Inspiring Books That Will Shift Your Perspective
If you’re anything like us, you can’t get enough of book recommendations and filling up your shelves with new reads. We asked a handful of yoga, fitness, and mindfulness instructors from Alo Moves to share with us a book they’ve read that’s inspired them, and these are their responses. From memoirs to self-help to fiction (and a little bit of everything in between), this list is sure to supply you with a book or two to add to your to-read list.
Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike
by Phil Knight
“I love the book Shoe Dog. It's the memoir of the founder of Nike and how the brand came to be. It's particularly inspiring for me as a small business owner because he really carried on to build this brand despite the obstacles his team faced. And now it's one of the most globally recognized brands used amongst gen pop and professional athletes.”
- Roxie Jones, fitness instructor
Work out with Roxie Jones on Alo Moves.
Untamed
by Glennon Doyle
“She reminds us of obvious truths we tend to overlook or silence. She reminds us to trust ourselves and above all honor and respect “knowing” our thoughts, our truth, and our needs. Don’t abandon yourself to please another or you will abandon everything in the process.”
- Ashley Galvin, yoga teacher
Practice yoga with Ashley Galvin on Alo Moves.
Braiding Sweetgrass
by Robin Wall Kimmerer
“Braiding Sweetgrass! It's so beautifully written and feels as though it provides medicine for the modern ailments of isolation, confusion, and absence of meaning. It allows me to remember that in each moment we are inherently connected to a much larger, complex system of experience, and because of this, we truly are never alone.”
- Kirat Randhawa, meditation teacher
Meditate with Kirat Randhawa on Alo Moves.
“This is my favorite book of all time. I believe nature is our most potent teacher, and Kimmerer describes the wisdom of nature in such a beautiful, poetic way. How does this help my barre classes? Well, what we know about nature is that it is yielding. Nature is not rigid; it is adaptable. Nature teaches us how to balance effort and ease and how to do things sustainably and in relation to the whole. Like a blade of grass, we can be both firm and soft at the same time. Like a flower, we can be both beautiful and effective at the same time. We can remain connected to the whole and express our individuality at the same time. The lessons from nature, especially told by an Indigenous woman, are more valuable than anything I’ve ever learned, and these lessons inform everything I do and share in my classes.”
- Adrienne Kimberley, Barre instructor
Practice barre with Adrienne Kimberley on Alo Moves.
Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself: How to Lose Your Mind and Create a New One
by Joe Dispenza
“Just trust me — READ IT. What I really love the most is how Joe blends ancient practices and belief systems like yoga and the chakra body with cutting-edge science like brain and heart mapping.”
- Caley Alyssa, yoga teacher
Practice yoga with Caley Alyssa on Alo Moves.
The Overstory
by Richard Powers
“I read The Overstory by Richard Powers and it really moved me. It so poetically hits on the many parallels between relationships that exist in nature and the relationships we experience in our own lives. I absolutely loved how the author made the trees the main character of each vignette, and so beautifully wove in stories about the human condition, the fragility of the environment within us and around us, and the impact we make on everything we touch.”
- Emily Sferra, barre instructor
Practice barre with Emily Sferra on Alo Moves.
Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness
by Sharon Salzberg
“Lovingkindness by Sharon Salzberg is a book I return to again and again, likely because it has so much love to offer. It is a beautiful teaching of the Four Immeasurables, which are Lovingkindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity. What makes these qualities immeasurable is that when they are cultivated, our capacity for them and their reach become boundless.”
- Jackie Stewart, meditation teacher
Meditate with Jackie Stewart on Alo Moves.
Sapiens
by Yuval Noah Harari
“I love all three books that Harari has written. Sapiens lays out a beautiful foundation for understanding why we have our current cultural tendencies, social normalities, and why we believe most of what we do today through understanding our species' history and evolution. The book provoked a lot of thought into areas I hadn't explored before and helped to reform some of my perceptions I have now.”
- Dylan Werner, yoga teacher
Practice yoga with Dylan Werner on Alo Moves.
The Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
“It’s a book about a journey and pursuing your dreams along the way.”
- Tela Anderson, Pilates instructor
Practice Pilates with Tela Anderson on Alo Moves.
Take your inspiration to the mat and try these classes and more for free with a 14-day trial to Alo Moves.