Kula Collective’s Favorite Books!
As a part of our Kula curriculum, we include our manuals full of instruction, guidance and inspiration! However, we also have some book recommendations as a collective that are on the top of our lists and want to share what has helped us along in our spiritual journeys as students and teachers!
Useful links: All Offerings - 200 HR YTT - 300 HR YTT - Continuing Education - Discounts & Grants
Yoga Teacher Training Reading Recommendations:
200hr YTT Required Pre-Reading:
Cope, Stephen (2006). The Wisdom of Yoga.
Kaminoff, Leslie (2011) Yoga Anatomy - 2nd edition
Any translation of Patanjali’s Sutras - we recommend translations by Nischala Joy Devi, Dennis Hill, or Nicolai Bachman
200hr YTT Recommended Reading/ Viewing:
Ravindra, Ravi (2009). The Wisdom of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. Can be purchased only from the following website: http://www.ravindra.ca/booksforsale.html
Desai, Gita (2004). Yoga Unveiled (DVD). www.yogaunveiled.com, Disc 1
Farhi, Donna (2000). Yoga Body, Mind and Spirit: A Return to Wholeness.
Farhi, Donna (1996). The Breathing Book: New York.
Long, Ray (2009) The Key Muscles of Yoga; Scientific Keys Volume 1.
To learn more about our 200 hr yoga teacher trainings, check out our calendar here.
300hr Recommended Reading / Viewing:
Rasha (2003) Oneness.
Prabhavananda, Swami and Christopher Isherwood (2001). The Song of God: Bhagavad Gita. Hollywood: Vedanta Press. (With an introduction by Aldous Huxley)
Mitchell,Stephen (2000). Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation.
Easwaran, Eknath (1987). The Bhagavad Gita.
Cope, Stephen (2015) The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling
Easwaran, Eknath (1987). The Upanishads. Tomales: Nilgiri Press.
Feuerstein, Georg (2002). The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice.
Long, Ray. The Key Poses of Yoga; Scientific Keys Volume II.
Myers, Thomas W. (2014). Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists
Lasater, Judith Hanson (2009). Yoga Body: Anatomy, Kinesiology and Asana.
Aldous, Susi Hately (2004). Anatomy and Asana: Preventing Yoga Injuries. (www.anatomyandasana.com – located in Calgary, AB, CANADA)
Desai, Gita (2004). Yoga Unveiled (DVD). www.yogaunveiled.com, Disc 2
Farhi, Donna (2006). Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship.
Frawley, David (1994). Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom of the Goddess.
To learn more about our 300 hr yoga teacher trainings, check out our calendar here.
Further Reading Recommendations (All levels):
Prenatal/Postnatal:
Balaskas, Janet (1994). Preparing for Birth with Yoga.
England, Pam & Rob Horowitz (1998). Birthing From Within.
Larson, Jyothi (2002). Yoga Mom, Buddha Baby.
McClure, Vimala (1997). Tao of Motherhood.
Staton, Laura (2002). Baby OM: Yoga for Mothers and Babies.
Teasdill, Wendy (2000). Yoga For Pregnancy.
Anatomy /Asana:
Coulter, H.D. and T. McCall (2001). Anatomy of Hatha Yoga.
Stiles, Mukunda (2002). Structural Yoga Therapy: Adapting to the Individual.
Lasater, Judith. Relax and Renew: Restful Yoga for Stressful Times.
Anodea, Judith, Eastern Body, Western Mind; Psychology and the Chakra System as a Path to the Self.
Myss, Caroline (2001) Anatomy of the Spirit
Rama,Swami (2007) Science of Breath
Yoga for Kids:
Yoga for Kids by Liz Lark: Beautiful book. Step-by-step instructions of each asana, beautiful colour photos. Short but useful section on creating a class for under-eights and over-eights. Includes pranayama and "sensing" meditations.
Yogakids by Marsha Wenig: Excellent book with bright colorful photos. Includes sections on different child learning styles and appropriate ways to lead asana/pranayama practice for different styles.
Nutrition:
Ananda Mitra (1991). Food for Thought: The Vegetarian Philosophy.
Robbins, John (1998). Diet for a New America.
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centres (1999). The Yoga Cookbook.
Vesanto, Melina et al (2003). The New Becoming Vegetarian.
Yoga-related State-of-mind and Healing:
Chodron, Pema (1994). Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living.
Frankl, Viktor E. (1959). Man’s Search for Meaning.
Hay, Louise (2004). You Can Heal Your Life.
Myss, Caroline (1996). Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing.
Ruiz, Don Miguel (1997). The Four Agreements.
Tolle, Eckhart (1997). The Power of Now.
Tolle, Eckhart (2008) A New Earth.
Weil, Andrew (1995). Spontaneous Healing.
Zukav, Gary (1990). The Seat of the Soul. Or Soul Stories.
Mindfulness and Meditation:
Kabat-Zin, Jon (1995). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation in everyday life.
Kabat-Zinn, Jon (2005). Coming to our Senses: Healing Ourselves and the World through Mindfulness. New York: Hyperion.
Khalsa, Dharma Singh and Cameron Stauth (2002). Meditation as Medicine.
Singer, Michael A. (2007) The Untethered Soul; The Journey Beyond Yourself
Ruiz, Don Miguel (1997) The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
Ancient Texts and Yoga Theory:
B.K.S Iyengar (2002), Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Avalon, Arthur (1974). The Serpent Power: The Secrets of Tantric and Shaktic Yoga
Buck, William (1973). Mahabharata.
Devi, Nischala Joy (2007). The Secret Power of Yoga for Women.
Lasater, Judith (2000). Living Your Yoga: Finding the Spiritual in Everyday Life.
Muktibodhananda, Swami (1998). Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Munger: Bihar School of Yoga.
Rama, Swami (1986). Path of Fire and Light volume 1: Advanced Practices of Yoga.
Sivananda Radha, Swami (2007). Hatha Yoga: The Hidden Language.
Satyananda Saraswati, Swami (1984). Kundalini Tantra. Bihar School of Yoga.
Sivananda, Swami (2001). Kundalini Yoga. Shivanandanagar: Divine Life Society.
Vivekananda, Swami (1923). Raja Yoga.
Frawley, David (1994). Tantric Yoga and the Wisdom of the Goddess.
SOUND:
The World is Sound; Nada Brahma by Joachim-Ernst Berendt
The Mysticism of Sound and Music - Hazrat Inyat Khan
Sound, Native Teachings - Joseph Rael
The Yoga of Sound - Russill Paul
Freeing the Natural Voice - Kristin Linklater
The Sound of Healing - Michael S. Tyrrell
The Seven Secrets of Sound Healing - Jonathan Goldman
Energetic Boundaries; Cindy Dale
Ethics:
Taylor, Kylea (1995). The Ethics of Caring. Santa Cruz: Hanford Mead Publishers.
Farhi, Donna (2006). Teaching Yoga: Exploring the Teacher-Student Relationship. Berkley: Rodmell Press.
Biography:
Cope, Stephen (1999). Yoga and the Quest for the True Self.
Mackenzie, Vicki (1998). Cave in the Snow: A Western Woman’s Quest for Enlightenment.
Rama, Swami (1998). Living with the Himalayan Masters.
Yogananda, Paramahansa (1993). Autobiography of a Yogi.
Radhanath, Swami (2010). The Journey Home.
Ayurveda:
Frawley, David (1995). Yoga and Ayurveda.
Frawley, David (1996). Ayurveda and the Mind.
Tiwari, Maya (1994) Ayurveda: A Life of Balance, and Path of Practice or Women’s Power to Heal and/or Path of Practice for Women’s Health.
Morningstar, Amadea (1995). Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners.
Earth Medicine:
Sans, Jamie, Sacred Path Cards and Books
Virtue, Doreen, Goddess/ Oracle Cards
Villodo, Alberto (2007) The Four Insights
Villodo, Alberto (1994) Dance of the Four Winds
Charing, Heaven, (2006) Plant Spirit Shamanism
Poetry and Novels:
Gaarder, Jostein (1994). Sophie’s World..
Redfield, James (1999). The Secret of Shambhala: In Search of the Eleventh Insight. (other books by Redfield, such as The Celestine Prophecy).
Tagore, Rabindranath (2002). Songs of Kabir.
Tagore, Rabindranath (1974). Gitanjali.
Online Reading Resources:
www.yogajournal.com - (Under the teacher’s button there is an email newsletter you can apply to get called ‘Yoga Mentor’).
www.yogabasics.com - This website has a lot of information about asana, pranayama and yoga for specific conditions.
www.powerpath.com - Shamanism and Lunar cycle information
www.mysticmamma.com - Astrological insights.
Stay up to date on our latest posts and read about all things YOGA on Kula’s Blog:
By: Jessi Luna
“First and foremost keep this in mind: the role of the mother is to keep the baby alive, the role of the partner (and community) is to keep the mother alive.”