Suggested Reading

As a student, practitioner and teacher of Ashtanga Yoga, I have always regarded the Yoga Sutra as the quintessential text on Yoga. Even though I have dedicated over 25 years to the study of the Yoga Sutra, having read nearly all the commentaries and translations, I am probably still just scratching the surface but am happy to share and recommend the texts I have found most useful. With regards to the other texts on yoga, I have to admit that I have not studied any of them with anything like the same rigor and my recommendations are based on my personal preference rather than an in depth knowledge.

There are many really bad or misleading translations of the Yoga Sutra - some of these are amongst the most popular. Many translations are written by Western armchair philosophers and teachers of comparative religion. Yoga is a practical science - a valuable commentary and translation can only be made by someone who has also practiced the techniques described. Instead of listing all the bad ones, you can assume that if it is not listed here, I would not recommend reading it (I would recommend not reading it).

Highly recommended **

Yoga Sutra
Yoga Darshana - HH Aranya **
I highly recommend this book. You can tell that HH Aranya speaks from direct experience. There are two versions of the book - the hard cover contains, in addition to Vyasa’s commentary and Aranya’s explanation, further chapters on various important topics and additional commentary on each sutra. Not a beginner’s book.

These translations are all worth reading:
A Schepers
S Ranganatham
G Feuerstein
E Bryant **
A Shearer
BKS Iyengar

Extra reading for Serious Students:
Yoga Sutrabhasyavivarana of Sankara
Patanjala Yoga - GM Koelman
Yoga Sutra Samadhi Pada - Swami Veda Bharati
The Ambrosia of Yoga - Sri Sadasiva Saraswati

General
Health Healing and Beyond - TKV Desikachar **
Krishnamacharya - His Life and Teaching - AG Mohan
The Mahabharata - R Menon
The Ramayana - R Menon
Yoga Beneath the Surface - S Ramaswami
The Heart of Yoga - TKV Desikachar

Practical
Light on Yoga - BKS Iyengar
Light on Pranayama - BKS Iyengar
Pranayama - A van Lysbeth **
Mula Bandha - The Master Key - Chela Buddhananda
Yoga Rahasya - T Krishnamacharya
Gheranda Samhita
Awakening the Spine - V Scaravelli
The Yoga of Light (Hatha Yoga Pradipika) - Hans-Ulrich Rieker

Of Historical Interest
Yoga Tradition of the Mysore Palace - NE Sjoman

The Spiritual Path
The Sacred Tradition of Yoga - Dr KLS Jois **
Great Swan (about Ramakrishna) - Lex Hixon **
Yoga, Enlightenment and Perfection - Sri Vidyatheertha Foundation **

Philosophy
Yogayajnavalkya Samhita - AG Mohan
The Integrity of the Yoga Darsana - I Whicher
Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies Vol XII - GJ Larson **
Integral Yoga - H Chaudhuri
Yoga Taravali - Sri Shankaracharya
Drg-Drshya-Viveka- Sri Shankaracharya **
Aparokshanubhuti- Sri Shankaracharya
Vivekachudamani - Sri Shankaracharya **
Atma Bodha - Sri Shankaracharya
Srimad Bhagvatam
Samkhya Karika- Ishvara Krishna
The Philosophy of Classical Yoga - G Feuerstein
An Orientation in Indian Philosophy - A Scheepers

Advaita Vedanta and Upanishads
Bhagavad Gita
Brahma Sutra
Katha, Kena, Mandukya and Taitirya Upanishads
Be as you Are - Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi - D Godman **

Ayurveda
Prakruti - Your Ayurvedic Constitution - R Svoboda
Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity - R Svoboda **
Yoga and Ayurveda - Frawley
Ayurveda and the Mind - Frawley

Also of Interest
Autobiography of a Yogi - Paramahamsa Yogananda
Holy Science - Sri Yukteshwar
Yoga Mala - KP Jois
The Serpent Power - Arthur Avalon

Books of related interest that are valuable on the spiritual path
Tao Te Ching
The Secret of the Golden Flower
Zen Dawn
Book of Balance and Harmony
Milarepa - Tibet's Great Yogi
The Quest of the Overself - Paul Brunton
Knowledge of Higher Worlds - R Steiner
Meetings with Remarkable Men - GI Gurdjieff
Siddhartha - H Hesse