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Books are an amazing invention!! Here are some links for reading and inspiration as well as the reading list for the Trainings...
Jyotish
On Books and Reading
Books are a wonderful way to deepen your understanding of yoga. There are books of philosophy, poetry, mantra and art. In times of lack of inspiration or despair or boredom with your practice, a book can be just the thing to get you going again. They are one of the few ways that the wisdom of the ancients can reach us nearly unchanged. The words of Rumi, Buddha, Vyasa and all the rest resonate today as they did when they were written, especially if we can read them in the original (unlikely for most of us, though). Books are a way to point to the true self, as yoga practice can. The quest for knowledge is called Jnana Yoga, or the yoga of knowing and understanding. We can use the mind as well as the body as a tool for the spirit.
I encourage you to find books that interest you and that add to your spiritual knowledge. It does not have to be the Upanishads or Shankara in translation (or in Sanskrit for that matter); try to find a few books that propel you to explore yourself in a deeper way. Books are a mirror, and one can learn alot by gazing and spending time. For years i have sat in the morning before asana practice with tea and a book, getting inspired for the upcoming practice. Often the favored tome is Rumi's poetry or Tagore's inspired prose, Hafiz is wonderful as is Aurobindo.
Find something that speaks to your heart and your inspiration, nothing too heady or wordy. Books are a great way to get inspired and interested in fresh aspects of the work. Often people practice less over time because they get bored with the same old same old; so keep it fresh by rummaging around and uncovering things that were previously hidden from you.
Astrology of the Seers David Frawley
Light on Life Robert Svoboda
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali - Various. The study of the yoga sutras in a very deep one. It is the basic text of all the yoga systems currently in use or nearly all, it is the real ashtanga yoga, the eight limbed path. The sanscrit text by Patanjali is always the same but the interpretations vary, one must explore and find the one that suits your mind and temperament. With so many translations and commentaries, there must be one for you, so look around. Iyengar's is very clear but a bit cold, Taimini is good but scientific (The Science of Yoga), Ferustein's is quite a good one as well... good luck.
Siva Samhita - Various translations. A text on Hatha yoga and its practices, more esoteric but a good look into what the old yogis were up to. There are some very illuminating passages.
The Serpent Power - Arthur Avalon. Thick as a brick, but if you can handle it and digest it you will possess a working knowledge of Sankya and Tantric philosophy.
Gheranda Samhita
Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Iyengar, or Tamini or others...
Siva Samhita
The Yoga-Sutra of Patañjali: A New Translation and Commentary by Georg Feuerstein
Anatomy of Hatha Yoga. H. David Coulter, Motilal Banarsidass, New Delhi
Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing. Vasant Lad
Ayurveda, Life, Health and Longevity. Robert Svoboda
Yoga for Wellness. Gary Kraftsow
Prakruti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution. Robert Svoboda
Ayurvedic Healing A Comprehensive Guide. David Frawley, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, Delhi 2000
The Tao of Detox. Daniel Reid, Simon and Schuster London 2003. Based on Chinese medicine but a deep guide to deep cleaning.
Ayurvedic Beauty Care Melanie Sachs, Motilal Banarsidas, Delhi
Yoga and Ayurveda Dr. David Frawley. A wonderful book to help you further refine your practice to suit your individual dosha. If you do a set series this will be of no use to you of course, but if you want to do just the right yoga to bring you into balance and perfection this one is for you. It includes the yoga of herbs, lifestyle, breath, mind, emotions, colours, asana and much more; If you have done much study of topics related to yoga like ayurveda or jyotish you will realize that they all are coordinated in their world-view and knowledge of one will certainly help you with the others.
The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Joseph Campbell. Princeton Press,1973 or anything from Joe Campbell.
Primitive Mythology
Oriental Mythology
Occidental Mythology
Creative Mythology all by Joseph Campbell
Asceticism and Eroticism in the Mythology of Siva. Wendy D. O’Flaherty
Goddess
Secrets of the Tarot Barbara G. Walker
The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets Barbara G. Walker
Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine David Kinsley
Eroticism and Tantra
Primitive Erotic Art Philip Rawson
Tantra Georg Feurerstein
Sacred Sexuality: Living the Vision of the Erotic Spirit by George Feuerstein
Sacred Sexuality: The Erotic Spirit in the World's Great Religions by Georg Feuerstein
The Hindu Temple: Deification of Eroticism by Alain Daniélou
COMPLETE KAMA SUTRA : THE FIRST UNABRIDGED MODERN TRANSLATION OF THE CLASSIC INDIAN TEXT by ALAIN DANIELOU
Aghora I, II & III - Robert Svoboda (3 books). Like nothing ever written before or since. The first book is about the life of his teacher Vimalananda and his experiences as a reluctant Tantric. The book is quite intense and not for the faint hearted, but is a good wake up call for all those who think that tantrism is just better f~*#ing. It can be, if you like corpses. Anyhow, the second book softens somewhat and explores rituals and kundalini and more everyday sorts of affairs. The third book covers karma in its many forms and how it works as we wind our way through this tangled mystery called life. I have personally read them all a number of times and plan to keep reading them until i die (in the true tantric spirit) or i get it. This is the real!
Magic and Mystery in Tibet by Alexandra David-Neel. A treatise on the very odd things that can and do happen when one is left alone in a cave in some of the most remote country on earth. This is another treatise that seems too strange to believe but the credibility of its author is beyond dispute. You can decide, or try for yourself.
Kundalini: the evolutionary energy
in man: Gopi Krishna
Yoga: immortality and freedom Mircea Eliade
Mandala Symbolism C.G. Jung
In Search of the Cradle of Civilization Frawley and Feurustein
Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism Anagarika Govinda
The Alchemical Body and Siddha Traditions in Medieval India David Gordon White
Sacred Geometry, Philosophy and Practice. Robert Lawlor, Thames and Hudson Ltd. London, 1997
For those of you trying to figure out the secret key of universal existence, try this one. This book explores the underlying principles behind the structures of things, including temples, flowers and human physiology. If you are inclined towards science or geometry, this one may be for you; it explains the poetry of life through numbers and why things move from chaos to an underlying order while maintaining chaos. What? It's all in the relationship!
It pulls together how the old mathematical philosophers figured out the universe in terms of numbers and theories and explains the origins of temple architecture and design, all the way back to the Egyptians and ancient Vedic culture of India. It starts with the square root of 2, then 3, then 5. which are the root of squares, the root of cubes and the root of fives. philosophically they are the formative (2), the regenerative (3), and Phi or the Golden Mean (5). And if that's not enough it covers the Vesica Piscis (or why Christ is symbolized by fish and what does any of this have to do with the astrological sign Pisces?), plus Thenon's Demonstration, The Golden Section, The Golden Proportion, the Pythagorean Theorem, Fibonacci Series and so much more. Still interested?
Here's an excerpt:
"The Golden Section is found in all flowers having five petals or any multiple of five, and the daisy family will always have a number of petals from the Fibonacci Series. The rose family is one of these based on five, as are all the flowers of the edible fruit-bearing plants. Thus five signals to man his proper foods. Five is dominant in the structure of living forms, while 6 and 8 are most characteristic of the geometry of mineral, inanimate structures. The plants displaying a sixfold structure, such as the tulip, lily and the poppy are very often poisonous or only medicinal for man. Traditional medicine also considered seven-petalled plants to be poisonous. Among these are the tomato and other plants of the belladonna or nightshade family. The very exotic flowers on the other hand, the flowers of love such as the orchid, the azalea and the passion flower, are all governed by a pentagonal symmetry. The pentagon as the symbol of life, particularly of human life, was the basis of many Gothic rose-window mandalas."
Well, those are some of the most readable bits. The rest is a jumble of numbers and diagrams and pictures of art and temples and plants, which would all make sense if you happened to slog through the workbook section, which comprises half the book. You can explore in a few days what it took the luminaries of mathematics and architecture thousands of years to understand. Join the ranks of the heavyweights: Heraclitus, Durer, da Vinci, Aristotle, Sri Aurobindo, Jesus Christ, Brunelleschi, Pythagoras, the Tibetans, the Chinese, Hindus, Tantrics, Taoists, Japanese, Greeks, Egyptians. WHEW!!
So get the book and figure out just how it all works. Tuck in, Sucker!
While the Gods Play: Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History and the Destiny of Mankind by Alain Daniélou
Music and the Power of Sound: The Influence of Tuning and Interval on Consciousness by Alain Daniélou
Shiva and the Primordial Tradition: From the Tantras to the Science of Dreams by Alain Daniélou and Jean-Louis Gabin
The Phallus: Sacred Symbol of Male Creative Power by Alain Daniélou
Yoga: Mastering the Secrets of Matter and the Universe by Alain Daniélou
The Way to the Labyrinth: Memories of East and West by Alain Danielou
Shiva and Dionysus: The religion of nature and Eros by Alain Danielou
Tantra: Path of Ecstasy by Georg Feuerstein
The Yoga Tradition: Its History, Literature, Philosophy and Practice by Georg Feuerstein and Ken Wilbur
Living Yoga by George Feuerstein
Shambhala Guide to Yoga by Georg Feuerstein
The Deeper Dimension of Yoga: Theory and Practice by Georg Feuerstein
Yoga Morality: Ancient Teachings at a Time of Global Crisis by Georg Feuerstein
The Lost Teachings of Yoga by Georg Feuerstein
Yoga Gems: A Treasury of Practical and Spiritual Wisdom from Ancient and Modern Masters by Georg Feuerstein
Holy Madness: Spirituality, Crazy-Wise Teachers, And Enlightenment by Georg Feuerstein
Light on Yoga - BKS Iyengar. The premier asana guide, best for photos of the poses and medical effects. Also great for the clear and concise introduction to yoga philosophy at the beginning. An excellent reference manual but not your most approachable book on the subject.
Light on Pranayama - BKS Iyengar. The guide on breathwork, same general comments apply as above.
Yoga for Wellness - Gary Kraftsow. A most respected teacher of mine, he leads the west in the practice and teaching of therapeutic yoga. An excellent book for the treatment of various ailments and a most holistic approach to yoga, not just asana and breath but devotion and chanting as well as philosophy. Also a good book for understanding what we do in Jungle yoga.
Yoga for Transformation - Gary Kraftsow. A deeper investigation into yoga as a means to spiritual transformation if such a thing is possible.
Letters on Yoga - Sri Aurobindo. When the author went into seclusion after the founding of his ashram, he communicated to his disciples through letters. When they had a problem, they simply wrote to him and he responded. This is a collection of those responses, which contain many gems about the pitfalls of spiritual life and their solutions. A treasure.
Not widely available in the west, these books are some of the best ones with regards to daily practice and the hows and whys of Hatha yoga and meditation. Classical and modern all at the same time. The most popular are:
Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandha
Moola Bandha The Master Key
Kundalini Tantra
Hatha Yoga Pradipika *****
Meditations from the Tantras