Sources of Yoga Information
Here is a list of some of my favorite resources to enhance your practice of yoga
DVDs and CDs
Books on the Yoga Postures
Books dealing with the Yoga Tradition
Books for Nourishing the Soul
Online Information about Yoga
Where to Buy Yoga Supplies Online
DVD and CDs
Audio
- Brainstem Breathing and the Ten Stones, Tom Gillette.
(CD)
Tom is the Director of Eyes of the World in Providence. He is one of the best teachers I have had the good fortune to learn from. This CD will get you going on a home practice. It follows a sequence that you will be very familiar with since Tom's way of teaching influences the way I teach. - Yoga for the Rest of Us with Peggy Cappy
(DVD available at Amazon.com.)
Slow-paced and offers modifications for those who need a little more help or who have physical issues such as arthritis, fibromyalgia, stiff muscles, aching knees etc. If you are looking for something very basic this will do it for you. - Ali McGraw. Yoga Mind and Body
(DVD available at Amazon.com.)
This audio was originally released in 1994 but now you can purchase it in a DVD version.
Books
Books on the Yoga Postures
- Yoga for Wellness, Gary Kraftsow
Gary is a master at adapting poses for various ailments. He also shows numerous illustrations of how to prepare the body for more advanced poses. - Structural Yoga Therapy. Adapting to the Individual. Mukunda Stiles
- Yoga the Iyengar Way. Silva, Mira & Shyam Mehra.
- Back Care Basics. Mary Pullig Schatz, M.D. A Doctor's Gentle Yoga Program for Back and Neck Pain Relief.
- Yoga Mind, Body & Spirit. A Return to Wholeness. Donna Farhi.
- Yoga The Spirit and Practice of Moving into Stillness. Erich Schiffmann.
- The Sivananda Companion to Yoga. The Sivananda Yoga Center.
Going Deeper Into the Yoga Tradition
- The Yoga Tradition by Georg Feuerstein
Probably the most complete and in-depth guide to Yoga history and philosophy. This book is excellent but reads like a textbook. - The Shambhala Guide to Yoga, Georg Fuerstein. An essential introduction to the principles and practice of an ancient tradition.
- The Heart of Yoga, T.K.V. Desikachar
A good introduction to classical Hatha Yoga. - Wheels of Life A User' Guide to the Chakra System. Anodea Judith, Ph.D.
Books for Nourishing the Life Force
- Thich Nhat Hanh is a Vietnamese Zen master, poet, scholar and peace activist who writes beautifully. The books by him that I can personally recommend include the following:
- The Miracle of Mindfulness
- Present Moment Wonderful Moment
- Being Peace
- The Pine Gate
- Pema Chõdrõn is an American Buddhist nun who is the resident teacher at Gampo Abbey, in Nova Scotia, the first Tibetan monastery in North America for Westerners. Much of her writings are based on daily lectures given at Gampo Abby during the course of meditation retreats. Some of her best works include:
- Start Where You Are, A Guide to Compassionate Living
- Comfortable with Uncertainty, 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion
- When Things Fall Apart, Heart Advice for Difficult Times
- The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness
- Full Catastrophe Living, Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness by Jon Kabat-Zinn.
Based on an eight-week stress reduction and relaxation course given by Jon Kabot-Zinn at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center it focuses on teaching how to develop your own meditation practice and how to develop and use mindfulness to improve your health. - Body Mind Mastery by Dan Millman. An inspiring insightful look at the application of Eastern philosophy to sports training. It keynotes the mind, body, and spiritual levels necessary to become a true athlete in life.
Online Information about Yoga
- Yoga Alliance is the organization that is responsible for registering individuals and teacher training programs. It is also a place to find information about yoga teachers in your area.
- Yoga Journal A very popular web page. Contains a wealth of information about all aspects of Yoga. You can also subscribe here to their Yoga Journal a monthly magazine on Yoga.
- Integrative Yoga Therapy website. Look for me in their list of certified yoga teachers.
- Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in the Berkshires offers a myriad of yoga classes and activities.
- Meditation StationThis is the official site of the Meditation Society of America, headquartered in Philadelphia. The philosophy of this site is that no one meditation technique is right for everyone, so it is dedicated to sharing meditation techniques and concepts from all traditions
- Top Yoga Sites Some interesting information on yoga sites. The sites are rated.
Where to buy yoga supplies
- GAIAM offers a nice line of yoga clothing as well as yoga supplies.
- Hugger Mugger is a place where you can purchase props, bags, mats, clothing and music to do your yoga by.
- The Yoga Site is packed with information including articles about yoga and health; directories of teachers, organizations, and training; yoga products, books, and videos for shoppers; and step-by-step yoga postures and meditations.
- MatsMatsMats.com is a great site to buy just about any type of yoga or meditation cushion.
- Santosha has some of the best posture displays that are on the Net. Postures are catalogued in a helpful index and offer step-by-step instructions and difficulty level.

