Congratulations! You’ve booked a yoga retreat in Costa Rica! If you’re anything like us, you want to do everything you can to be prepared: you know what to pack, you’re brushing up on your yoga skills, and your travel itinerary is all set. However, an often-overlooked part of a yoga retreat is all the learning you’ll be doing. It’s a great idea to do some reading before you embark on your yoga journey to prepare yourself with some knowledge or even just to get you more excited for this transformative experience!
Here are some of our favorite picks for the yoga retreater-in-training!
15 Books to Read Before Taking a Yoga Retreat in Costa Rica
1. The Yoga Bible by Christina Brown
This book is an excellent resource for poses. It has great pictures, and excellent step-by-step descriptions of poses from the main schools of yoga to enhance your personal practice.
2. Yoga for Beginners by Cory Martin
If you’re just starting your relationship with yoga or want a refresher of the basics, this is a great book to pick up. It’s an excellent way to jump-start your practice and lead you to a calmer mind and stronger body.
3. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Although this may not necessarily be a yoga-themed book, it’s about cultivating joy and releasing yourself from needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can lead us to a life of freedom, true happiness and love.
4. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
With 2 million copies sold worldwide, this book is more than just simple principles and niceties. This book will help you see that your true self is powerful, and how you can have a pain-free reality by living fully in the present. If personal growth and spirituality are your cup of tea, Eckhart Tolle can help you discover truth and light in your life.
5. Perfectly Imperfect: The Art and Soul of Yoga Practice by Baron Baptiste
This book is a triple threat, making the bestseller list for New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today. Going beyond the mechanics and foundations of a yoga practice, Baptiste speaks to what happens to the mind and body after getting into a yoga pose. This is a great way to explore the transformative power of yoga, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
6. Yoga for Wellness by Gary Kraftsow
Kraftsow dives into the healing powers of yoga in this easy-to-follow guide. It includes case studies and specific yoga sequences designed to address individual ailments. And it has pictures to boot! This book is an excellent stepping stone for those looking for alternatives to mainstream medicine and ways to take power over their own physical well-being.
7. The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar
Desikachar has created an excellent reference for how to develop your personal practice. Using ancient knowledge in a way that is applicable in the contemporary, this guide will help you build your practice from the ground up.
8. The Bagavad Gita by Anonymous
While this essential book in Indian spirituality has many translations, it is fascinating to explore the origins of this ancient practice.
9. Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra
Chopra has established himself as an authority on all things spirituality and self-improvement, and this book is part of that legacy. It’s a guide to harnessing the healing power of the human mind that empowers us to take healing and wellness into our own capable hands.
10. The Art of Joyful Living by Swami Rama
This book shows us how to cultivate a joyful view of life and how to transform our habit patterns for ultimate freedom and happiness.
11. The Radiance Sutras by Lorin Roche
One part beautiful love song and one part encyclopedia of yoga techniques, Roche shows us a unique perspective on 112 Sanskrit teachings, along with guidance in how to meditate with, embody and practice them.
12. Autobiography of a Yogi by Pramahansa Yogananda
Entertaining and inspiring, this book is essential reading for anyone who wants a profound introduction to the ancient science of yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. It has been translated into over 30 languages and is considered a classic of religious literature. Definitely a must-read for the dedicated yogi!
13. One Day My Soul Just Opened Up by Iyanla Vanzant
If a self-help book and a journal had a baby, this book would be it! It’s full of challenges, daily lessons and motivation for the self-examining part of your soul. It’s the perfect compliment to your yoga journey!
14. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
Full of insights and valuable spiritual tidbits, this superbly-written book is one you won’t want to put down. It’s a spiritual guide disguised in a narrative that makes its principals fun to read and easy to apply to your own life.
15. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Truly a life-changing book, this read combines magic mysticism and wonder into an inspiring story of self-discovery. It speaks to the importance of listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity and learning to read the signs along life’s path. You’ll be inspired to follow your dreams and read this one many, many times!
So before you embark upon your yoga adventure, fill your heart and mind with empowering, useful themes! You’re all set for your yoga retreat in Costa Rica!
Leave a Reply