recommended reading

these are some texts that have resonated with me as i continue along this spiritual path

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

by edwin bryant

this is one of the most thorough and academic studies of the yoga sutras. but i think you will gain a great deal from this book whether you have studied the sutras for a while or are new to them. it’s an intimidating book though, so use it for what it means to you. if you are like me, you can visit it frequently for short periods of time as both a refresher and a way to glean more insight on certain aspects of this practice. if you are like my partner, you can just plow through it from cover to cover. he is one of the few people i know who have done so and everyone who i tell is very impressed!

eating animals

by jonathan safran foer

i have been vegetarian since my first yoga teacher training, but for three years, i couldn’t bring myself to “take the leap” to veganism. sure, i had been steeped in a culture that poked fun at vegans and my family certainly subscribed to that mindset and humor, but it also just seemed so hard. i loved the taste of dairy and eggs were useful ingredients, if not my favorite to eat on my own. i had always claimed that ice cream was my favorite food! but after reading this book, veganism no longer seemed like a leap, it seemed like the only option. together with my partner, we’ve been vegan ever since 2017. i now feel connected to our animal friends like never before and feel strongly about animal rights and the kindness towards animals, ourselves and our planet that a vegan lifestyle promotes.

ashtanga yoga: the practice manual

by david swenson

i have yet to find a more thorough written communication of the ashtanga yoga method. david swenson explains each and every posture in the primary and intermediate series in detail and with modifications. the book comes as close to being a teacher as any book could. every ashtanga student and certainly every ashtanga teacher should own this manual. also, if you ever get the opportunity to study with david swenson, don’t hesitate, just do it. he is one of the greatest teachers out there. he is so skilled at communicating concepts, so down to earth and just a genuinely lovely person - a true example of the power of yoga.

the power of Ashtanga yoga

by kino macgregor

another fantastic breakdown, this time of just the primary series (though she has another book for the intermediate series). it’s easy to look at kino and just say that she has an amazing practice and things came easy to her. but if you read this book and if you read some of her other writings, you see that she is not only a skilled writer, but she lives and breathes this practice and she is the first to acknowledge her own struggles and human-ness. i love this book and i think its true strength is in the actual text - especially when she touches on theory and relates stories, background and history. it’s an excellent reference.