Light on Life is the most amazing complete insightful book on how yoga is life. BKS Iyengar writes incredibly insightful books on the healing power of yoga. He knew first hand how it transformed his life as when he was young he suffered from many illnesses (tuberculosis, typhoid, malaria) and from malnutrition. His brother-in-law however was the great Krishnamacharya and even though he didn't believe in the ability of Iyengar, he trained him and this made Iyengar one of the great yogis of his time. He focussed very much on the alignment aided with props. In this book he talks about how the yoga philosophy can help us in life.

“Here Iyengar explores the yogic goal to integrate the different parts of the self (body, emotions, mind, and soul), the role that the yoga postures and breathing techniques play in our search for wholeness, the external and internal obstacles that keep us from progressing along the path, and how yoga can transform our lives and help us to live in harmony with the world around us. For the first time, Iyengar uses stories from his own life, humor, and examples from modern culture to illustrate the profound gifts that yoga offers. Written with the depth of this sage's great wisdom, Light on Life is the culmination of a master's spiritual genius, a treasured companion to his seminal Light on Yoga.”

Maybe it was the timing of me reading this book (I had had it unread on my kindle for some time) but I ended up highlighting pretty much the entire book. Insightful to the extreme and a must read for yogis. But as it has so many of the yogic concepts combined in this book (the Koshas, 8-limbed path, gunas, etc.) it can be a bit challenging for those new to yoga. Stick with it though as he does explain and gives great real life examples. Just read and re-read.

“It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence.”

— BKS Iyengar

“Remember to love. Everything, everyone, yourself, the world around you. That is the work. Because if you can be with that love, embrace it, own it, and let it influence all the ways you are in the world, then you will know God, you will be home, and peace in every way possible will be your contribution to this life.”

— Seane Corn

So truthfully, at first this book didn’t resonate with me… I think I was a bit intimidated by the fierce, strong, beautiful woman on the cover. When I listened to her voice on my audiobook, she sounded like a no-nonsense, ballsy New Yorker, and this confidence, together with the image of the strong yogi made me feel very small. Fortunately the universe nudged me enough, through various other people recommending this book, for me to pick it up again. And I am so happy I did. It is honest, raw, an autobiography showing vulnerability but at the same time it is incredibly insightful, it explains some of the yoga philosophy in such a clear and relatable way. I love her, she is amazing.

“Remember that everything you feel, including the shadow emotions you have trouble acknowledging, lives in the body, and if you don’t allow your feelings to arise and then dissolve, they will become stuck there, taking up residence in places like the hips, the jaw, the shoulders. By creating distinct shapes through asana, you can move your awareness and your breath into those areas and encourage the energy to release. All of this helps you understand what your body is trying to tell you and offers you clues on how to bring these embodied “stories” into your awareness, and hopefully assist in your own healing.”

— Seane Corn

Seane’s real purpose is to guide us into a deep, gut-level understanding of our highest Self through yoga philosophy and other tools for emotional healing—not just as abstract ideas but as embodied, fully-felt wisdom. Why? To spark a “revolution of the soul” in each of us, so we can awaken to our purpose and become true agents of change.

To take us there, she shares “the highlights, lowlights, and what-the-fucks” of her own evolution, including:

• How, in the gritty clubs and cafes of New York’s 1980s East Village, Seane meets the first everyday “angels” that will change her path forever

• Her first yoga classes (with dirty sweats, Marlboros, and the mother of all monkey minds in tow)

• How a variety of unconventional therapists masterfully helped Seane embrace her shadow and resolve her childhood trauma, OCD, unhealthy behaviors, and relationship wounding

• A pilgrimage to India where Seane receives stinging truths about false gurus and our need to trust the teacher within

• Poignant, hard-earned lessons on how to be a truly effective and heart-centered activist

• How she came to understand the connection between the inner work of transformation and the outer work of social change

• And many other stories, each illuminated by immersive teachings

“When we heal the fractured parts of ourselves and learn to love who we are and the journey we’ve embarked upon,” writes Seane, “we will see that same tender humanity in all souls. This is the revolution of the soul.” And with this book, you’re invited to be a part of it.”

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle is a classic bestseller from 1997 but is just as relevant now. "His message is simple: living in the now is the truest path to happiness and enlightenment. And while this message may not seem stunningly original or fresh, his clear writing, supportive voice and enthusiasm make this an excellent manual for anyone who's ever wondered what exactly "living in the now" means. Foremost, he is a world-class teacher, able to explain complicated concepts in concrete language. More importantly, within a chapter of reading this book, readers are already holding the world in a different container--more conscious of how thoughts and emotions get in the way of their ability to live in genuine peace and happiness.
Tolle packs a lot of information and inspirational ideas into The Power of Now. (Topics include the source of Chi, enlightened relationships, creative use of the mind, impermanence and the cycle of life.) Thankfully, he's added markers that symbolise "break time". This is when readers should close the book and mull over what they just read. " I', thoroughly enjoying listening to this book again on audiobooks.

“Realise deeply that the present moment is all you ever have. Make the Now the primary focus of your life.”

— Eckhart Tolle

In A New Earth, he expands on these powerful ideas to show how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world. Tolle describes how our attachment to the ego creates the dysfunction that leads to anger, jealousy, and unhappiness, and shows readers how to awaken to a new state of consciousness and follow the path to a truly fulfilling existence. "The Power of Now" was a question-and-answer handbook. "A New Earth" has been written as a traditional narrative, offering anecdotes and philosophies in a way that is accessible to all. Illuminating, enlightening, and uplifting, "A New Earth" is a profoundly spiritual manifesto for a better way of life and for building a better world. 

Solve for Happy, by Mo Gawdat is a wonderful book, in which I recognise a lot of yoga philisophy, but it is a non-yoga book (Mo was  Chief Business Officer for Google X) on how to be happy by identifying what makes us unhappy (he believes that everyone is born happy); it dismantles 6 illusions and 7 blind-spots, before leading to the 5 truths which connect us all. The 6 illusions are Thought, Self, Knowledge, Time, Control and Fear which are all concepts our mind wants to cling onto, but are destined to make us disconnected from ourselves. It is followed by the blind-spots which are hard-wired into our DNA, but outdated in the modern world; Filters, Assumptions, Predictions, Memories, Labels, Emotions and Exaggeration. Finally the 5 universal truths of Now, Change, Love, Death and Design.  It is all packaged in some way or another in our yoga philosophy (awareness, being present, letting go of judgement, what causes us to suffer) so it was fascinating to read it in a scientific way. It is easy to read; I am a very slow reader and I read it in one go and have gifted it to many friends.

I was lucky to be able to hear Mo speak live at an ActionForHapiness event recently and he is such an inspirational, eloquent, insightful, grounded and open person; hearing him talk about Solve For Happy revealed more insights and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Please check out his #onebillionhappy mission; together we can make the world a happier place!