What Are Some of the Best Spiritual Books?

May 22

As my first (vinyasa) yoga teacher training was coming to a close in 2015 I felt strong in my body and eager to start teaching asana, but I also longed for more. We had just barely scraped the surface of some of yoga’s deeply rich philosophy and I yearned for a more thorough understanding.

My teacher then introduced me to Ganga White’s Yoga Beyond Belief (mentioned below) and that book really started me on my spiritual journey of self-study.

With more trainings completed and more books both required and recommended, between my own sourcing and how other books have fallen into my lap / off the shelf at an overcrowded Indian bookstore, I’ve compiled the following non-exhaustive list of some of my favorites over the years.

My hope is that as you journey down the path of your own spiritual awakening, some of these books can help elevate and alter your consciousness state. Whether that’s through expanding your awareness of possibilities in alternative realities, honoring classic stories and epics like the Bhagavad Gita or the Ramayana, or discovering a new meditation technique that drops you down the rabbit hole (like I once did via Sally Kempton’s Tantric approach of “so hum” in Meditation for the Love of It).

And if none of that particularly calls you in, then I recommend checking out the storytelling section below—a lough-out-loud read like Comedy, Sex, God may be what kickstarts your own inner journey, or be inspired by the traveler’s journey home in The Alchemist.

PS: Your local bookstore is likely to have several of these on their shelves. I’d recommend supporting them before turning to Amazon 🤍 Happy reading!

PPS: Any more that I should add to my list? Let me know!

Spiritual Books Featuring Approachable Philosophy

Paths to God—Living the Bhagavad Gita by Ram Dass
This Is That: Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras Padas 1 and 2 by Anand Mehrotra
The Heart of Yoga by TKV Desikachar
Yoga Beyond Belief by Ganga White
The Ramayana by C. Rajagopalachari
Awakening Shakti by Sally Kempton

Spiritual Books With Practical Techniques

Meditation for the Love of It by Sally Kempton
Stress Less, Accomplish More by Emily Fletcher
Yoga Nidra: The Art of Transformational Sleep by Kamini Desai

Spiritual Books Rooted in Storytelling

Be Love Now by Ram Dass
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda
Living with the Himalayan Masters by Swami Rama
10% Happier by Dan Harris
The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo
Comedy, Sex, God by Pete Holmes
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss

Spiritual Books on Relating

Love, Freedom and Aloneness by Osho
How to Fight by Thich Nhat Hanh
How to Love by Thich Nhat Hanh
When Things Fall Apart: Hard Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron
The Guru Question: The Perils and Rewards of Choosing a Spiritual Teacher by Mariana Caplan

On My List:

These classics have long been on my list, and I’ve even started some of them, but I include them here because so many others have recommended them to me. They’re impactful hallmarks of modern spiritual literature.

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael Singer
The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor
The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection by Michael Singer
Whole Brain Living: The Anatomy of Choice and the Four Characters That Drive Our Life by Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor