The best yoga books to read this year

Best all-rounderThis beautifully illustrated book provides informative notes from Annand as she share her wisdom. The picture guides to different poses make this book a fab read for beginners and more experienced yogis and the flexible spine means you can easily lay this book flat at the end of your yoga mat to follow the positions. This book would not only look great on your coffee table as an easy pick-up, it's a great all-rounder with short and longer rituals and sequences to help you find inner peace, feel relaxed and inspired.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for relaxationThis book provides the essential poses to follow for this more relaxing form of yoga. Yin yoga focuses on proper alignment and the holding of positions, helping to make you feel at peace, reducing stress and anxiety with these slower movements. Holding the poses passively for 1 to 5 minutes can help strengthen joints, ligaments and fascial tissues too, great for improving your mind and body. The book comes with beautiful hand-drawn illustrations of the poses too that provide a great guide and lovely aesthetic.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for traditional practiceBarkataki's book focuses on respecting ancient yoga philosophy by embracing and empathising with more traditional practices and lifestyles. The book explores how to deepen your yoga practice by learning about the history of yoga, reflecting on this, reconnecting and then liberating yourself with an integrated, more ethical practice of yoga that'll create unity between you and the world. She shares tools, resources and guidance on how to embody a complete yoga practice with personal exploration and transformation.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for complete newbiesThis beginner's bible does exactly what it says! It provides a good, basic introduction to yoga with some background on the practice to help inform your experience. Morello shares explanations as to the usefulness and practicality of yoga as a practice in the modern world, and then clearly illustrates and describes the positions with 63 illustrated poses. This is great aid to learning on your own or as a pre-first class confidence booster to getting you downward dog and sun salutation perfectedAlso available on Kindle

Best yoga book for perfecting your asanaB.K.S. Iyengar is one of the world's leading teachers of yoga, having practiced and taught for over 70 years. He is still internationally recognised as a leading authority and so his definitive step by step guide will provide the perfect path to doing each pose whilst helping you feel relaxed and rejuvenated. It comes with a breakdown of each position and sequence as well as photographic guides so you can mirror the movement being demonstrated.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for a lifestyle changeThis book doesn't just look at the poses and history of yoga – it provides a complete practice and lifestyle guide with step-by-step asanas, detailed illustrations, programmes, mindfulness techniques, diet advice, and recipes. Perfect for all abilities, you can master each pose over time or try the variations to advance in your practice. Incorporate the different elements to live like a yogi and find your zen for a more mindful experience. Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for understanding the effects on the bodyIf you want to know exactly what effect your yoga positions are having on your body, Kaminoff provides a great read that shows how everything is linked and how to adjust your poses for a more enhanced movement. Through the different poses, see how each effects the different muscle groups from standing and breathing exercises to the more advanced movements too.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for beginner philosophyThe eight limbs of yoga are a guide to the thoughts and practice of the exercise that you can apply to everyday life. This enlightening read explores the 8 limbs – the 5 outer looking at your lived experienced and the 3 inner limbs focusing on the mind. These deep philosophical ideas are written to be easily understood by beginners and more advanced yogi alike with concise and transparent language to help you understand.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for progressionThis is the second book by B.K.S. Iyengar on our list. Whilst the first looks to asana guides and perfection, this "Bible of Yoga" is a great tool for progressing your practice with a weekly development plan for up to 300 weeks. Every pose is explained in detail with photos for each stage of the position, as well as reasons why each is good for you. This book isn't recommended for complete beginners but if you've practiced alone or in an exercise class this is a great way to progress.

Best yoga book for people with limited flexibilityIf you can't touch your toes, you might able to do that and more by the time you're through this book. The authors show that you don't need to be flexible to practice yoga with alternative positions for each exercise so you can find the best ability point for you. By engaging with each, you can hope to improve your flexibility over time, as well as improve strength, mobility, sleep, stress and anxiety.

Best yoga book for busy schedulesHave you been meaning to practice or get into yoga, but don't have the time or know where to start? This book provides the solution with four 15-minute programmes for beginners, offering the flexibility and ease of use that busy lifestyles demand. All you need is your yoga mat to hand and by regularly practicing even just these 15-minute routines, you can begin to reap the benefits. Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for widening physiological know-howSwanson not only looks at the effects of yoga on your muscles, but also your blood vessels, nerves and the brain with scientific and medical research to support. She explores the physiology of 30 key yoga poses, from seating and standing, to inversion and floor asanas, and help demystify the real benefits of yoga on every system in the body. Widen you understand and delve into the science behind your favourite yoga poses with this easy-to-understand, comprehensive guide.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for independent learningThis book is great if you can't get to a class and would prefer to learn in the comfort of your own home. Anderton-Davies gives tools to use around your practice, focusing on the physical elements of yoga. This step-by-step guide will show you how to overcome the challenges of starting, continuing and progressing in a yoga self-practice. It combines heartfelt writing with beautiful, clear design and helpful tools that you can implement in your yoga practice.Also available on Kindle

Best yoga book for an in-depth understandingRecognised internationally as one of the most systematic yoga manuals, this book provides step by step directions as well as a more thorough understanding of chakra awareness. This book combines a comprehensive overview of asana; while at the same time giving clear explanations of the deeper aspects of yoga, including pranayama, mudra, bandha and yogic cleansing. First published in 1969, it's still popular and used as an excellent resource today.Also available on Kindle