Talks with Ramana and Jivamukti Yoga

I currently have two amazing books on my morning reading list, Jivamukti Yoga and Talks With Ramana Maharshi. (When I have time I like to do this type of reading in the morning, when the mind is clear and not yet busy with the day’s todo list.)

These two books are of course very different, but Ramana talks a lot about yoga philosophy and I find it very interesting to relate these topics to the Jivamukti book. The Jivamukti style encourages including spiritual reading, music, pranayama and meditation in your practice. So if you usually stick to a mostly physical yoga practice, consider exploring a few philosophy books to see if they resonate with you.

One of my favorite quotes from Talks with Ramana:

“People think that freedom (moksha) is somewhere yonder and should be sought out. They are wrong. Freedom (moksha) is only knowing the Self within yourself. Concentrate and you will get it. Your mind is the cycle of births and deaths.”

I’m in the process of creating a Chai & Yoga reading list, so let me know if there are books that have touched you deeply or had a big impact on your yoga practice!


This entry was posted on Monday, June 15th, 2009 at 5:43 pm and is filed under Philosophy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

3 Responses to “Talks with Ramana and Jivamukti Yoga”

  1. I have always been interested in reading more in yoga philosophy, but find myself being overly cautious- as traditional translations of the Bhagavad Gita have never resonated with me. I have heard that there is a more feminine-oriented take out there- (right now the title escapes me!).
    I would love to hear more about your reading list you put together :)

    Blessings!

  2. Hi Heidi,
    Lately I have spent so much time indulging in yoga texts that I have had trouble fitting the asana side of things into my day (though I try…) so I can’t wait to see your reading list.
    My favourite yoga book so far is ‘Bringing Yoga to Life’ by Donna Farhi, which I see you have already discussed in your blog. It never fails to bring me comfort and inspire my practice. My other favourite is ‘Yoga: the Science of the Soul’ by Osho. This book tells it like it is, and is a good introductory yoga text due to its ability to apply yogic philosophy to everyday experiences.
    Bee

  3. Hi!
    I really like your blog and just stumbled across it.

    I love the book Jivamukti yoga, I think it is fabulous! Other yoga books I really enjoy the Upanishads, Light on Yoga by BKS Iyengar (I think that is a must-have for yogis!) and also for a more modern and humorous take, Eat Pray Love. I think most people have read that book by now. Another great modern take on the yoga life, more focused on meditation, is Wherever you go there you are by Jon Kabat Zinn.

    Yay yoga reads!

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