Svadhyaya (self study) is an important part of the yoga practice. Yoga philosophy and history can help us to better understand this very rich practice, and here I’ve included some of my favourite classical philosophical texts, as well as some contemporary studies on social justice, trauma sensitivity, and neuroscience. As much as possible, I’ve tried to include translations and texts that honour the roots and traditions of yoga, as I’ve found in my own studies that lots of western literature has a tendency to whitewash history, and/or forgets to credit the original sources for these wisdoms. I hope you find these helpful, let me know if you read any and what you liked about them!

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali- Swami Satchidananda

The Bhagavad Gita- Eknath Easwaran

The Upanishads- Eknath Easwaran

The Yoga of the Yogi- Kausthub Desikachar

Paths To God Living the Bhagavad Gita- Ram Dass

The Radiance Sutras- Lorin Roche

The Recognition Sutras, Christopher Wallis

Tantra Illuminated, Christopher Wallis

Me and White Supremacy, Layla F Saad

Shikhandi and other queer tales they don’t tell you, Devdutt Pattanaik

Yoga and Meditation- Gregor Maehle

Meditation For The Love Of It- Sally Kempton

Trauma Sensitive Mindfulness- David Treleaven

Your True Home- Thich Nhat Hanh

Ayurveda and The Mind- Dr David Frawley

Inglorious Empire- Shashi Tharoor

Overcoming Trauma Through Yoga- David Emerson

The Body Keeps The Score- Bessel Van Der Kolk