Mythology:
Mahabharata- The greatest Indian epic of all time. I highly recommend listening to this on Audible or iBooks. It has eighteen chapters and is 45 hours if you listen to it.
Ramayana- I like William Buck’s print version. If you would like to listen to an extended version on Audible or iBooks I like the 19 hour version narrated by Krisna Dharma. For children, I love the kids version of the Ramayana by Sanjay Patel.
The Upanishads:
The Upanishads (Classics of Indian Spirituality) by Eknath Easwaran for beginners.
Scholarly reading:
Eight Upanishads with the commentary of Sankaracarya by Swami Ghambirananada Vol 1 and 2
General Yoga Philosophy:
The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice by Georg Feuerstein (one of the most comprehensive Yoga texts that exists– suitable for beginners but technical)
The Lost Teachings of Yoga by Georg Feuerstein (audio only)
The Yoga Matrix by Richard Freeman (audio only)
Pan Indian Philosophy of Alan Watts: https://www.alanwatts.org/albums/
The Yoga Shastra of Patanjali:
The Yoga Sutra of Patanjali by Sri Swami Satchidananda-beginner accessible translation
The Philosophy of the Yoga Sutra by Karen O’brien-Kop (audio)
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali: A Biography by David Gordon White
Scholarly reading:
The Sutras of Patanjali: A New Edition, Translation and Commentary by Edwin F. Bryant
The Bhagavad Gita:
The Living Gita by Sri Swami Satchidananda-beginner accessible translation.
The Bhagavad Gita by Eknath Easwaran
The Bhagavad Gita for Daily Living by Eknath Easwaran (audio)-excellent for al levels of practitioners
The Bhagavad Gita by Stephen Mitchell
Scholarly reading:
The Bhagavad Gita by Georg Feuerstein
***Please note that I recommend reading the entire Mahabharata to fully grasp the Gita
Origins of Hatha Yoga:
The History and Practice of Hatha Yoga by Dr. James Mallinson (audio)
Yogas Ancient Roots: Uncovering the original practices of Kuṇḍalinī-based Haṭha Yoga: http://www.yogavidhi.org
Tantric Origins of Surya Namaskara/Asana Vinyasa Course (audio): https://www.yogaalchemy.com/courses/origin-of-asanas-part-1
Scholarly Reading:
The Roots of Yoga By Dr. James Mallinson and Mark Singleton
Eight Four Asanas: A Survey of Traditions by, Gudrun Buhnemann
Yoga Vasista by Swami Venkatesananda
Yoga Yanjavalkya translation by A.G. Mohan
Hatha Pradipika translation by James Mallinson
Gheranda Samhita translation by James Mallinson
Hatha Yoga by Theos Bernard
Tantra:
Tantra Illuminated by Christopher Wallace
The Recognition Sutras by Christopher Wallace- Its beautiful!
Writings from Shaiva Scholar Christopher Tompkins
Foundations of the Ashtanga Yoga Practice:
The Yoga Rahasya of Nathamuni by T.K.V Desikachar
Yoga Makaranda-The Nectar of Yoga by Yogacharya T Krisnamaycharya
Yoga Mala by Sri K Pattabhi Jois (the seminal guide to the Ashtanga Yoga practice)
Ageless: A Yogis Guide to a Long Healthy Life by Sharath Jois (this is a very quick read)
Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings by A.G. Mohan
Health, Healing and Beyond: Yoga and the Living Tradition of T. Krishnamacharya by T. K. V. Desikachar
Adventure:
A Search in Secret India by Paul Brunton
Penthouse of the Gods: A Pilgrimage into the Heart of Tibet and the Sacred City of Lhasa by Theos Bernard
Theos Bernard, The White Llama: Tibet, Yoga and American Religious Life by Paul Hackett
The Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts (this isn’t specifically about yoga but it’s one of my favorite books)
Autobiography of a Sadhu by Rampuri
The Subtle Body:
The Gift of the Body by Jonathan Goldman
The Science of Yoga:
One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga and How it Can Change Your Life by Eddie Stern
Where Spirits Ride the Wind: Trance Journeys and other Ecstatic Experiences by Felicitas D. Goodman
Yoga Films and Documentaries:
On Yoga: The Architecture of Peace (available on Netflix)
Breath of the Gods (Buy or rent on iTunes or Microsoft)
The Story of India (Amazon Prime)
Mystical Journey: Kumbh Mela (Hulu)
Naga: The Eternal Yogi (iTunes)
Embodied Philosophy has a collection of good films- www.embodiedphilosophy.com
Dr. James Mallinson – Hatha Yoga an Illustrated History
Podcasts:
This is a particularly great one: Christopher Tompkins on Tantra, the original Chakras, and the Real Age of the Asanas (#9)
Online Journals:
***If you are interested in learning more than what is included on this list please email me.
Garage Yoga 