100 books like The Tantric Way

By Ajit Mookerjee, Madhu Khanna,

Here are 100 books that The Tantric Way fans have personally recommended if you like The Tantric Way. Shepherd is a community of 11,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice

Alexandra DeSiato Author Of Teaching Yoga Beyond the Poses: A Practical Workbook for Integrating Themes, Ideas, and Inspiration Into Your Class

From my list on yoga teachers who feel stuck in a rut.

Why am I passionate about this?

My passion for teaching yoga stems from over a decade as a yoga teacher. I’ve taught a variety of populations including college athletes, aging practitioners, and prenatal and postpartum moms and people. I’ve written two books on yoga; one is about how we can use yoga as we age healthily and the other is a helpful guide for yoga teachers who would like to incorporate philosophical theming in their classes. I know what it means to feel stuck in a rut as a yoga teacher, and I have so often counted on these well-loved books to help me find my way out of that rut and into inspired teaching. 

Alexandra's book list on yoga teachers who feel stuck in a rut

Alexandra DeSiato Why did Alexandra love this book?

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. 

By T.K.V. Desikachar,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Heart of Yoga as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who lived to be over 100 years old, was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era. Elements of Krishnamacharya's teaching have become well known around the world through the work of B. K. S. Iyengar, Pattabhi Jois, and Indra Devi, who all studied with Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya's son T. K. V. Desikachar lived and studied with his father all his life and now teaches the full spectrum of Krishnamacharya's yoga. Desikachar has based his method on Krishnamacharya's fundamental concept of viniyoga, which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual's changing needs to achieve…


Book cover of Awakening the Spine: Yoga for Health, Vitality and Energy

Annie Buckley Author Of The Kids Yoga Deck

From my list on yoga books to inspire creativity and joy.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an artist, writer, teacher, and longtime yoga practitioner. I started practicing yoga in my early twenties during a difficult time in my life and the peace, grounding, and community that I discovered in yoga have stayed with me over the years, growing and evolving over time. One of my favorite experiences was the opportunity to teach children and teens who had never even heard of yoga before. Now I'm a professor at San Diego State University and also started and run a statewide program called Prison Arts Collective, bringing art programs to people who are incarcerated. We often include mindfulness and breathing exercises along with art. 

Annie's book list on yoga books to inspire creativity and joy

Annie Buckley Why did Annie love this book?

This is my all-time favorite yoga book—and I have lots and lots of books on yoga that I really love! The main reason I relate to this one is that it is written in a way that embodies what yoga is and means by someone with a depth of knowledge in the practice—the author studied for years with one of the world's leading yoga instructors, B. K. S. Iyengar. With brief and insightful entries on topics as wide-ranging as transformation, gravity, time, the eagle, and organizations, Scaravelli gradually and generously invites readers into understanding the relationship between ourselves and the world, and through it, yoga. You will find instructions for breathing and postures, but more importantly, you will find the wisdom, expansiveness, interconnections, and joy that define yoga. The is interspersed with beautiful images of art and nature and a number of beautiful photographs of the author in her eighties…

By Vanda Scaravelli,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Awakening the Spine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A fully revised and updated edition of the classic yoga book, with a new foreword by B.K.S. Iyengar.

For more than twenty-five years, until her death at ninety-one, Vanda Scaravelli helped transform bodies and lives with her innovative approach to yoga through the proper alignment of the spine. She listened to the body and worked with—instead of against—it. She used gravity, grounding, and breathing to achieve dramatic improvements in health and wellbeing.

Awakening the Spine offers a gentle way to achieve and maintain overall health and a naturally supple spine at any age. Scaravelli’s lasting message reminds readers that, “if…


Book cover of Selling Yoga: From Counterculture to Pop Culture

Julie Rappaport Author Of 365 Yoga: Daily Meditations

From my list on inspiring your yoga practice.

Why am I passionate about this?

A writer, yoga teacher, and somatic psychologist, I’ve been passionate about yoga and the sacred arts ever since I encountered, on my parent’s bookshelf, the awe-inspiring art catalogue, The Manifestations of Shiva, an exhibit curated by the late, great art historian Stella Kramrisch. An adjunct faculty member in the Somatics MA program at the California Institute of Integral Arts, I have lived and traveled extensively throughout India, studying yoga there, and teaching in the U.S. In Berkeley, I write fiction and maintain a private psychology practice, incorporating yoga as a tool for nervous system regulation and embodied wellbeing. I also lead local and international yoga retreats. 

Julie's book list on inspiring your yoga practice

Julie Rappaport Why did Julie love this book?

The sociologist, Andrea Jain, contextualizes the historical roots of yoga in this well-researched and readable book. For the yogi who has read everything, she provides a refreshing perspective. She addresses the yoga explosion in the West, linking spiritual consumer culture with late-stage capitalism without the typical moralizing, or nostalgia for a so-called golden age of yoga. She shows that yoga was never a fixed historical or essentialist enterprise, but rather, always changing and adapting to the culture that surrounded it. That culture, in turn, re-makes yoga over and over. While serious yogis can respect yoga’s roots, we’re also part of its innovation and evolution. This is a yoga history lesson worth reading, offering much to ponder. 

By Andrea Jain,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Selling Yoga as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Premodern and early modern yoga comprise techniques with a wide range of aims, from turning inward in quest of the true self, to turning outward for divine union, to channeling bodily energy in pursuit of sexual pleasure. Early modern yoga also encompassed countercultural beliefs and practices. In contrast, today, modern yoga aims at the enhancement of the mind-body complex but does so according to contemporary dominant metaphysical, health, and fitness paradigms.
Consequently, yoga is now a part of popular culture. In Selling Yoga, Andrea R. Jain explores the popularization of yoga in the context of late-twentieth-century consumer culture. She departs…


Book cover of Speaking of Siva

Julie Rappaport Author Of 365 Yoga: Daily Meditations

From my list on inspiring your yoga practice.

Why am I passionate about this?

A writer, yoga teacher, and somatic psychologist, I’ve been passionate about yoga and the sacred arts ever since I encountered, on my parent’s bookshelf, the awe-inspiring art catalogue, The Manifestations of Shiva, an exhibit curated by the late, great art historian Stella Kramrisch. An adjunct faculty member in the Somatics MA program at the California Institute of Integral Arts, I have lived and traveled extensively throughout India, studying yoga there, and teaching in the U.S. In Berkeley, I write fiction and maintain a private psychology practice, incorporating yoga as a tool for nervous system regulation and embodied wellbeing. I also lead local and international yoga retreats. 

Julie's book list on inspiring your yoga practice

Julie Rappaport Why did Julie love this book?

This book of ancient vacanas- lyric verse of four saint-poets of South India- will seer into your heart. These mystical poems, translated by one of India’s most revered writers, bring the reader into direct experience with the divine, or God, or Shiva, cutting through caste, class, race, religion, and culture. Born of the bhakti (devotional) protest movement, these poems will remind you of Rumi. I’m always surprised that these soulful poems are not better known to Western readers. Read a verse. Sit in meditation. Notice what happens inside your body. 

By Anonymous, A.K. Ramanujan (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Speaking of Siva as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Speaking of Siva is a selection of vacanas or free-verse sayings from the Virasaiva religious movement, dedicated to Siva as the supreme god. Written by four major saints, the greatest exponents of this poetic form, between the tenth and twelfth centuries, they are passionate lyrical expressions of the search for an unpredictable and spontaneous spiritual vision of 'now'. Here, yogic and tantric symbols, riddles and enigmas subvert the language of ordinary experience, as references to night and day, sex and family relationships take on new mystical meanings. These intense poems of personal devotion to a single deity also question traditional…


Book cover of Roots of Yoga

Daniel Simpson Author Of The Truth of Yoga: A Comprehensive Guide to Yoga's History, Texts, Philosophy, and Practices

From my list on the truth of yoga.

Why am I passionate about this?

I've been studying yoga in various forms since my first trip to India in the 1990s. I began as a curious tourist, attending the world's biggest human gathering (the Kumbh Mela). After working as a foreign correspondent—initially for Reuters then The New York Times—I returned to university, earning a master's degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation. I've since taught courses at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies, on yoga teacher trainings, and via my website. The Truth of Yoga is the book I wish I'd found when I started exploring.

Daniel's book list on the truth of yoga

Daniel Simpson Why did Daniel love this book?

A compendium of extracts from yogic texts, exploring how practices vary in different traditions, and how they developed over 2,000 years. Encyclopaedically written, with detailed notes, its well-structured format makes it easy to dip into. Each chapter covers one part of practice, from definitions of yoga to specific techniques, with introductory essays providing an overview. An essential reference guide.

By James Mallinson (translator), Mark Singleton (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Roots of Yoga as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'An indispensable companion for all interested in yoga, both scholars and practitioners' Professor Alexis G. J. S. Sanderson

Despite yoga's huge global popularity, relatively little of its roots is known among practitioners. This compendium includes a wide range of texts from different schools of yoga, languages and eras: among others, key passages from the early Upanisads and the Mahabharata, and from the Tantric, Buddhist and Jaina traditions, with many pieces in scholarly translation for the first time. Covering yoga's varying definitions, its most important practices, such as posture, breath control, sensory withdrawal and meditation, as well as models of the…


Book cover of Tools for Tantra

Swami Saradananda Author Of Sitting Comfortably: Preparing the Mind and Body for Peaceful Meditation

From my list on serious yogis and meditators.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was born in New York, live in London, have an Indian name, and a Polish grandmother. I’ve lived and worked worldwide, running yoga centers in New York, London, New Delhi, and the Himalayas; I’ve also worked as a spice merchant, magazine editor, and pilgrimage leader. My incentive in writing is to inspire people to practise yoga and meditation – and my books tend to be practical as well as theoretical. In addition to teaching and writing, I’ve spent extensive time doing personal practice in the Himalayas, and I hold an MA degree in Traditions of Yoga and Meditation from SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies), University of London.

Swami's book list on serious yogis and meditators

Swami Saradananda Why did Swami love this book?

I have a special interest in yantras, and this book is the best and clearest explanation I’ve found. It inspired me to include yantras in a Teach Meditation course that I give to yoga teachers – and also to write my Master’s dissertation on the Sri Yantra.

In case readers are unfamiliar with the term ‘yantra’, it refers to precise geometric constructions that have been used by yoga practitioners for centuries as visual tools for the attainment of inner peace. Johari explains their forms, associated practices, and spiritual applications. Until he wrote this book, this information was mostly unavailable to modern practitioners.

By Harish Johari,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Tools for Tantra as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Tantric yantras are precise geometric forms that have been used for centuries as tools for self-realization and the attainment of mystical powers. In Tools for Tantra, Tantric practitioner and scholar Harish Johari has re-created the exact colors and proportions of the primordial yantras along with step-by-step instructions for their accurate construction, coloring, and use.


Book cover of Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing

Carol Krucoff Author Of Yoga Sparks: 108 Easy Practices for Stress Relief in a Minute or Less

From my list on for stress relief.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a yoga therapist, health journalist, and author, and my passion is helping people harness the powerful medicine of movement. In my work with hundreds of yoga students and yoga therapy clients, and in my own life—facing some serious health challenges—I’ve found that taking yoga off the mat and into daily life with these simple practices is a powerful way to relieve stress and find ease in body and mind. In our busy, hectic lives, Yoga Sparks offers a welcome chance to pause, breathe, and connect to our inner wisdom. They will help you pay attention and move mindfully through your own precious life. 

Carol's book list on for stress relief

Carol Krucoff Why did Carol love this book?

During his very first yoga class, back in 1970, Richard Miller became enthralled with the final relaxation, a practice called shavasana (the corpse pose)—where you lie on your back, quiet your mind, and surrender your body to the earth. “For the first time in years, I felt free of all conflict, radiantly joyful, and attuned with the entire universe,” writes Miller, who was inspired to study yoga and understand this process of deep rest, which he would later learn as Yoga Nidra. Now a clinical psychologist, researcher, and yoga scholar, Miller presents a step-by-step guide to this deep relaxation, accompanied by a helpful CD that includes six guided Yoga Nidra practices. I’ve downloaded these audios onto my phone and enjoy letting Miller’s calm voice guide me into deep relaxation.   

By Richard C. Miller,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Yoga Nidra as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Now available in paperback, this book-and-CD offers a complete program for spiritual awakening through deep relaxation. Drawing from his extensive study of yoga in India and his training in Taoism and Chinese Medicine, Miller expertly guides listeners through practices that include sensing the body and exploring your essential qualities.


Book cover of The Luminous Self: Sacred Yogic Practices and Rituals to Remember Who You Are

Caverly Morgan Author Of A Kids Book About Mindfulness

From my list on finding happiness.

Why am I passionate about this?

The question “Who are you?” has been central to my practice over the last 30 years. This inquiry led me to live in a silent monastery for eight years. If we aren’t who we have been conditioned to see ourselves to be, then who are we? Who are we truly? This inquiry has led to happiness in my own life, it’s led to happiness in the lives of thousands of teens who have been served through the nonprofit I founded–Peace in Schools, and it’s led to happiness with the adults who have come to my workshops and retreats.  

Caverly's book list on finding happiness

Caverly Morgan Why did Caverly love this book?

I was profoundly inspired by this book because it masterfully blends ancient wisdom with contemporary insights on yoga and meditation. I love how Stanley guides readers toward inner peace and spiritual awakening through both accessible and profound techniques.

The book’s focus on deep self-care practices really resonated with me, helping me to cultivate a more balanced and luminous life. Stanley’s approach made it easy for me to deepen my meditation practice while embracing the transformative power of self-care. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to enrich their spiritual journey and achieve a harmonious, vibrant life.

By Tracee Stanley,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Luminous Self as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?


A guide to self-remembrance with practices, meditations, and self-inquiry questions inspired by yoga and Tantra to help you connect with your inner wisdom, remember your wholeness, and live with clarity and compassion—by the bestselling author of Radiant Rest.

The Luminous Self shares teachings and practices that can help us connect with our true Self and reclaim our inherent power and wisdom—essential for living with purpose and grace in our turbulent world. In this book, Tracee Stanley shares teachings and practices in each chapter—including meditation, yoga nidra, breath work, dreaming rituals, community care practices, journaling, and more—that can help us remember…


Book cover of Hindu, Buddhist and Tantric Gods and Goddesses, Ritual Objects and Religious Symbols

Alan Mercel-Sanca Author Of Nepal - Culture Smart!: The Essential Guide to Customs & Culture

From my list on people learning about each other's cultures.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an intercultural educationalist, having many years of direct Prime Ministers, Culture Ministers, Ambassador of Nepal to the UK/Ireland/Malta, experts, and grassroots community organizations relationships with Nepal and Nepali diasporas (UK and Ireland) regarding research, reports, and major intercultural projects, as well as a published writer on Nepali culture and editor and lead content contributor for internationally respected online Nepal culture information resources (see Nepali Cultural Heritage and Foods of Nepal). An active member of the decolonization movement, I have provided live BBC TV News interviews on the UK Government–Gurkha dispute and led the enablement of a historically important Nepal–England football match. 

Alan's book list on people learning about each other's cultures

Alan Mercel-Sanca Why did Alan love this book?

In late 2013, during one of my many visits to Kathmandu as the lead of the UK Nepal Friendship Society, I was privileged to be engaged and presented with a copy of this just-published book.

For any non-South Asian person with a passion for learning about the esoteric and spiritual heritages of South Asia, this book is a true, precious treasure of the rarest and highest kind for students of those precious and vibrant heritages in which the spiritual concepts of profound ethical, personal self-development, and respect for the unique role in both of the latter regarding Nature in all her profound manifestations (including sexual love) and of global value and significance! 

By Trilok Chandra Majupuria,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hindu, Buddhist and Tantric Gods and Goddesses, Ritual Objects and Religious Symbols as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

English 130 (Throughout B/W Illustrations)Why This Book?This book has been written for those who would like to know about gods and goddesses in Hinduism, Buddhism and Tantrism, in a nutshell. Tibetan deities as well as those associated with sutras (esoteric discourses) are also dealt with in detail. It would be of special interest to visitors who come to Nepal for a short visit. Since most of the sculptures, paintings are based on religious mythologies; therefore, basic facts about religions are also necessary.Authors have been interacting for 56 years with visitors of Nepal and giving them lectures mainly about religions and…


Book cover of The Transparency of Things: Contemplating the Nature of Experience

Todd Mitchell Author Of Breakthrough: How to Overcome Doubt, Fear, and Resistance to Be Your Ultimate Creative Self

From my list on fulfilling, successful, and enjoyable creative life.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a creative writing professor and the author of five award-winning YA and MG novels. Nevertheless, for decades no matter what I accomplished, I felt like a failure who wasn’t doing enough. Eventually, I drove myself to a breakdown. Having a breakdown (my lucky break!) gave me an opportunity to reassess what creativity is, and to discover better ways to go about it. I’ve since spent the past 5+ years researching creativity, and how to make creative endeavors more effective and enjoyable. I wrote Breakthrough to share some of the life-changing insights and techniques that helped me. Here are a few books that might prove useful in shifting your creative paradigms and enhancing your life. Happy creating!

Todd's book list on fulfilling, successful, and enjoyable creative life

Todd Mitchell Why did Todd love this book?

I’ll confess right off the bat that I’m the only person I know who genuinely enjoys reading Spira’s books. His philosophical, highly conceptual, contemplative chapters might not be for everyone. But if you take the time to carefully read and contemplate what Spira discusses, his books can be deeply impactful.

Spira is a “Direct Path” teacher, who conveys some of the deeper teachings of Tantra, Advaita Vedanta, Sufism, and other nondual traditions in a secular, direct, philosophical way. If you want to dive deep into what experience is, what can make life a struggle, and how to experience greater happiness, Spira can be a powerful teacher. The Transparency of Things is a great introduction to his work, but the concepts Spira discusses cannot be understood intellectually. Ultimately, they must be directly experienced to be grasped, and that can take a bit of time, work, and luck.

By Rupert Spira,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Transparency of Things as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The purpose of The Transparency of Things is to look clearly and simply at the nature of experience, without any attempt to change it.

A series of contemplations leads us gently but directly to see that our essential nature is neither a body nor a mind. It is the conscious Presence that is aware of this current experience. As such, it is nothing that can be experienced as an object, and yet it is undeniably present.

However, these contemplations go much further than this. As we take our stand knowingly as this conscious Presence that we always already are, and…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in tantra, yoga, and Hinduism?

Tantra 10 books
Yoga 118 books
Hinduism 27 books