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The Straight Dope on Yoga, Qigong, Shaolin & Tibetan Arts
Power Yoga Total Body [DVD] [2005]Power Yoga Total Body [DVD] [2005]
Buy used from: £29.00
The world's best-selling yoga DVD and rightly so. Flawless and immaculate.
Yoga Burn [DVD] [2005] [Region 1] [NTSC]Yoga Burn [DVD] [2005] [Region 1] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £28.99
An excellent and truly original routine. The name is misleading - it's suitable for all.
Intermediate Yoga [DVD] [2005]Intermediate Yoga [DVD] [2005]
Buy used from: £30.00
Moderately less inviting than his "Power Yoga" masterpiece, but excellent even so.
Advanced Yoga [DVD] [2006] [NTSC]Advanced Yoga [DVD] [2006] [NTSC]
Buy used from: £33.00
The pranayama practice is suitable for all but the asanas are strictly for experienced practitioners
Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney YeeMoving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga with Rodney Yee by Rodney Yee
Buy new: £13.82 / Used from: £9.60
Yee proves he's as good in print as on screen. Not much philosophy here, but a truly awesome 8-week programme. A course I taught recently was inspired heavily by this great book.
Ashtanga Yoga - The Practice ManualAshtanga Yoga - The Practice Manual by David Swenson
Buy new: £15.00 / Used from: £13.75
A straight-down-the-line manual from one of the world's great teachers. No hyperbole or fluff here. Pure quality. Be sure to check out his hard-to-find DVD's too.
Astanga Yoga and Meditation: Dynamic Breath-control Yoga Routines and Yogic Meditation Practices for Optimum Physical and Mental Health, with 1000 Step-by Step PhotographsAstanga Yoga and Meditation: Dynamic Breath-control Yoga Routines and Yogic Meditation Practices for Optimum Physical and Mental Health, with 1000 Step-by Step Photographs by Jean Hall
Buy new: £14.44 / Used from: £9.25
A hidden classic. Comprehensive, thorough but without descending into new-age babble. The only thing the price doesn't buy you is a physique like Jean Hall.
Yoga Explained: A New Step-by-step Approach to Understanding and Practising YogaYoga Explained: A New Step-by-step Approach to Understanding and Practising Yoga by Mira Mehta
Buy used from: £8.90
A fine book with emphasis on the philosophy and conceptual framework of yoga. Many asanas illustrated, but that's not the USP of this more academic book.
The Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal PracticeThe Heart of Yoga: Developing a Personal Practice by T.K.V. Desikachar
Buy new: £8.77 / Used from: £8.32
Straight from the source - this is a truly enriching read that tells you the hows and whys of Krishnamacharya's yoga. "The Yoga of the Yogi" is strongly recommended, but not listed on Amazon.
The Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga: The Authoritative Presentation - Based on 30 Years of Direct Study Under the Legendary Yoga Teacher KrishnamachaThe Complete Book of Vinyasa Yoga: The Authoritative Presentation - Based on 30 Years of Direct Study Under the Legendary Yoga Teacher Krishnamacha by Srivatsa Ramaswami
Buy new: £11.67 / Used from: £9.95
Krishnamacharya is THE godfather of modern yoga. His longest-serving pupil Ramaswami studied for 33 years and reveals all in this very sweet book. Rare to find a book so straight and honest.
Yoga Beneath the Surface: An American Student and His Indian Teacher Discuss Yoga Philosophy and PracticeYoga Beneath the Surface: An American Student and His Indian Teacher Discuss Yoga Philosophy and Practice by Srivatsa Ramaswami
Buy new: £11.99 / Used from: £10.37
The largely unknown but essential Ramaswami gets philosophical
Yoga for the Three Stages of Life: Developing Your Practice as an Art Form, a Physical Therapy, and a Guiding PhilosophyYoga for the Three Stages of Life: Developing Your Practice as an Art Form, a Physical Therapy, and a Guiding Philosophy by Srivatsa Ramaswami
Buy new: £12.74 / Used from: £11.04
A full life-plan. Terrific stuff.
Sivananda Buried YogaSivananda Buried Yoga by Yogi Manmoyanand
Buy used from: £6.29
Most yoga books are very po-faced and serious. This one will make you roar with laughter.
Autobiography of a YogiAutobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Buy new: £7.43 / Used from: £9.22
One of the greatest books ever written; not just a yoga book, but an inspiration for life itself.
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and SpiritThe Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga: A Practical Guide to Healing Body, Mind, and Spirit by Deepak Chopra M.D.
Buy new: £5.01 / Used from: £2.26
Chopra can be credited with bridging the East-West divide. He does get a LITTLE fluffy in places, but this is a great book nonetheless.
Shaolin Warrior - The Way Of Qi Gong [DVD]Shaolin Warrior - The Way Of Qi Gong [DVD]
Buy new: £12.98
An excellent source of variety for yogis. Qi Gong is very hard to find out about but this will really reward you.
Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance = [Ch i Kung]Qigong: Essence of the Healing Dance = [Ch i Kung] by Garri Garripoli
Buy new: £11.04 / Used from: £11.14
Garripoli really knows his coconuts. This is a great book and his DVD's are worth a look too.
Eight Simple Qigong Exercises for Health - The 8 Pieces of Brocade [DVD] [2001]Eight Simple Qigong Exercises for Health - The 8 Pieces of Brocade [DVD] [2001]
Buy used from: £63.00
All of Dr Jwing-Ming's work is excellent. Simple, no-fuss presentation but it really works, far beyond what the physical movements would suggest.
Shaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'anShaolin Grandmasters' Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an by Shaolin Ch'an
Buy new: £25.50 / Used from: £13.82
"We come forth now, 1500 years from the founding of our Order, for three reasons which work in concert: sharing our philosophy, self preservation, and conquering ignorance". The straight dope.
The Secret Art of Seamm Jasani: 58 Movements for Eternal Youth from Ancient TibetThe Secret Art of Seamm Jasani: 58 Movements for Eternal Youth from Ancient Tibet by Asanaro
Buy new: £7.92 / Used from: £6.00
The author comes across as a bit arrogant, but this is powerful stuff. Really interesting and original. Impossible to find out any more though unless you can track down the elusive Asanaro himself.
The Secret Art of Boabom: Awaken Inner Power Through Defense-Meditation from Ancient TibetThe Secret Art of Boabom: Awaken Inner Power Through Defense-Meditation from Ancient Tibet by Asanaro
Buy new: £9.89 / Used from: £8.55
A nice partner to Seamm-Jasani. Really interesting stuff.
The Tibetan Book of Yoga: Ancient Buddhist Teachings on the Philosophy and Practice of YogaThe Tibetan Book of Yoga: Ancient Buddhist Teachings on the Philosophy and Practice of Yoga by Geshe Michael Roach
Buy new: £7.41 / Used from: £7.89
The Tibetans also know a thing or two about yoga. For those who want to look a little deeper.
The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the UniverseThe Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe by Lynne McTaggart
Buy new: £5.98 / Used from: £3.75
Cutting-edge science is confirming what the mystics have been telling us all along. It's not hocus pocus after all. Which is nice.
New Science of Life: The Hypothesis of Morphic ResonanceNew Science of Life: The Hypothesis of Morphic Resonance by Rupert Sheldrake
Buy used from: £7.00
Maybe, just MAYBE, this is what makes it all tick.