Three Major Yoga texts to get your teeth into
Yogafundi, Yogaloft’s writer at large, provides some advice on reading to further your yoga journey
Most of us begin our yoga journey for similar reasons: to become more flexible, less stressed, more beautiful, deal with injuries, or be able to perform a handstand or touch our toes. Some start going to classes as they yearn to find something more spiritual, having become disillusioned with that on offer in their own culture.
As we gradually become more dedicated to the subject, we realize that there is more to it than meets the eye. There is no doubt that performing asana makes us feel pretty amazing, but for those who begin to ask questions or want to know more, authoritative texts can shine a light on yoga in a way that little else can.
So here are three major text recommendations (no I’m not about to suggest Eat, Pray, Love) and hopefully a little guidance on how to approach them in a way which makes them more accessible.
1. The Bhagavad Gita
Mahatma Gandhi carried a copy of this little gem wherever he went for years. It was his companion and his spiritual guide. It was written over 2000 years ago by a guy called Krishna Dvaipāyana. I recommend the edition: The Bhagavad Gita: A Walkthrough for Westerners by Jack Hawley. It is beautifully translated and adapted for the modern reader.
What’s the story?
Presented in verse form as a conversation between a great warrior Arjuna and his teacher Krishna. The two are preparing to lead an army into battle against an opposing force made up of many of Krishna’s family members. Arjuna falters, not wanting to slay his own brethren and so, in the middle of the battlefield, a discussion between teacher and student begins. Shortly into the book Krishna reveals himself as far more than a guru and explains to Arjuna the workings of the entire universe! Thus begins a sort of one-of-a-kind guide to self-realization. The Gita is one of the founding texts on which yoga is built. If the book resonates, it will become clear why Gandhi never went anywhere without his beloved copy. Persevere and the rewards are wonderful. Being in verse form it can also just be opened up at any page and read like a prayer or mantra to be carried through your day.
2. The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Not so much a story as a set of aphorisms or principles, also written about 2000 years ago, (there must have been something powerful in the water back then) by the writer known only as Patanjali. There are 196 aphorisms divided into four separate sections: contemplation, spiritual discipline, divine powers, self-realization. This is widely regarded by teachers and scholars as the founding text of modern yoga as it lays out the eight-limbed path of Ashtanga yoga (not to be confused with the style of yoga with the same name). The eight limbs are: morals; ethics; yoga postures; breath control; withdrawing of the senses; concentration; meditation; bliss or enlightenment.
What’s the story?
There really is no story to this book and to be honest it can take some serious work to get through. Best tackled one aphorism a day and with an edition that provides a quality commentary to help gain some depth to their meanings. Try The Essence of Yoga with reflections on the Sutras by Bernard Bouanchaud. The commentary is accessible and written succinctly and with clarity. There is also Light on The Yoga Sutras by BKS Iyengar. Being of the greatest yogis of the 20th century and the man responsible for bringing yoga to the west, he was better placed than most to understand how to apply their teachings from a yogi’s perspective.
3. Light on Life by BKS Iyengar
This is one of the seminal works of the twentieth century on yoga. BKS Iyengar stands as a giant amongst yoga teachers and this small but extremely thorough book tells you pretty much all you need to know about the subject. It is written in uncomplicated English and a tattered, well-thumbed copy should be on every practitioner’s bookshelf! To read this cover to cover can be done but, not unlike the Bhagavad Gita, can be opened anywhere and savoured for its inspirational and informative gems.
What’s the story?
BKS Iyengar was a very sickly youth suffering from malaria, typhoid, malnutrition and influenza. He was sent to stay with his brother-in-law Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, a great yoga teacher and scholar, to try and gain strength. He struggled with great difficulty for many years but with huge perseverance and dedication developed into a brilliant practitioner and teacher in his own right. In the book, BKS Iyengar shares his insights, struggles and stories with disarming honesty. He also explains in depth the theory, concepts and benefits of yoga and how they can be applied to life in a way that its riches can be reaped whilst still living an ordinary, humble existence. .
If all else fails you could read Eat, Pray, Love again. Or Shantaram (which has nothing to do with yoga but is a great yarn set in India).