To have an all-round yogic knowledge, you don’t just need a good instructor, but you also need good books to read. But with a pool of resources available out there, it’s not that easy to figure out which books are the best or the most helpful for yoga teacher training. If you too are confused as to which books on yoga you should read to enhance your repository of yogic wisdom, then reading on will certainly help you.

Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Swami Satyananada Saraswati –

This is probably one of the most important tantric yoga texts ever published. For deep hatha yoga knowledge, do read this book.

Yoga for Wellness by Gary Kraftsow –

Yoga’s holistic nature has been highlighted in this book. This is a comprehensive yoga resource for anyone willing to excel in self-practice. The author, Gary Kraftsow, is one of the most revered yoga instructors of America.

Four Chapters on Freedom by Swami Satyananada Saraswati –

Out of all the translations of yoga sutra, this one is probably the most popular. The best thing about the translations of the sutras of yogi Patanjali in this book is that they are as simple as they can get.

The Royal Path by Swami Rama –

This is sure a classic in the field of yogic literature. This book basically offers you a trip through yogic science. The book also highlights many ancient yogic techniques that are still in practice.

Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama –

This is a memoir by Swami Rama, where he recounts his own spiritual journey. A lot of spiritual truths have been simplified with real-life incidents. Anyone treading on the path of Hinduism can thumb through this piece.

Path of Fire and Light by Swami Rama –

This is also an amazing read by Swami Rama. This book offers a study on the science of breath, swarodaya. The book also deals with pranayama, and instructions that can guide you do it in the correct manner.

The Chakras: Energy Centres of Transformation by Harish Johari –

Chakras are, basically, psychic centres in the body. And this book entails everything that you need to know about chakras and their alignment.

Yoga Mala – The Original Teachings of Ashtanga Yoga Master Sri K. Pattabhi Jois –

In this book, you don’t just read about the spiritual implications of the practice of yoga but also yoga’s philosophies described in an authoritative voice. Various yogasanas have been discussed along with their benefits in this book. So, grab a copy and better your knowledge in the field of Ashtanga yoga.

Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha/2008 Fourth Revised Edition (Paperback, Swami Satyananda Saraswati) –

This is a great book for asana practice. This book focuses more on the crux and keeps unnecessary details away from readers. A lot of descriptive text in this book is accompanied by basic drawings. The drawings in this book are not intimidating as in some other advance-level books in which yogis and yoginis pose difficult poses more than perfectly, which makes doing yoga seem so difficult.

Yoga Anatomy – Nitayoga by Leslie Kaminoff –

Thumbing through the pages of this book, you will gain great insights into yoga and its benefits on the body. Through its pictures, you will get to learn what exactly happens inside your body when you do different yoga poses. This is definitely a great way to do yoga and understand its therapeutic value.

These are definitely some of the most important books ever written on the subject of yoga. So, what makes you wait? Head out to a bookshop and look for these titles. If you fail to find these books, you can also place your order online.