Fans pick 49 books like The Khecarīvidyā of Ādinātha

I love the extraordinarily intricate ideology of the Nāth Yogis, or Siddhas, magisterially described in this study brimful with historical and religious data.

This is one of those books that blow your mind and leave you in awe. I am especially captivated by the efforts to translate the methodology of Indian alchemy into the practice of Yoga that the book describes. “As in metal, so in the body” was the motto of Indian Siddha practitioners who strived to imitate the process of perfecting the metals by perfecting the body.

It was exactly this book that set me on the path of doing Ph.D. research with a focus on the Nāth Yogis.  

I find extremely interesting the mix of historical scholarship and anthropological fieldwork so vividly presented in this study, as in the other work, by Véronique Bouillier.

She has a particular penchant to focus on and engage with the tension in the ideology and lived experience of her chosen subjects, be it between ancient stories about the Yogis and the lifestyle of the contemporary ascetics or between the ethos of the warriors and the ethos of the renouncers (as the former, in particular kings, become the latter, in popular legends), which gives particular attraction to her elegant and learned exposition.  

What I like about this collection of essays on the Nāth Yogis is its breadth and diversity: scholars from five countries engage historical, religious, philosophical, folkloristic, textual and anthropological fields of pertinent inquiry. The reader is left with a feeling of truly coming closer to understanding the Nāths, once a very influential religious denomination that often considers itself separate from the dominant Hindu and, to a lesser degree, Muslim environments.

I admire the sense of self-esteem and self-identity displayed, for example, in the ideas about the inner worlds, the whole cosmos contained within the Yogi’s body, as described in David White’s contribution to the anthology. To my mind, the Nāths’ conceptions about the hidden properties of the human body represent the South Asian esotericism par excellence. This collection offers an insight into their world that truly abounds in erudite riches.  

I admire the author’s attempt to approach the conceptual universe of the Nāth Yogis with a focus on their philosophy. Not an easy task, given the fact that their semi-legendary founder, guru Gorakhnāth, was not a systematic philosopher. Leaving aside the issue of actual authorship, what has been exposed here contains a great deal of metaphysical depth and complexity.

It is a pity that the Sanskrit text mentioned in the subtitle is not translated. “Some seek nonduality,” the text commences, “while the others seek duality. They don’t know the full truth, which is devoid of both nonduality and duality.” While the lack of translation is lamentable, the ideas expressed in this relatively short Sanskrit text are copiously discussed in this book, which makes it a great read.       

Desikachar’s clear wisdom in The Heart of Yoga can’t be understated. Returning to this book reminds me of why I love yoga, why I teach yoga, and why I do yoga. Much of the value of this book is in Desikachar’s simple prose and exposition regarding yoga philosophy. He ends many chapters with a Q & A section, answering questions he anticipates readers will have. And while there are translations in abundance of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras, Desikachar’s translations have real-world applicability. His approach to yoga helps us understand why the practice has endured for so many years—and it reminds yoga teachers that bringing yoga to our students is an undertaking of immense importance. 

You’ve got to love someone who calls out those who think American yoga is a skinny white woman’s practice.

Stanley is a funny, deeply honest, large-bodied, gay Black woman who knows yoga is great for everyone—in fact, her prior book is Every Body Yoga. I love the way she weaves yoga’s philosophy and practices into this short and readable memoir of her life.

And I especially adore how she grasps yoga’s real purpose, which isn’t to pretzel up in funny poses but to slow down and calm the mind. Or, as she puts it: “Honestly, you really only need to know one pose and it’s called sitting the fuck down.”

How can you not want to recommend this book to, well, everyone?

You might recognize the author’s name – she is a regular contributor to the Opinion Page of The New York Times. In this book, she has used her journalistic skills to uncover the layers of Indra Devi, from her birth in Russia to her status in Hollywood as one of the first yoga teachers to the stars. Indra Devi was a longtime devotee of Krishnamurti, and the first-ever woman to convince the great yoga master Krishnamacharya to teach her yoga. I remember knowing about her back in the ’70s when I was a novice yogi/college student in southern California and Devi was still teaching privately in Los Angeles. But only through reading this book did I learn how much her work contributed to the current popularity and acceptance of yoga in western culture.

In my humble opinion one of the best and only books that address yoga, diet culture, pose adaptation, yoga history, body image, and progressive accessibility. Helping readers and practitioners to find their level of practice exactly where they are. You can start as a true beginner and progress to challenging arm balances and poses with this book.

In recent years, there’s been a growing appreciation that yoga is not just for slim, bendy, twentysomethings, but can offer profound physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual benefits to people of all ages, sizes, and health conditions. Much of this increased awareness is due to the work of Jivana Heyman, director of the non-profit Accessible Yoga Association, whose mission statement proclaims that “all people—regardless of ability or background—deserve equal access to yoga.” Heyman has spent more than 20 years teaching yoga to people with disabilities, with an emphasis on community building and social engagement. In this book, he offers inspiring and practical guidance on how to break down complex yoga practices in ways that make them accessible, enjoyable, and healing for anyone—regardless of limitations or challenges.

Yoga is much more than a workout, and the difference between a good class and a great one often centers on the instructor’s ability to inspire students to make a deeper connection—with themselves, with others, and with the world. In this practical and illuminating book, experienced instructors Sage Rountree and Alexandra Desiato offer a wealth of information designed to give yoga teachers essential tools to find their own, unique voice and take their classes to the next level. The book includes a section of 54 complete themes followed by blank temples and helpful prompts to create your own themes. Amidst bookshelves crowded with volumes on how to teach postures, this book stands out as a uniquely-helpful exploration of how to teach yoga.