011


Monday, 5 September 2011


Tuesday, 8 March 2011


Sunday, 18 April 2010


Tuesday, 16 February 2010

Tuesday, 9 June 2009

Tuesday, 15 September 2009




Friday, 30 January 2009


Friday, 24 April 2009


Thursday, 23 April 2009


Thursday, 25 September 2008

Friday, 19 September 2008



--------------------------------------------

DVD's

Sunday, 19 May 2013

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Friday, 15 February 2013

Wednesday, 13 February 2013

Tuesday, 12 February 2013

Monday, 11 February 2013

Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Friday, 19 October 2012

Thursday, 16 August 2012

Wednesday, 8 August 2012

Sunday, 29 January 2012

Sunday, 22 January 2012

Monday, 19 December 2011

Monday, 31 October 2011

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Thursday, 24 March 2011

Saturday, 6 November 2010

Friday, 21 May 2010

Tuesday, 16 March 2010

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Tuesday, 24 November 2009

Wednesday, 18 November 2009

Friday, 9 October 2009

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Sunday, 12 July 2009

Monday, 13 April 2009

Friday, 2 January 2009

Sunday, 26 April 2009

Friday, 24 April 2009


Sunday, 26 April 2009

Tuesday, 14 October 2008

Wednesday, 1 October 2008



WORKSHOPS


Friday, 7 September 2012

Thursday, 6 September 2012

Tuesday, 4 September 2012


MATS, TOWELS etc.

Sunday, 8 July 2012

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Sunday, 16 May 2010

Thursday, 11 February 2010

Sunday, 8 November 2009

Wednesday, 22 July 2009

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

Wednesday, 13 August 2008



MISC.


Sunday, 14 October 2012


Friday, 21 September 2012

Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Tuesday, 28 December 2010

Monday, 13 December 2010

Thursday, 15 April 2010

Thursday, 10 December 2009

Thursday, 1 January 2009






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Tuesday, 26 January 2016


3. Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' READING LIST from from the 'original' Ashtanga diploma syllabus list given to Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams in 1974

I was looking at the original Ashtanga (diploma) syllabus given to Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams in 1974 yesterday (I have a poster of it in my practice room) and focussed in on the theory section mentioned at the end of each year, it makes up an interesting reading list. the original post on the syllabus including the full syllabus can be found at the end of the post.

As far as I can tell the Serial Samakritha Shikshaka mentioned in the first and 2nd year seems to be a Sanskrit course

Here's the reading list and below that the same list with links to editions either free pdf an/or perhaps on Amazon.

1st year

Serial Samakritha Shikshaka Part I, II and III
Yoga Mala part I

2nd year

Serial Samakritha Part IV, V, VI
Hatha yoga pradipka

3rd year

Gheranda Samhita
Yoga Tharavalli
Yoga Yajnavalkya

4th year

(siva?) Sutra Samhita
Aparokahanubhuti
Patanjali Yogasutras
Yogapanishad
Srimed Bhagavadgeeta 
(by Brahmanandagiri


We can see that Pattabhi Jois begins the course by introducing his students to Sanskrit in the first and 2nd year but also in the first year we see he includes the first part of his Book Yoga Mala, this section of his text outlines the Yama and Niyama, the moral guidelines of Patanjali's Ashtanga.
In the second and third year Pattabhi Jois covers the classic Hatha yoga texts, The hatha yoga pradipka in the second year, the Gheranda in the third and Siva Samihita in the fourth as well as Yogasanagalu in the third year from which much of the hatha material is said to be originally taken and is a full treatment of the Ashtanga 8 limb methodology. The fourth year gets deeper into yoga philosophy with the yoga upanishads the bhagavad gita and at last Patanjali's actual yoga sutras, perhaps following the sanskrit course in the first two years read in the original sanskrit. Adi Sankara's text Aparokahanubhuti is also included in the fourth year. Pattabhi Jois belonged to the Hoysala Brahmin caste, a subset of the popular Smarta Brahmins whose root teacher was Adi Shankara.

Ashtanga was always a spiritual/philosophical practice/enquiry, the classic yoga texts taught alongside the asana just as Krishnamacharya would lecture on yoga philosophy while his students presented their asana demonstrations. We lose focus perhaps when we approach our asana practice in isolation. However it was the yama and niyama that was taught right from the beginning the principles of the practice in the hatha texts and the philosophy grounding the practice taught in later years.



1st year

Serial Samakritha Shikshaka Part I, II and III

( learning Sanskrit see this online guide perhaps http://www.learnsanskrit.org/  )

or this recent Sanskrit course from Zoë Slatoff-Ponté who is also an Ashtanga teacher. 
I haven't seen a copy but have heard good things about it
UPDATE: Full Review of this text coming in a couple of weeks.

Yoga Mala part I

Interesting that Yoga Mala gets mentioned in the list. Pattabhi Jois supposedly designed this course (or an earlier version of it ) in 1937 (?) at the request of the Maharaja of Mysore to teach a four year course at the Sanskrit college. Yoga Mala was originally written around 1954 indicating this is a later ediition of the syllabus.
Part I is concerned Yama and niyama the 'moral' guidelines of Patanjali's Yoga Sutras

Pattabhi Jois' original text, still the ONLY* Ashtanga vinyasa 'method' book you really need


2nd year

Serial Samakritha Part IV, V, VI

See the sanskrit course mentioned above ( anyone have any other suggestions for Sanskrit course that have worked for them?



Hatha Yoga Pradipka

Amazon.com

A free pdf version of Hatha Yoga Pradipka HERE


3rd year

Gheranda Samhita

Amazon.com
A free pdf version of Gheranda Samhita HERE


Yoga Tharavalli

See this previous post on the text with the full 29 verses as well as links to other editions.

LINK to pdf on post



Yoga Yajnavalkya

Highly recommended by Krishnamacharya
I prefer this AG Mohan edition to the one from KYM


Amazon.com




4th year

Sutra Samhita

LINK
Free PDF translation HERE



Aparokahanubhuti (self realization by Adi Sankara)



Amazon.com
free PDF edition HERE



Patanjali Yogasutras

I'm currently recommending Edwin F. Bryant's excellent edition because it includes selections from the major commentarys

Amazon.com

I also have a soft spot for Aranya's excellent commentary HERE

Also Swamiji's online edition, an excellent resource HERE

Yogapanishad
see below

Thirty Minor Upanishads

tr. by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar

[1914]


Title Page




Srimed Bhagavadgeeta 
(by Brahmanandagiri )

below a link to the respected Annie Besant edition recommended by Srivatsa Ramaswami, Krishnamacharya's student of 30+ years.

Free pdf LINK


---------------------------------------------------------------------


4. A Krishnamacharya Reading list (inc. Pdf Links).

from interviews with Pattabhi Jois

Namarupa Magazine, fall 2004. http://tinyurl.com/o9fz3j9

1.What did Krishnamacharya teach you?

"What my teacher taught me is exactly the same method I am teaching today. It was an examination course of primary, intermediate, and advanced asanas. He also taught me philosophy. For five years, we studied the great texts. He would call us to his house and we would stand outside and wait to be called in. Sometimes, we would wait the whole day. He would usually teach us for one or two hours every day: asanas early in the morning and, around 12 o’clock, philosophy class. He also taught us pranayama, pratyahara [sensory withdrawal], dharana [concentration], and dhyana [meditation]. And, in addition to the Yoga Sutras and Bhagavad Gita, he also taught Yoga Vasishta, Yoga Yajnavalkya, and Samhita. And all in Sanskrit". Pattabhi Jois

T. Krishnamacharya


Following on from my earlier 

Sri K. Pattabhi Jois' READING LIST from from the 'original' Ashtanga diploma syllabus list given to Nancy Gilgoff and David Williams in 1974

I thought it might be useful to make a similar post of a Krishnamacharya reading list.
Below are Krishnamacharya's own works as well as texts (Upanishads, sutras, samhitas etc.) mentioned by Krishnamacharya in his Bibliographies as well as texts Krishnamacharya taught to his student Srivatsa Ramaswami over a thirty year period.
Where possible I've linked to a free downloadable pdf version of the text.

Contents.

1. Main texts by Krishnamacharya

2. Complete list of Books/texts by T. Krishnamacharya

3. Bibliography from from Yogasanagaly 

4. Bibliography from from Yoga Makaranda 

5. A course of study with Krishnamacharya

Appendix

Thirty Minor Upanishads

I'm adding this post to my Krishnamacharya Resource page and will add any other relevant texts mentioned by his students as I come across them.







1. Main texts by Krishnamacharya



Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934)pdf

Yogasanagalu translation (Mysore 1941) (link)

Krishnamacharya's Yoga Makaranada Part II pdf

Krishnamacharya's Salutations to the teacher and Eternal one pdf

Yoga Rahasya 


Selections from chapter 1

Selections from chapter 2

Selections from chapter 3

Selections from chapter 4 



Rare photograph of Krishnamacharya assisting.



2. Complete list of Books/texts by T. Krishnamacharya:
from http://krishnamacharya.net/works
unfortunately most of the articles mentioned have not been released


Yoga Makaranda (Mysore 1934)pdf
Yogasanagalu translation (Mysore 1941) (link)
Yoga Rahasya 
Yogavalli

Other works (essays and poetic compositions):
“Yogaanjalisaaram”
“Disciplines of Yoga”
“Effect of Yoga Practice”
“Importance of Food and Yoga in Maintaining Health”
“Verses on Methods of Yoga Practice”
“Essay on Asana and Pranayama”
“Madhumeha (Diabetes)”
“Why Yoga as a Therapy Is Not Rising”
“Bhagavad Gita as a Health Science”
“Ayurveda and Yoga: An Introduction”
“Questions and Answers on Yoga” (with students in July 1973)
“Yoga: The Best Way to Remove Laziness”
“Dhyana (Meditation) in Verses”
“What Is a Sutra?”
“Kundalini: Essay on What Kundalini Is and Kundalini Arousal (sakti calana) Based on Texts Like the Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and Yoga Yajnavalkya”
“Extracts from Raja Yoga Ratnakara”
“Need for a Teacher”
“Satvika Marga” (“The Sattvic Way”; philosophy/spiritual/yoga)
“Reference in Vedas to Support Vedic Chanting for Women” (philosophy/technical)
“Fourteen Important Dharmas” (philosophy)
“Cit Acit Tatva Mimamsa” (philosophy)
“Sandhya-saaram” (ritual)
“Catushloki” (four verses on Sankaracharya)
“Kumbhakonam Address” (catalog)
“Sixteen Samskaras” (rituals)
“Mantra Padartha Tatva Nirnaya” (rituals)
“Ahnika Bhaskaram” (rituals)
“Shastreeya Yajnam” (rituals)
“Vivaaha” (marriage rituals)
“Asparsha Pariharam” (rituals)
“Videsavaasi Upakarma Nirnaya” (rituals)
“Sudarshana Dundubhi” (devotional)
“Bhagavat Prasadam” (devotional)
“Narayana Paratva” (devotional)
“About Madras” (miscellaneous)





3. Bibliography from from Yogasanagaly 
T. Krishnamacharya (Mysore 1941)


I did not attempt a detailed review of all ancient yoga treatises since it will make this book very long and perhaps cause boredom to the readers.  Please forgive.  This writing is mainly based on the following texts:

Patanjalayogasutra

Hathayogapradipika

Rajayogaratnakara
see  also http://www.saujanyabooks.com/details.aspx?id=14489

Yogakuranti (Yoga Korunta- lost?).

Upanishads related to yoga

Learning’s from my Guru and self-experience







4. Bibliography from from Yoga Makaranda 
T. Krishnamacharya (Mysore 1934)



"This text contains the essential concepts from many texts of antiquity listed below.
I have studied the texts listed below under the blessing of a great teacher and have explained the truths contained in them that I have personally experienced. I request that the Lord of the auspicious Karnataka throne, the great Lord and Emperor, the fourth Sri Krishna Rajendra, accept this work and allow my
humble self to fulfil my endeavor and bless me.
More than this, I have nothing to say in this preface.


Bibliography
1. Rajayoga Ratnakaram pdf (in Telugu)
2. Hathayoga Pradipika pdf
3. Yoga Saravalli pdf
4. Yoga Balaprathipikai (?)
5. Ravana Nadi  (Article)
6. Bhairava Kalpam pdf
7. Sri Tattvanidhi (wikipedia- see also Normon Sjoman's Yoga tradition of the Mysore palace)
8. Yoga Ratnakarandam (?)
9. Mano Narayaneeyam Pdf
10. Rudrayameelam (Rudrayamalam) PDF
11. Brahmayameelam Pdf
12. Atharvana Rahasyam (?)
13. Patanjala Yogadarshanam (0nline)
14. Kapilasutram
15. Yogayajnavalkyam
16. Gheranda Samhita pdf
17. Narada Pancharatra Samhita
18. Satvata Samhita
19. Siva Samhita pdf
20. Dhyana Bindu Upanishad pdf
21. Chandilya Upanishad pdf
22. Yoga Shika Upanishad
23. Yoga Kundalya Upanishad pdf
24. Ahir Buddhniya Samhita
25. Nada Bindu Upanishad pdf
26. Amrita Bindu Upanishad pdf
27. Garbha Upanishad pdf



Srivatsa Ramaswami chanting with T. Krishnamacharya


5. A course of study with Krishnamacharya


from My studies with Krishnamacharya - Srivatsa Ramaswami (Namarupa article)
http://www.dailycupofyoga.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/studies_with_tk_ramaswami2.pdf

Ramaswami studied with Krishnamacharya for over thirty years, in this article he relates his studies of asana, chanting as well as some of the many he texts he studied with his teacher


"Normally, I had two to three sessions per week, but there were occasions when I had the privilege of going to him twice a day, for ásana practice in the morning and for chanting or the study of texts in the evening". 

Some texts Ramaswami studied with Krishnamacharya

BrahmaSutras PDF
Samkhya kalika-Kapila pdf

Sad-Vidyá (?)Chándogya Upanishad pdf
Mándukya Upanishad pdf
Taittiriya Upanishad pdf
Prasna Upanishad pdf
Mundaka Upanishad pdf
Isvásya Upanishad pdf
Brhadáraóyaka Upanishad pdf
Svetavatara Upanishad pdf
Kausitaki Bráhmana Upanishad pdf

Bhagavad Gitá, pdf

The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali (Online ) was the centrepiece of our yoga studies.
(Note:I recommend the Bryant and/or Aranya editions)

Another philosophy he was keen to teach was Nyáya and the later version, Tarka. He started teaching..

TarkaSamgraha, pdf a compact text on Vedic logic.

Hathayogapradipika pdf in detail, except portions of the last chapter and some of the third, which he said contained obnoxious practices inconsistent with the teachings of sáttvika yoga and the Yoga Sâtras.

Yogayajnavalkyam pdf in detail.

Some of the other texts that he referred to and taught in portions included

Gheranda Samhita pdf
Siva Samhita. pdf
Yoga Rahasya (Amazon) was not published, but he frequently quoted from the text and after a while taught a few chapters from it.

Ramaswami also mentions elsewhere that Krishnamacharya would teach the Ramayana extensively.


Link to article pdf


Appendix (with links)





Thirty Minor Upanishads

tr. by K. Narayanasvami Aiyar

[1914]


Title Page