Resources To Guide Your Home Yoga Practice

I love learning from books because you can read up on techniques, philosophy, and learn sequencing in your own timing.

My favorite books:

Yoga: A Gem For Women by Geeta S. Iyengar

This is my favorite yoga book! It’s very therapeutic for women and is appropriate for students of all levels. Like her father B.K.S. Iyengar, Geeta Iyengar is very thorough in her explanation of yoga asanas (postures), pranayama (breath work), and meditation. I recommend this book to ALL women yoga practitioners.

The Women’s Book of Yoga & Health by Linda Sparrowe and Patricia Walden

Sparrowe and Walden offer modern health advice in addition to simple yoga asana sequences (particularly Restorative yoga). This book is wonderful for women of all ages and abilities.

The Heart of Yoga T.K.V. Desikachar

For an in-depth understanding of Yoga, this is the book to turn to. It’s heavy in philosophy (there’s even a translation of the Yoga Sutra in the back!), but Desikachar explains it in a way that is easy to comprehend, modern, and practical. The asana sequences are very basic and therapeutic. The style is ViniYoga, which is gentle movement linked with conscious breathing.

Ashtanga Yoga by David Swenson

Ashtanga Yoga is known for being the most challenging style of Hatha yoga. Though athletic types are attracted to the strong asanas, it’s actually a very deep, ritualistic practice, which is why I’m so drawn to it. David Swenson has a great sense of humor and is very down-to-earth. Even though he presents the whole Primary & Secondary series in his book, he also offers shorter sequences for practitioners to follow. He encourages students to listen to their bodies and to back off whenever necessary.

Insight Yoga by Sarah Powers

Sarah Powers is the teacher who has influenced me the most. I learned how to teach Yin Yoga from her and Paul Grilley, I attended many transformational silent retreats with her, and it was actually she who inspired me to get my Master’s Degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She moved to the East Coast a few years ago, but luckily I can use her book Insight Yoga.  This book introduces one to Yin Yoga, Meridian Theory, Yang Yoga, and offers several practice sessions to choose from.

2. Online Yoga Classes & Magazines

Yoga Glo

For $18/month (less than the price of one studio class!) YogaGlo gives you unlimited access to classes from some of the best teachers. You can choose your level, body area focus, length of class, style of class, and the teacher you vibe with the best.

My favorite YogaGlo teachers:

• my friend Giselle Mari
• Stephanie Snyder
• Richard Freeman
• Rod Stryker
• Elena Brower
• Chelsey Korus

Yoga International

For more online classes, check out Yoga International. Their membership fee is $14.99 and you can start with a free 30 day trial. There’s less selection of classes and teachers than YogaGlo, but all of their teachers are highly recognized experts in the yoga community.

Yoga International is also a magazine. With membership, you’ll receive access to articles not only about proper asana alignment and sequencing, but also more information about the philosophy of yoga.

Yoga Journal

Yoga Journal is the oldest and still the most popular magazine available. You can even find issues at your local library if you want to check a few out without purchasing from a store.

Unlike Yoga International, there is not membership fee required to view Yoga Journal articles online. They have videos too, as well as yoga playlists and other modern features.

For those new to the practice, check out the Yoga 101 section for foundational alignment advice, information on different yoga styles, popular Sanskrit (the language of yoga) terms, and more.

3. Important yoga props

Yoga props can help students practice yoga more safely.  If you’re not practicing yoga mindfully, it is easy to push yourself too far and hurt yourself. This is not a problem for beginner students only – yoga injuries are very common and on the rise. Students of all levels can use props to deepen into postures appropriately.

There are many brands of yoga props out there. For good health & longevity, look for props made of safe, sustainable, high quality materials.

Types of Yoga props:

• Mats – Sticky mats help to keep you from sliding in postures where hands and feet are spread out. I actually prefer to use a practice rug instead which requires me to recruit deeper muscles for stability. The Jade Harmony yoga mat is one of my favorites.

• Blocks – Blocks can be used many different ways and are essential for any practitioner. They can be something to elevate the body on (in seated postures), to act as something to rest on (like a restorative bridge pose with a block under the sacrum), to make certain postures more accessible (like placing your hand down to a block in side angle pose if tight hips are preventing your hand from reaching all the way to the floor), or to create stability (like having one in between your hands with forearm balance). I recommend these blocks by Jade because of their durability and Jade’s commitment to sustainability.

• Blankets – Blankets are used to cushion sensitive areas like knees against hard surfaces, but also serve as boosters. For example, in shoulderstand a blanket under the upper back elevates your torso so that the neck is not compressed. In seated postures, having your sit bones on the edge of a blanket allows your legs to relax down easier and opens your hips passively with gravity. These Mexican blankets work great!

• Straps – Straps offer stability and also make certain postures more accessible. Staps like this one with metal rings are easy to use.

• Bolsters – Bolsters provide a soft surface to rest against, elevated from the floor. They are commonly used in restorative yoga practices. Try this organic cotton one from Lotuscrafts.

4. Tools to enhance your yoga practice

These tools are nice to have as your home practice deepens. You’ll be spending more time investigating your habits, emotions, and intentions, and these items can help you process them.

I frequently use these in my daily home yoga practice:

• Essential oils
• A Yoga & Meditation Journal
• Mala/prayer beads
• Positive affirmations

I hope these resources help you feel more secure and interested in starting your own home yoga practice!  You can read this article about the importance of a home yoga practice if you need even more motivation before beginning.