Books to read on a Yoga Retreat - Yoga Breaks in Spain

Everyone gets excited about going on a yoga retreat & a big part of the excitement is bringing together the things you want to take with you.

In addition to what we recommend you pack, we also think it’s pretty important to bring an inspiring – potentially life-changing – read as there’s nothing better than loosing yourself in a book when you’re on holiday wouldn’t you agree?

So whilst you’re gathering together what you’ll need for your holiday, take a look at our ‘must reads’ below.

Light on Life : The journey to wholeness, inner peace & freedom by BKS Iyengar. We just had to start this list with an absolute yoga classic which is PERFECT to read on a yoga retreat to help deepen your understanding of yoga. You’ll definitely loose yourself in this book as it dives deep at times but it’s well laid out into chapters on the physical, energy, mental & spiritual layers of our body and how to live in freedom. Love it.
The Untethered Soul by Michael Singer – the journey beyond yourself. One of our absolute favourites & an easy read that never fails to inspire. Helps better understand the source of our thoughts & emotions that shape our decisions & how we live before going on to explain how to free yourself of these limiting thoughts & behaviours to live a life of absolute freedom.
Manifest : 7 Steps to leading your best life by Roxie Nafousi. Manifestation really does work & this book outlines in 7 simple steps how to manifest & create the life you’ve always dreamed of. And no, manifesting isn’t just about visualizing what you want! Written by a London based yoga teacher who, after hitting rock bottom, learned all she could about manifesting and went on to manifest the life of her dreams by following 7 simple steps. The perfect read to dip in & out off between retreat classes & activities.
Breath : The new science of a lost art by James Nestor. OMG! this book is amazing and WILL change the way you breathe – forever! It’s an easy read and documents the research & experiments Nestor went through to discover why there’s more respiratory problems in the world than ever and finishes with several practical ways to enhance your mental, physical & emotional being just by the way you breathe.
Words to live by by Eknath Easwaran. A collection of short inspirational readings perfect if you need to come back to your centre or to read just before a yoga class. A great companion to a yoga retreat.
Thrive : Redefining Success & Creating a Happier Life by Arianna Huffington. I LOVED this book & devoured every page whilst on holiday last year. Having spent best part of 20 years in a corporate career myself I could relate so much to what Arianna covers in this deeply personal book written after suffering ‘burn out’ having given all she had as co-founder & editor-in-chief to the infamous ‘Huffington Post’ news & lifestyle channel. Very inspiring.
Regrets of the dying : Stories & Wisdom that remind us how to live by Georgina Scull. This one’s on our reading list. The author, having been told by Doctors that she almost died, began to look back on the life she had led and set out to meet others who had faced their own mortality too. What she learnt from the people she met has been turned into this book of 21 short stories on how to live fully. Described by one reviewer as “This book may appear to be about death & regrets but is in reality about life & choices.”
Mind over Mood : Change how you feel by changing the way you think by Dennis Greenberger. We’ve not read this one personally but it’s been recommended to us by a previous retreat guest who explained it’s all about how to use CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) to feel happier, calmer, more confident and to help conquer depression, anxiety, low self esteem & more. Might be worth a read.