Jnana: The Yoga of Wisdom
In the path of yoga, one path towards liberation is through ongoing self-study, mental training, and study of texts. Read more about Jnana Yoga here: http://www.yogabasics.com/learn/jnana-yoga-the-yoga-of-wisdom/
I’ll maintain and continually update this page with recommended books, readings, and practices of self study I have found helpful! I have the greatest respect for those teachers at Sivananda in particular who have a deep knowledge of texts and wisdom practices.
Web Resources
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali:
https://www.ashtangayoga.info/philosophy/source-texts-and-mantra/yoga-sutra/
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika
One of the oldest known yogic texts. I recommend buying and studying the long form, but these sites have some great excerpts with translation for those new to the study:
https://jivamuktiyoga.com/fotm/hatha-yoga-pradipika-0/
https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/hyp/index.htm
https://yogalondon.net/monkey/the-complete-beginners-guide-to-the-hatha-yoga-pradipika/
Practices
Meditation
Mantra meditation
Mindfulness: awareness of the thought patterns without attachment
Bhakti
Devotional acts, including prayer, chanting and kirtan singing
Study of the Sutras, Bhagavad Gita, and Vedas
Many traditions recommend daily study of a passage
Self Study
Journaling, reflective practices and somatic psychology are all useful tools to deepen your self understanding. More resources coming soon.
Quotes
Ut sed egestas, volutpat.
“Pellentesque vel mattis turpis. Etiam tristique posuere sapien at mattis. Praesent feugiat pulvinar justo id varius. Fusce nisl elit, dictum eget condimentum eu, elementum sed ante.”
— J.A.
Maecenas vehicula tortor!
“Etiam tristique posuere sapien at mattis. Praesent feugiat pulvinar justo id varius. Fusce nisl elit, dictum eget condimentum eu, elementum sed ante. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus.”
— L.K.
Sed maximus vel velit ac rutrum.
“Fusce nisl elit, dictum eget condimentum eu, elementum sed ante. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia. Pellentesque vel mattis turpis.”
— J.Y.
Suggested books
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Swami Muktibodhananda
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, tr, Sri Swami Satchitananda
The Heart of Yoga, Developing a Personal Practice, TKV Desikachar
Ashtanga Yoga, David Swenson
Yoga For Your Type, David Frawley and Sandra Kozak
Light on Yoga, Light on Life, Light on Pranayama, BKS Iyengar
Functional Anatomy of Yoga, David Keil
First There is a Mountain, Elizabeth Kadetsky
Anatomy of the Spirit; Archetypes; and Spiritual Madness, Caroline Myss
Autobiography of a Yogi, Paramhansa Yogananda
Be Here Now; and Still Here, Ram Dass (documentaries on him are moving as well)
Eastern Body, Western Mind, Anodea Judith
Living with the Himalayan Masters, Swami Rama
The Key Muscles of Yoga, Ray Long
ANYTHING by Thicht Nhat Hanh
Taking the Leap, and others, Pema Chodron
The Roots of Ayruveda, tr. Dominik Wujastyk
The Book of Secrets, Deepak Chopra
A Path with Heart; and After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, Jack Kornfield
Yoga as Medicine, Yoga Journal/Timothy McCall
Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
Structural Yoga Therapy, Mukunda Stiles
Yoga Anatomy, Leslie Kaminoff
Anatomy of Hath Yoga, David Coulter
Yoga for Depression, Amy Weintruab
You Can Heal Your Life, Louise Hay
The Yoga of The Nine Emotions, Peter Marchand
Sitting with Sufis, Mary Blythe Howe
Bikram’s Beginner Yoga Class, Bikram Choudry
Healing and the Mind, Bill Moyers (also a great TV series)
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Divine Purpose, Ekhart Tolle
Women, Food and God, Geneen Roth
Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature, ed. Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams
The Body Keeps the Score, Bessel Van Der Kolk
Balance: In search of the lost sense, Scott McCredie
Ramayana: Divine Loophole, Sanjay Patel
Sita Sings the Blues, Nina Paley (Film, free online)
The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin
Chasing the Tiger, Peter Levine
It’s Not Always Depression,
The Subtle Body, Cyndi Dale
Mindset, Carole Dweck
Guided Meditations, Explorations and Healings; Healing into LIfe and Death; Who Dies? Stephen Levine
Love, Freedom, Aloneness, OSHO
Not Always So: Practicing the Teachings of Zen, Suzuki Rosho
The Way of the Fertile Soul, Randine Lewis
What the Buddha Taught, Walpola Rahula
The Dhammapada: The Sayings of the Buddha, Thomas Cleary
The 8 Human Talents, Gurmukh
The Art of Joyful Living, Swami Rama
Tantra, the Path of Ecstasy, George Feuerstein
Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga, David Emerson and Dr. Elizabeth Hopper
Karma and Chaos, Paul Fleischman
Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious; Memories, Dreams and Reflections, Carl Jung
Will Yoga and Meditation Really Change My Life? Stephen Cope
It’s Not Always Depression, Hilary Jacobs Hendel