Best Overall: "Light on Yoga"

This classic 1966 book is our top choice for its encyclopedic illustration of hundreds of yoga poses and many breathing techniques. Written by the famous yoga teacher, B.K.S. Iyengar, this book also goes beyond physical exercise and heavily details the philosophy of yoga.

Reviewers note this yoga book is easy to follow and has modified versions for more advanced poses to accommodate beginners. It also contains a week-by-week guide to advance your skills. Even if you're not a beginner, this yoga book can help you find new inspiration in your journey if you are feeling stagnant or bored.

Price at time of publication: $22

Best for Beginners: "The Yoga Beginner's Bible"

If you want to do a little homework before hitting your first yoga class, check out "The Yoga Beginner's Bible," a yoga book featuring clear illustrations of poses with instructions on each. If you're not as bendy as you would like to be (yet), the pages include creative modifications to use in class (your teacher will be able to provide more of these, too, so don't be afraid to ask). A bonus: This yoga book also lays out breathing exercises, which are key to your practice.

Price at time of publication: $38

Best Illustrated: "Yoga Anatomy"

The unique strength of "Yoga Anatomy" by Leslie Kaminoff and Amy Matthews is its illustrations. Rendered through a process of photography and medical illustration, yoga poses are shown from the inside out so you can see exactly how each one benefits your body. It's a yoga book that instructors and students alike will find helpful for deepening their practice.

Price at time of publication: $24

Best Inclusive: "Yoga for Everyone: 50 Poses For Every Type of Body"

In "Yoga for Everyone," author and yogi Dianne Bondy sets out to celebrate what everybody and every body can do, regardless of age, weight, or physical abilities. People who often feel left out of the yoga or fitness community will find this book a breath of fresh air. Each pose photo has additional photos of multiple modifications, so you can discover what works best for you.

Price at time of publication: $20

Best Memoir: "Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga Poses"

In this memoir, author Claire Dederer takes readers on her journey with a yoga book that goes beyond the physical benefits of yoga. She discovered the practice while dealing with a back injury and breastfeeding. Her story is universal, though mothers who have struggled with finding balance after having children will find this yoga book particularly inspirational. (Hint: yoga helps.)

Price at time of publication: $22

"Yoga Body: The Origins of Modern Posture Practice"

"Yoga Body" is a fascinating book by scholar Mark Singleton into the history of yoga asana. This yoga book is a real game changer, exploring the predecessors of Western yoga practices beyond its roots in ancient India. You'll find yourself questioning conventional wisdom you hear in yoga classes after this one. 

Price at time of publication: $18

Best for Pregnancy: "Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful"

Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa is a leading Kundalini yoga teacher who is especially known for her prenatal yoga classes. The yoga in "Bountiful, Beautiful, Blissful" is gentle, but the anecdotes and advice for pregnant people are unique in the sea of pregnancy books. It is empowering for anyone contemplating natural childbirth.

Price at time of publication: $13

Best for Postpartum: "The Fourth Trimester"

This holistic yoga book aims to help pregnant women or those who recently gave birth (a few days or a few years ago) reach physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual healing. Kimberly Ann Johnson, who has experience as a doula and yoga teacher, explains everything from preparing your body for birth to dealing with complex postpartum emotions. Her words will help you rebuild your body and strengthen familial relationships.

Price at time of publication: $20

Best on Modern Yoga:"The Goddess Pose"

"The Goddess Pose" is a fascinating look at how yoga made its way into the mainstream culture of the West. Author Michelle Goldberg invites you in through the biography of Indra Devi, one of the first to teach postural yoga in the U.S. Your understanding of modern yoga is incomplete without knowing the significance of Devi's influence.

Price at time of publication: $27