I have a lot of books! In fact, I’m a book hoarder! I even wrote a Substack blog confessing my addiction.
Some I read once and enjoy, some sit on the shelf looking lovely, and then there are the ones that end up dog-eared, highlighted, full of Post-its and regularly pulled down when I’m planning a yoga class, studying or looking for a bit of inspiration.
My reading has changed quite a bit over the years too. Yoga was obviously where it all started, then I became obsessed with seasonal living, nature and nature-inspired wellbeing, and these days my bookshelves are increasingly filling up with books on Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupuncture and nutrition.
So rather than another list of books that somebody somewhere says you should read, these are some of the ones I’ve actually used and love.
Wood Becomes Water - Gail Reichstein
A cracked spine, dog-eared pages, most of it underlined from years of thumbing through it.
As I get further into my acupuncture studies, I’m becoming completely fascinated by Traditional Chinese Medicine and the way it looks at health as something connected to our food, environment, emotions, seasons and everyday habits.
Wood Becomes Water makes a lot of those ideas feel much more accessible. It explores Chinese Medicine through the Five Elements and looks at how those principles can show up in ordinary life. I first came across this in 2016/17 when I was doing a Yin Yoga teacher training. My teacher, Josh Summers is a practicing acupuncturist and he wove TCM into the teaching of yoga. He recommeded this book and I’ve loved it every since.
I’m also experimenting with some of what I’m learning in my own life at the moment, particularly around food and seasonal eating, and making changes to my diet to see how they support my general health and immune system.
It’s early days, so I’m interested to see how I feel over the next few months, but this is definitely one of the books accompanying me down the TCM rabbit hole!
Slow Seasons - Rosie Steer
This book is very cozy! And very me! It follows the Celtic Wheel of the Year and is full of seasonal observations, recipes, rituals and simple ideas for connecting more with what’s happening in nature around us.
I love books that make you actually notice the season you're in rather than just racing through the year, and this is one I tend to dip into as the seasons change rather than reading from beginning to end.
Journey to the Heart - Melody Beattie
An old favourite and one I’ve returned to again and again. My first copy fell apart from being lugged around in my work bag all day, Im on my second edition! It’s made up of short daily readings, so you can open it at that day's page and spend a couple of minutes with whatever is there.
I’ve often reached for this when I need inspiration for a yoga class theme or something to read at the end of a practice. And, of course, there have been plenty of days when the reading has been something I needed to hear myself. Definitely one to keep beside the bed or somewhere you’ll actually pick it up.
The Language of Letting Go - Melody Beattie
Another Melody Beattie book that I’ve used a lot over the years. Like Journey to the Heart, it’s organised into daily readings, but this one explores themes such as boundaries, relationships, change, acceptance and letting go.
It’s particularly lovely to dip into when I'm exploring those kinds of themes in class and very appropriate for autumn, when the idea of letting go seems to turn up everywhere in both yoga and TCM.
The Rewilding Yearbook - Maddy Winterbrook & Eleanor Cheetham
Another book that appeals to the part of me that would rather be outside! I’ve also worked for many years with Maddy & Eleanor via their online programmes. Two amazing wise souls, who embody inclusivity and community. The Yearbook follows the year through nature and encourages us to pay more attention to what's happening in the natural world around us.
I love the idea of reconnecting with the year through what is actually happening outside - noticing plants, weather, wildlife, light and all those small seasonal changes we can very easily miss. It’s practical too, which I like. Something to use and explore rather than just read.
Slow at Work - Aoife McElwain
I’m probably somebody who needs to reread this one regularly! It’s very aspirational for me. It explores our relationship with work and the constant pressure to be productive, and offers a different way of thinking about how we use our time and energy.
As someone who runs my own business, teaches, studies and is generally very good at finding another thing that needs doing, anything that reminds me that every available hour doesn't need to be filled is probably worth keeping on the bookshelf.
Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha - Swami Satyananda Saraswati
If we're moving onto the proper yoga books, this is probably the yoga reference book I’ve used most. It covers far more than yoga postures, with detailed information on asana, pranayama, mudra, bandha, cleansing practices and meditation.
It isn't really a book I'd sit down and read from cover to cover. It’s a reference book, and a very useful one. Mine has been pulled off the shelf countless times over the years when I’ve wanted to look something up or dig a little deeper into a particular practice.
For yoga teachers especially, this is one I think is worth having. And I recommend it to all the Yoga Teacher Trainees I tutor. One you’ll keep forever.
The Bhagavad Gita
You can’t really make a list of yoga books without including the Bhagavad Gita.
It’s one of yoga's important philosophical texts and takes yoga far beyond what we do physically on a mat, exploring ideas around action, purpose, attachment, duty and how we live. There are many different translations and commentaries, and they can feel very different to read, so it’s worth finding a version that feels accessible to you.
It’s also one of those texts you can return to at different stages of your life and find yourself noticing something completely different. I also like listening to podcast discussions on the chapters, like commentary that help bring it to life and shine some light on the metaphors included and how we can apply it to modern day life.
Journey Into Power - Baron Baptiste
This one takes me back! I’ve used this book a lot over the years, particularly in relation to stronger Vinyasa-style practice and sequencing.
My own teaching has obviously evolved considerably since I first started, but I like keeping some of those earlier books because they remind me of where parts of my teaching came from and what influenced me along the way. And as sequences go - it’s still one of the most solid, well considered flow structure around. I still use this framework today as the bones, though the “ meat” has changed.
And a few more from my yoga bookshelf…
I actually wrote a separate blog some time ago specifically about the yoga books that have influenced my practice and teaching, including Light on Yoga, The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Erich Schiffmann and some of the books I used when I was first learning to teach.
So if it's specifically yoga books, yoga philosophy or books for yoga teachers you're looking for, you can head to: Read My Top Favourite Yoga Books
What am I reading now?
Hands of Light - Barbara Ann Brennan
The Magic - Rhonda Byrne
The Let Them Theory - Mel Robbins
Too many TCM text books!
And if there’s a book around yoga, TCM, seasonal living, nature or wellbeing that you absolutely love, send it my way. My bookshelves probably don't need any encouragement, but that has never stopped me before!
Maeve x