DawgByte's Yoga Space
Books about Yoga practice, philosophy and Eastern mysticism

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Yoga Books

Yogi Bare : Naked Truth from America's Leading Yoga Teachers
by Philip Self (Editor)
America's foremost "how to" yoga experts share intimate moments of their lives in Yogi Bare: Naked Truth from America's Leading Yoga Teachers. Through twenty engaging and insightful interviews, provocative questions are posed and explored, as you embark on an enjoyable and spiritual journey with yoga's premier "how come" book.  Features Chicago's own Yoga Circle Guru Gabriel Halpern. Do the pose, read the book!		 Yogi Bare: naked truth from America's leading yoga teachers.
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice
by T. K. V. Desikachar
Krishnamacharya was one of the greatest yogis of modern times-a master scholar, healer, and spiritual teacher-whose students have changed the face of yoga in the West. Now Krishnamacharya's son, himself a renowned teacher, talks about his father's unique vision of yoga. --Here, the practice of yoga is directed toward the individual's needs and goals.  Long out of print, this newly published and updated edition is a must for every serious yoga practitioner's book shelf.		 The heart of Yoga: developing a personal practice
Structural Yoga Therapy : Adapting to the Individual
by Mukunda Stiles
Written for serious practitioners and teachers who want to use yoga to bring complete balance to the body, and understand, in more detail, how the asanas affect the structure of the body. You will learn "body reading" to determine what posture reveals about muscular imbalances. Stiles shares his understanding of anatomy and kinesiology, joint mobility and muscle strength, and teaches a series of joint-freeing exercises that can also be used to strengthen muscles. 		 Strutural Yoga Therapy
Yoga : The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness
by Erich Schiffmann

Provides simple instruction and demonstrative illustrations to introduce a technique that combines hatha yoga and meditation in order to slow the aging process, decrease stress, promote creativity, and improve mental and physical health. The Spirit and Practice of Moving Into Stillness" very much sums up the spirit of this book on yoga. Being still in meditation is the goal of the author and he uses the poses to move toward that place. The tone is nurturing and clear, and gives the reader a sense of accessibility to the material, as opposed to unattainability. There are many photographs and the approach is different than what is found in other books.

 Yoga: The spirit and practice of moving into stillness
Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit : A Return to Wholeness
by Donna Farhi
As the physical practice of yoga has become popular in the West, many of the spiritual aspects have been lost. There is much more to yoga than reducing stress, increasing flexibility, looking great, and remaining youthful. Yoga is an ancient, integrated system designed to educate and unite body, mind, and spirit and teach the practitioner how to be present both on and off the mat.  In Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: A Return to Wholeness, Donna Farhi, Yoga Journal columnist, author of The Breathing Book, and internationally recognized yoga teacher, shows yoga students of all levels and traditions how to use yoga as spiritual practice and a vehicle to connect body and mind. If you are ready to take your yoga practice to the next level, Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit is an excellent guide to help you connect with everything yoga has to offer. 		 Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit: a return to wholeness by Donna Farhi
Like a Fish in Water: Yoga for Children
by Isabelle Koch
This is an artful and empathetic introduction that is sure to engage the imagination and curiosity of many a child and lead them to the joys of yoga.  A simple yet profound stroll through basic principles of hatha yoga engages children in movement and imagination. 		 Like a Fish in Water: yoga for kids
Fly Like a Butterfly : Yoga for Children
by Shakta Kaur Khalsa
Directions for the movements are mixed with brief stories or images for the participants to focus on. For example, "the yoga mountain story" is presented along with poses that reflect the action of the tale. Appealing black-and-white photographs of Khalsa's young students performing the exercises appear throughout. A separate section explains how each action helps the body and mind.  The correlation made between the poses and animals/transportation/ plants gives every child a visual and sensorial image to connect to the kinesthetic experience of the yoga. A must for any child or classroom!		 Fly Like a Butterfly: Yoga for Children
KISS Guide to Yoga
by Shakta Kaur Khalsa
Exercise and enrich your mind and body with DK's KISS Guide to Yoga. Discover the origins and history of the seven branches of yoga. Understand the benefits of a flexible body and a focused mind. Explore key differences between the disciplines, from Ashtanga to Anusara yoga. Learn about the  eight chakras and how to understand and use these energy centers within the body. Follow simple step-by-step instructions for postures and poses. Improve your health and well-being with nutritional tips and meditation techniques. Includes a contribution by DawgByte's own Buck Hales, on yoga and running.  A must purchase for yogis and runners alike.		 Keep it Simple Series: KISS Yoga
Yoga: The Path To Holistic Health
by B. K. S. Iyengar
Serious yoga practitioners consider B. K. S. Iyengar to be the master of hatha yoga. Born in India in 1918, he has been teaching for more than six decades, and Iyengar yoga centers have been established all over the world. Iyengar's tried-and-true technique emphasizes breath awareness, alignment, balance, suppleness, and strength to achieve the yogic union of mind and body, a sure path to holistic health. A pioneer in the use of sequenced asanas, or poses, to develop flexibility and endurance, Iyengar has also created an innovative approach to using props-- blankets, blocks, chairs, and belts--to help students overcome stiffness and other limitations and practice restorative variations of demanding poses. This beautifully produced volume is the most useful Iyengar text to date with its sharply detailed, step-by-step color photographs; generous page layouts; clear explanations of how to do the various poses and the benefits of each; and in-depth section on yoga therapy for specific ailments, an Iyengar specialty. There is nothing trendy here: Iyengar is yoga. 		 Yoga: The Path to Holistic Health
Awakening the Spine
by Vanda Scaravelli
A beautifully illustrated and sensually written account of this wise woman's journey to yogic wisdom.  Even the most seasoned practictioner will gain enlightenment from this outstanding book.		 Awakening The Spine by Vanda Scaravelli
How to Use Yoga : A Step-By-Step Guide to the Iyengar Method of Yoga, for Relaxation, Health and Well-Being 
by Mira Mehta
I often had questions that arose during my home yoga practice, particularly about how to sequence the poses. I am so happy to have found Mira Mehta's "How to Use Yoga." This book is packed with information in a balanced blend of text instruction and pictorial guidance for each pose. Best of all, the author includes a ten-week practice course in an easy-to-follow format, along with sequences for common problems and special times, such as back pain, headaches, and menstruation. Get this book: It's like having a yoga teacher at home!		 How To Use Yoga by Mira Mehta

Yoga, The Iyengar Way
by Silva Mehta, Mira Mehta, Shyam Mehta
Practical guide to yoga in the Iyengar tradition will excellent illustrations by proficient practictioners and instructions for practicing and learning the asanas.  Highly recommended.

Yoga, The Iyengar Way
The Shambhala Guide to Yoga
by Georg Feuerstein

The Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga
by Georg Feuerstein

The Yoga-Sutra of Patanjali : A New Translation and
Commentary
by Georg Feuerstein

 Shambhala Guide to Yoga Shambhala Encyclopedia of Yoga

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Eastern Mysticism

Cave in the Snow : A Western Woman's Quest for Enlightenment
by Vicki MacKenzie
This is the incredible story of Tenzin Palmo, a remarkable woman who spent 12 years alone in a cave 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas. At the age of 20, Diane Perry, looking to fill a void in her life, entered a monastery in India--the only woman amongst hundreds of monks---and began her battle against the prejudice that had excluded women from enlightenment for thousands of years. Thirteen years later, Diane Perry a.k.a. Tenzin Palmo secluded herself in a remote cave 13,000 feet up in the Himalayas, where she stayed for twelve years. In her mountain retreat, she face unimaginable cold, wild animals, floods, snow and rockfalls, grew her own food and slept in a traditional wooden meditation box, three feet square. She never lay down. Tenzin emerged from the cave with a determination to build a convent in northern India torevive the Togdenma lineage, a long-forgotten female spiritual elite. She has traveled around the world to find support for her cause, meeting with spiritual leaders from the Pope to Desmond Tutu. She agreed to tell her story only to Vicky Mackenzie and a portion of the royalties from this book will help towards the completion of her convent. 		 Cave in the snow: a western woman's search for enlightenment
Awakening the Buddha Within : Tibetan Wisdom for the Western World
by Lama Surya Das 
The most highly trained American lama in the Tibetan tradition offers the definitive book on Western Buddhism for the modern-day spiritual seeker. The radical and compelling message of Buddhism tells us that each of us has the wisdom, awareness, love, and power of the Buddha within; yet most of us are too often like sleeping Buddhas. In Awakening the Buddha Within, Surya Das shows how we can awaken to who we really are in order to lead a more compassionate, enlightened, and balanced life. It illuminates the guidelines and key principles embodied in the noble Eight-Fold Path and the traditional Three Enlightenment Trainings common to all schools of Buddhism:

Wisdom Training: Developing clear vision, insight, and inner understanding -- seeing reality and ourselves as we really are.
Ethics Training: Cultivating virtue, self-discipline, and compassion in what we say and do.
Meditation Training: Practicing mindfulness, concentration, and awareness of the present moment.		 Awakening the Buddha Within
Long Quiet Highway
by Natalie Goldberg 
The author of Writing Down the Bones recounts her journey awakening from the profound sleep of a suburban childhood, describing her fifteen years as a student of Zen Buddhism, her writing, and resistance to change.  The Zen of writing, the Buddhism of being-- do the Dharma, write the book! An essential book for discovering the Buddha-writer within.		 Long Quiet Highway: buddhism and writing
The Buddha in Your Mirror : Practical Buddhism and the Search for Self
by Woody Hochswender, Greg Martin, Ted Morino
Tina Turner found the strength to leave an abusive marriage after she began chanting "Nam-myoho-renge-kyo." This phrase, translated as "I devote myself to the mystic law of cause and effect through sound," is at the heart of Nichiren Buddhism, a practice clearly explained in this self-help primer. In 1253, the Japanese monk Nichiren declared Nam-myoho-renge-kyo "to be the one true law, the great `secret' hidden in the depths of the Lotus Sutra." Nichiren's intent was to make attainment of Buddhahood imminently available to all. This manual's authors heartily endorse the chant as completely accessible and effective at achieving desires for self and others. Noting that Nichiren Buddhism is "open equally to everyone... there are no priests or gurus," the authors promote the Nichiren path as fitting neatly within the modern world of science, especially physics, where impermanence is now a given. They also point readers toward finding community within Soka Gakkai International, a Nichiren-centered organization with 12 million adherents in 160 nations. The introduction by jazz great Herbie Hancock, a Nichiren practitioner for 29 years, makes one wonder if the rhythmic emphasis of this chant has a special call for musicians, but this path obviously has bold appeal for a broad audience of people who are willing to give chant a chance. 		 Buddha in the Mirror
Blue Jean Buddha : Voices of Young Buddhists
 by Sumi D. Loundon, Jack Kornfield
Buddhism isn't just for baby boomers anymore. As the spiritual marketplace continues to broaden in North America, Buddhism is emerging as a popular religious alternative among the young. Sumi Loundon, a practicing Buddhist and graduate student at Harvard Divinity School, has gathered a group of Generation X-ers and even younger Generation Y-ers around a virtual campfire to swap stories about what it means to be Buddhist. These are more than just your average tales of pious conversion or blissful living. Loundon's cadres find the relevance of Buddhism atop a sheer cliff face; in the throbbing heart of New York City; strung out on crack; in relationships good and bad; in tragic accidents; and in social activism. Some are monks, others punks; some meditate, others chant; some teach the dharma, others just live it. In this group, Buddhism is neither exotic nor a panacea. For many, it is a feeling of coming home and a proven method of coping while remaining open to the vicissitudes of life. Anyone who has felt the pull of Buddhism--the compelling arguments of its philosophy or the quiet expansiveness of it practices--will quickly identify with the personal experiences in this collection. 

Blue Jean Buddha

Gods, Demons, and Others
by R. K. Narayan, R. K. Laxman
Reprint of the 1964 classic compilation of Indian mythology, the essential companion for yoga practioners who want to learn more about the great tradition.

The Miracle of Mindfulness : A Manual on Meditation
by Thich Nhat Hanh, Mobi Ho (Translator)
Miracle of Mindfulness is a sly commentary on the Anapanasati Sutra, the Sutra on Breath to Maintain Mindfulness. "Sly" because it doesn't read like a dry commentary at all. One of Thich Nhat Hanh's most popular books, Miracle of Mindfulness is about how to take hold of your consciousness and keep it alive to the present reality, whether eating a tangerine, playing with your children, or washing the dishes. A world-renowned Zen master, Nhat Hanh weaves practical instruction with anecdotes and other stories to show how the meditative mind can be achieved at all times and how it can help us all "reveal and heal." Nhat Hanh is a master at helping us find a calm refuge within ourselves and teaching us how to reach out from there to the rest of the world

The Miracle of Mindfulness
Still Here : Embracing Aging, Changing, and Dying 
by Ram Dass
After being introduced for a lecture, Ram Dass eschewed the stairs and, from his front row seat, leapt up on to the stage--or tried to, anyway, but age and gravity brought him crashing back to earth. Like other baby boomers, Ram Dass has learned the hard way that aging is unkind to the body. But he has also learned that it can be an opportunity for growth. While others begin to devalue you, you can reconnect with the spiritual, grow into wisdom, and create value for yourself. In Still Here, Ram Dass offers a philosophy for aging that teaches us how to diminish our suffering despite the aches, pains, and limitations of age. This becomes possible when we step away from the ego-self and into the soul-self, where we can witness our thoughts and emotions and evaluate their effects on us. If aging has brought challenges to Ram Dass, it has also brought him wisdom, which, through his personal anecdotes and stories of others in the struggle against aging, he shares with great generosity. This is an inspirational and motivational book-- highly recommended.		 Ram Dass: Still Here
Be Here Now
by Ram Dass
It's easy to dismiss Be Here Now as the relic of a whacked-out '60s acid tripper.  Then you turn to the first page of the book, and you are suddenly sucked into the story of a Harvard psychiatrist who has reached the pinnacle of success, discovers the mind-expanding powers of acid, and ends up trooping through India with a 23-year-old holy man from Laguna Beach, California. In the story, you see all the trappings of your own life and begin to wonder if India might hold the answers after all. Before booking your ticket, turn to the last section of the Be Here Now, "Cookbook for a Sacred Life." Ram Dass saves you the trouble by proffering a sober introduction to the basics of Hindu religion. Although he still can't resist CAPITAL LETTERS, he has done his homework, presenting a whole range of concepts and practices having to do with yoga postures, meditation, renunciation, dying, and sexual energy. So, for the most part, Be Here Now stands the test of time, and if you can entertain the center section in a retro kind of a spirit, it might be just what you're looking for: "The opposite of craving is saying, baby, this is the way it is, yeah, OK, here and now, this is it 		 Be Here Now
Some of the Dharma
by Jack Kerouac
Written during a critical period of his life, Some of the Dharma is a key volume for understanding Kerouac and the spiritual underpinnings of his work.   While his future masterpiece, On the Road, languished on the desks of unresponsive editors,  Kerouac turned to Buddhist practice, and in 1953 began compiling reading notes on the subject intended for his friend Allen Ginsberg. As Kerouac's Buddhist meditation practice intensified, what had begun as notes evolved into a vast and all-encompassing work of nonfiction into which he poured his life, incorporating poems, haiku, prayers, journal entries, meditations, fragments of letters, ideas about writing, overheard conversations, sketches, blues, and more. The final manuscript, completed in 1956, was as visually complex as the writing: each page was unique, typed in patterns and interlocking shapes. The elaborate form that Kerouac so painstakingly gave the book on his manual typewriter is re-created in this typeset facsimile. Passionate and playful, filled with humor, insight, sorrow, and struggle, Some of the Dharma is one of Kerouac's most profound and original works. 

Some of the Dharma-- by Jack Kerouac
Siddhartha : An Indian Tale
by Hermann Hesse, Joachim Neugroschel (Translator),
Ralph Freedman (Introduction)
In the shade of a banyan tree, a grizzled ferryman sits listening to the river. Some say he's a sage. He was once a wandering shramana and, briefly, like thousands of others, he followed Gotama the Buddha, enraptured by his sermons. But this man, Siddhartha, was not a follower of any but his own soul. Born the son of a Brahmin, Siddhartha was blessed in appearance, intelligence, and charisma. In order to find meaning in life, he discarded his promising future for the life of a wandering ascetic. Still, true happiness evaded him. Then a life of pleasure and titillation merely eroded away his spiritual gains until he was just like all the other "child people," dragged around by his desires. Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river.  Hesse's masterful interpretation of Buddha helped propel the western mind eastward. 		 Siddhartha-- by Hermann Hesse
Buddha (Penguin Lives)
by Karen Armstrong
Books on Buddhism may overflow the shelves, but the life story of the Buddha himself has remained obscure despite over 2,500 years of influence on millions of people around the world. In an attempt to rectify this, and to make the Buddha and Buddhism accessible to Westerners, the beloved scholar and author of such sweeping religious studies as A History of God has written a readable, sophisticated, and somewhat unconventional biography of one of the most influential people of all time. Buddha himself fought against the cult of personality, and the Buddhist scriptures were faithful, giving few details of his life and personality. Karen Armstrong mines these early scriptures, as well as later biographies, then fleshes the story out with an explanation of the cultural landscape of the 6th century B.C., creating a deft blend of biography, history, philosophy, and mythology.  Despite the lack of typical historical documentation, Armstrong has written a rich and revealing description of both a unique time in history and an unusual man. Buddha is a terrific primer for those interested in the origins and fundamentals of Buddhism.

Buddha--biography by Karen Armstrong

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Yoga for athletes
Visit Buck's Yoga For Athletes Site

Yoga for Athletes : Secrets of an Olympic Coach (Llewellyn's Strategies for Success)
by Aladar Kogler Ph.D.
Yoga helps you develop evenly  and keep you balanced. It is also a good practice to come down from the athletic high that you can get after competition. The mindful practice of these exercises keeps you balanced as an athlete, as well as a person.		 Yoga for every athlete
The American Yoga Association's Yoga for Sports : The Secret to Limitless Performance
by Alice Christensen
For the serious athlete or weekend warrior, this book will provide proven techniques to improve performance and enhance your enjoyment of your sport.  Step-by-step instructions for a comprehensive program of yoga routines will help you warm up properly and avoid injury.  		 Yoga for Sports

The Runner's Yoga Book
by Jean Couch
The essential book of stretching for runners combines yogic wisdom and a practical introduction to yoga.  The section on  the psoas cured me of a persistent injury that no other therapy could address.
Visit the Good Sporting Dept for other Running Books

Visit Buck's Own  Yoga for Athletes Web Site

 The Runner's Yoga Book by Jean Couch
Stretching : 20th Anniversary Edition
by Bob Anderson, Jean Anderson (Illustrator)
his is the book that people tell their friends about, that trainers recommend for virtually every sport and activity, and that medical professionals recommend to people just starting to get back in shape. Stretching first appeared in 1980 as a new generation of Americans became committed to running, cycling, aerobic training, and workouts in the gym - which all seem commonplace now. It features: more than 20 new stretching routines, including those for sports enthusiasts; travelers, children, gardeners, and people in wheelchairs; an abbreviated version of each routine for people in a hurry; new information on the stretching vs. warming up controversy; and new and improved drawings. 
 Bob Anderson's Stretching Book
Beth Shaw's Yogafit
by Beth Shaw
Whether you're a fitness buff searching for a new challenge or a yoga enthusiast looking for a way to balance your exercise routine, Beth Shaw's YogaFit® will help you reach your  ultimate physical potential.  Yes, physical! That's because this cutting-edge fitness program combines tough aerobic exercise with strength- and flexibility-building yoga to create a total body workout. While she says "sweat—not meditation—is the key." the logic and flow of her program also  any traditional asana practice.  And that's exactly what makes YogaFit different from all the rest. 		 Beth Shaw's YogaFit

 

Strengthen your core with the Pilates method

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Yoga Videos and Props

Yoga Essentials Kit

This uniquely designed set of basic yoga tools comes with all the essentials for a yoga practice. Set includes one non-slip mat (68"), one reinforced cotton strap (6') two durable foam bricks (9" x 5.5" x 3") and the "How to Use Props Plus Workout" video (30 minutes). A great way to get started with your personal practice.

Yoga Essentials Kit
Yoga Journal's Yoga Practice Video Series

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