7 Brilliant Books about Yoga for Women ...

This is one of those books about yoga that also happens to be written by Geeta, the daughter of BKS Iyengar, the yogi that founded Iyengar yoga! Geeta’s book is a reference guide that covers asanas (postures), as well as traditional components like pranayama (breathing technique) and meditation, for all students. If you’re looking for a book to connect you with yoga’s traditional philosophies and show you more of its eastern roots (there's plenty of Sanskrit), then this is a good one to buy.

This is such a lovely book (including a foreward by Geeta S. Iyengar) that honors the woman’s body in relation to our menstrual cycles. Bobby teaches women to observe their hormonal rhythms and watch how they play out in the body and their emotions at different times of the month. She teaches us to fine-tune our practice and coordinate it with our own unique menstrual pattern. The book also offers up solutions to premenstrual and menstrual problems, including dysmenorrhea, a.k.a painful periods!

Of all the books listed here, this one focuses on the Kundalini yoga technique (Shakta is a Kundalini yoga teacher). It targets all sorts of women’s health issues through the different kriyas (exercises) and meditations, no matter what stage of life you’re going through. Shakta guides you while sharing her own personal stories and gems of wisdom; she's even added a brilliant section on yoga for relationships!

A growing number of research studies link the benefits of yoga for those suffering from mental health disorders. Yoga is a fantastic tool because it helps reduce cortisol, the stress hormone, it activates the parasympathetic system, which is calm-inducing, and yoga deactivates the limbic brain (overactive in those suffering from severe anxiety/trauma). Amy uses accessible yoga-based techniques for mental health professionals, based on her own recovery from depression, to assist patients in balancing their own emotions and helping them feel better.

This book shows women how to treat their female health issues with yoga poses and sequences. It’s based around the Iyengar system, which tends to target health needs over any other form of yoga. Each yoga move is explained in terms of the effects it has on the mind and body and the overall benefits of doing a pose (I love to know why something's beneficial, don't you)?

Judith writes her own yoga book focusing on stress-relieving yoga postures and breathing techniques, and offers in-depth guidance into Savasana, the basic relaxation pose. The book contains a 15-minute practice, yoga at your desk sequence, as well as programs specifically targeting back pain, headaches, jet-lag, insomnia, as well as exercises for women that are pregnant, menstruating or going through the menopause.

Many people don’t realize that they can still practice yoga safely and effectively during pregnancy, as well as when they’re new to motherhood. Sandra provides 92 safe and gentle stretches as a way of developing self-reliance and calmness during the 40 weeks of pregnancy. She's even added a trimester code, marking when it’s safe to practice which pose.

I hope you get to enjoy some of these books and can incorporate some new postures into your yoga practice. I enjoy it when something is tailored to a woman's needs and these books certainly seem to do that. What books about yoga for women can you recommend?