Veggie Blog

My sense of it: instead of being a book about yoga, as if ‘yoga’ is a thing out there that can be defined and understood, Yoga Body is a history and exploration of how humans have thought about, and constructed stories about, whatever it is they have called ‘yoga,’ specifically during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Yoga being a human creation, this makes a lot of sense. Backed up by thirty pages of notes and bibliographies, Singleton describes the trajectory of hatha yoga, from the semi-scary, no-caste, wondering, naked, holy-man thing, soundly rejected by educated Hindus and Western scholars of the time, to the medicalized, secularized, physical culture (as in body building and cultivation) that yoga has become, familiar to us in the yoga classes of today.

Yoga is so prevalent in the modern world–practiced by pop stars, taught in schools, and offered in yoga centers, health clubs, and even shopping malls–that we take its presence, and its meaning, for granted. But how did the current yoga boom happen? And is it really rooted in ancient Indian practices, as many of its adherents claim?

In this groundbreaking book, Mark Singleton calls into question many commonly held beliefs about the nature and origins of postural yoga (?sana) and suggests a radically new way of understanding the meaning of yoga as it is practiced by millions of people across the world today. Singleton shows that, contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence in the Indian tradition for the kind of health and fitness-oriented ?sana practice that dominates the global yoga scene of the twenty-first century. Singleton’s surprising–and surely controversial–thesis is that yoga as it is popularly practiced today owes a greater debt to modern Indian nationalism and, even more surprisingly, to the spiritual aspirations of European bodybuilding and early 20th-century women’s gymnastic movements of Europe and America, than it does to any ancient Indian yoga tradition. This discovery enables Singleton to explain, as no one has done before, how the most prevalent forms of postural yoga, like Ashtanga, Bikram and “Hatha” yoga, came to be the hugely popular phenomena they are today.

Book: Yoga Body by Mark Singleton
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

In Tales from the Yoga Studio, Rain Mitchell turns a neighbourhood yoga studio into the setting for a story about friendship, ambition and the complicated choices that shape adult life. Despite the yoga in its title, this is a novel, not an instructional guide. Its appeal is the people who meet on their mats, not a promise to improve anyone’s flexibility.

What happens in the novel?

Lee runs a welcoming studio in Los Angeles’s Silver Lake neighbourhood, where a circle of women have found something more than an exercise class. When an expanding chain of yoga centres offers Lee a potentially lucrative opportunity, she has to consider what success would mean for the business and the community she has built.

The publisher describes the novel as following five women at turning points in their lives. The situation gives the story a recognisable tension: a bigger career opportunity may be attractive, but it may also change the place where friendships took root.

Is this a yoga book for beginners?

It is beginner-friendly in a different sense: you do not need to know poses or Sanskrit terms to follow the plot. Readers looking for a yoga workout, breathing instructions or an anatomy reference should choose a practical guide instead. This is women’s fiction with yoga as its shared setting.

What makes the setting interesting?

A yoga class brings together people who might otherwise never meet. The practice can be solitary, but the studio can also offer ritual, familiarity and connection. Mitchell uses that contrast to explore how everyday relationships develop and what happens when the place holding them together may change.

The book is likely to appeal to people who enjoy character-driven stories about work, friendship and community. Those who prefer action-heavy fiction may find its focus on ordinary decisions less compelling.

Is Tales from the Yoga Studio still available?

Yes. The publisher, Penguin Random House, currently lists both paperback and e-book formats. As with any older title, prices and formats can differ by retailer and country. You can also read the publisher’s description and edition details before choosing a copy.

Who might enjoy it?

If you like novels in which a particular place becomes almost another character, this is worth considering. The yoga studio brings the women together, but the friendship, uncertainty and compromises are what drive the story forward.

Related on Veggie-Blog: A Short History of Yoga.

Book: Tales from the Yoga Studio by Rain Mitchell

View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you)

The No OM Zone is pitched at readers who are curious about yoga but turned off by what they see as the intimidating or overly mystical side of it. That is the book’s main appeal: it tries to present yoga as practical, welcoming, and compatible with an everyday fitness routine.

Who is it for?

According to the description, the book is meant for people who are uncomfortable with chanting, Sanskrit terms, or the image of yoga as a niche lifestyle. It aims to welcome newcomers and make the practice feel less mysterious. That can be a real advantage for readers who would rather start with clear explanations than with studio culture.

What does the book cover?

The book description emphasizes approachable workouts and basic information about yoga. Publisher material for the title also highlights benefits such as posture, energy, injury prevention, breath work, meditation, and poses that target different muscle groups. Taken together, that suggests a broad beginner-friendly guide rather than a narrow spiritual manual.

How does yoga fit into a broader exercise routine?

Yoga can complement other forms of movement instead of replacing them. The WHO physical activity fact sheet recommends regular aerobic activity along with muscle-strengthening work, while the NCCIH yoga overview describes yoga as a practice that can build flexibility, balance, and body awareness. For many people, that makes it a useful addition to walking, running, gym work, or cycling.

Why might this book appeal to beginners?

It lowers the psychological barrier. Not everyone connects with incense, chanting, or unfamiliar vocabulary, and that is fine. A book that says, in effect, “just get on the mat and begin” can be exactly what some readers need. If that sounds like you, this may be one of the more approachable yoga books to start with.

Related on Veggie-Blog: A Ten-Minute Yoga Routine for Low-Energy Days: Six Simple Moves and How to Choose a Yoga Video for Beginners (and What a Good One Teaches).

Book: The No OM Zone by Kimberly Fowler
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a photo of real people or an official book cover.

Cool Yoga Tricks is designed to make yoga feel less intimidating for people who are not naturally flexible. The description highlights the use of ordinary supports such as walls, chairs, and blankets, which is often exactly what helps beginners stick with yoga long enough to enjoy it.

Who is the book for?

This looks especially suitable for readers with “normal flexibility limitations,” to use the description’s phrase. That includes many people who feel stiff, cautious, or embarrassed about starting yoga in a traditional class setting. By using props and simpler variations, the book promises a more accessible doorway into practice.

Why are props helpful?

Props can make poses steadier and more comfortable. A chair can support balance, a wall can reduce fear in standing postures, and a folded blanket can make seated work easier on the hips and lower back. The Harvard Health overview of yoga notes that yoga should challenge you without overwhelming you, and props are one of the best ways to keep movement in that manageable range.

What claims should be read carefully?

The original description also includes broad claims about helping people heal conditions such as lupus, arthritis, asthma, and high blood pressure. Those claims should be treated as promotional language, not proof. The NCCIH yoga summary supports yoga as a practice that may help with general well-being and some musculoskeletal complaints, but it is not a cure-all and should not replace medical care.

Bottom line

If you want yoga made friendlier and more practical, this seems like a welcoming pick. Its biggest strength is the reminder that you do not need impressive flexibility to begin; you need patience, sensible adaptations, and a willingness to start where you are.

Related on Veggie-Blog: What Is Yoga? and Basic Yoga Postures and Their Variations: Cobra, Bow and Shooting Bow Step by Step.

Book: Cool Yoga Tricks by Miriam Austin
View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)

The featured image is an AI-generated illustration, not a photo of real people or an official book cover.

The practice of ‘Yoga” which originated in India more than two thousand years ago was little known to the Western world until recent times. In the past few years there has been a renewal of interest in Yoga in the land of its origin and the reported and much publicised benefits of Yoga for physical health and mental peace have attracted many in the present day stressed out world. Numerous yoga practitioners have been seen spreading their wings in advanced countries like U.S.A. and trying to teach different versions of yoga – needless to say that commercialisation of any skill has become part of today’s money-centered world and there is no dearth of gullible public ready to hang on to any magical mantras which they believe will give them health and peace. There are, however, a few who sincerely try to pass on to the general public the knowledge and wisdom of the sages of the past in the matter of physical fitness, mental well-being and spiritual advancement through the medium of ‘Yoga’.
Among the few purists in the field of yoga as enunciated by the sage ‘Patanjali’ in India 2200 years ago, B.K.S. Iyengar stands out as the real stalwart. In his book “Light on Life” (published in 2005) we can clearly see that he practiced, taught and wrote on the principles, philosophy and physical practice of Patanjali’s original teachings with unalloyed purity, stressing the aliveness and relevance of this philosophy and practice to the modern world.
Iyenger has always practiced what he preached. The story of his own yogic journey from a weak and sickly child to a master of yoga and a yogi in a very real sense, is indeed impressive. Time and again he stresses the need for a wholesome yoga practice (as opposed to a mechanical physical exercise) where every part of our body, every cell is consciously involved in the ‘asanas’ performed; where the physical fitness is not the only purpose, and where our mind, body and soul are all in unison. Yoga has to be also a kind of meditation. This indeed was the underlying philosophy of ‘yoga’ (meaning ‘union’) as originally developed by the Indian sages.
Going into the basics of the meaning and philosophy of yoga, he has explained in his own inimitable style the external and internal components which combine to make a unique human being and how to go about achieving the goal of final union with the soul energy. Iyengar then very lucidly explains how to methodically translate this goal into practical action by learning to live in the natural world, strving at the same time to progress step by step towards the higher goal.
Iyengar not only emphasizes the benefits of yoga practices but also tells us how to find joy in their performance. The perfectionist that he is, he enjoyed teaching others too the aesthetics of yoga practices. No wonder, therefore, that the BBC Television once hailed him as “The Michelangelo of Yoga”.

This is a book of immense benefits for the beginners and serious practitioners of Yoga.

View this book on Amazon (affiliate link: we may earn a commission at no cost to you)