Black Wellness & Yoga Reading Resources
This curated collection centers the voices, stories, and teachings of Black wellness leaders, allies, yogis, authors, and healers. Explore books and guides that honor our roots, deepen our practice, and support holistic healing for mind, body, and spirit. Whether you're new to yoga or on a lifelong wellness journey, these resources are here to uplift, educate, and empower.
1
Restorative Yoga for Ethnic and Race-Based Stress and Trauma - Dr. Gail Parker
This groundbreaking book explores how restorative yoga can be a profound practice of healing for those navigating the layered impact of racial stress and intergenerational trauma. Dr. Gail Parker, a psychologist and certified yoga therapist, offers compassionate insight, accessible practices, and affirming reflections for BIPOC communities. A must-read for anyone seeking embodied healing,
social justice-informed wellness, and rest as resistance.
2
Every Body Yoga - Jessamyn Stanley
Empowering, unapologetic, and refreshingly real. Every Body Yoga invites folks of all sizes, backgrounds, and abilities to reclaim yoga as a tool for self-love and liberation. Jessamyn Stanley shares her personal journey, beginner-friendly poses, and a powerful message: yoga isn’t about how you look, it’s about how you feel. This book is a rally cry for authenticity, confidence, and showing up for yourself on and off the mat.
3
Rest is Resistance, A Manifesto - Tricia Hersey
Rooted in the wisdom of ancestors and the urgency of liberation, Tricia Hersey (founder of The Nap Ministry), offers a radical call to reclaim rest as a form of resistance. This book dismantles grind culture, honors rest as a spiritual and political act, and invites us to slow down and remember our worth beyond productivity. Rest Is Resistance is not just a manifesto, it’s a sacred permission slip to dream, restore, and heal.
4
Your Yoga Business, Tools and Teachniques for Success - Ava Taylor
Written by one of the industry's leading voices in conscious entrepreneurship, Your Yoga Business is a practical guide for wellness professionals ready to build sustainable, values-driven businesses. Ava Taylor blends strategic insight with soulful intention, covering everything from branding to finances with clarity and care. Whether you're just starting out or ready to level up, this book helps you align purpose with profit, without selling out your spirit.
5
Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself - Nedra Glover Tawwab
Therapist and boundaries expert Nedra Glover Tawwab delivers a compassionate, no-nonsense guide to honoring your limits and protecting your peace. Through relatable examples and actionable tools, this book teaches how to communicate clearly, say no without guilt, and finally break free from cycles of overwhelm. A transformative resource for anyone ready to reclaim their time, energy, and sense of self on the mat, and in everyday life.
6
Yoga for Everyone - Dianne Bondy
A powerful reminder that yoga belongs to every body, this book by trailblazing teacher Dianne Bondy celebrates inclusivity, accessibility, and self-acceptance. With 50 adaptable poses and variations for different abilities, shapes, and sizes, Yoga for Everyone invites practitioners to show up just as they are. This is more than a guide of poses, it’s a movement rooted in body positivity, empowerment, and true yoga philosophy.
7
Smarter in Seconds - Blair Imani
Bite-sized brilliance meets big-picture thinking in this vibrant, inclusive guide to understanding the world around us. Based on her viral video series, Blair Imani breaks down complex topics like race, gender, mental health, and consent into accessible, empowering lessons. Smarter in Seconds is perfect for anyone craving clarity, compassion, and consciousness in how they show up in community and conversation.
8
Manifest: 30 Days of Intentional Mantras - Kelley Palmer
This beautifully crafted guide invites you into a daily practice of affirmation, reflection, and self-empowerment. Rooted in the lived experience of a Black queer yoga teacher and healer, Manifest offers 30 days of mantras designed to nurture clarity, healing, and intention. With each page, Kelley Palmer encourages you to align your energy, reclaim your voice, and manifest a life that reflects your truth.
9
Yoga in the Black Community - Charlene Marie Muhammad & Marilyn Peppers-Citizen
This powerful collaboration highlights the vital role yoga plays in healing and empowering Black communities. Through personal stories, cultural insights, and practical guidance, Charlene Marie Muhammad and Marilyn Peppers Citizen explore yoga as a tool to combat generational trauma, systemic stress, and health inequities. More than a guide, this book is a heartfelt call to reclaim wellness, resilience, and liberation through yoga.
10
The Inner Work of Racial Justice - Rhonda V. MaGee
Combining mindfulness, meditation, and racial justice,
Rhonda V. Magee offers a deeply introspective guide to confronting and healing internalized bias and systemic racism. This book invites readers to engage in courageous self-reflection and cultivate compassionate awareness as foundational tools for social change.
The Inner Work of Racial Justice is essential reading for those committed to justice that begins from within.
11
My Grandmother's Hands - Resmaa Menakem
This transformative work explores how trauma (especially racial trauma) is stored in the body and passed down through generations. Resmaa Menakem, a trauma therapist and healer, offers groundbreaking insight into somatic healing as a path to personal and collective restoration. My Grandmother’s Hands is a vital guide for anyone seeking to understand and heal the deep wounds of racialized trauma in themselves and their communities.
12
Casting Indra's Net - Pamela Ayo Yetunde
In Casting Indra’s Net, Pamela Ayo Yetunde blends ancestral wisdom, somatic healing, and mindfulness to explore how trauma and healing ripple through our interconnected lives. This book invites readers, especially within the Black wellness community to engage deeply with their bodies, spirits, and relationships, fostering resilience and collective restoration. A vital guide for those seeking holistic healing through connection and presence.
13
The Black Woman's Guide to Coping with Stress -
Cheryl L. Woods Giscombé
This compassionate guide addresses the unique stressors faced by Black women and offers culturally relevant strategies for managing pressure, maintaining balance, and nurturing well-being.
Dr. Cheryl L. Woods Giscombé, a renowned psychiatric nurse practitioner and researcher, combines practical advice, self-care techniques, and empowering affirmations to support mental, emotional, and physical health. A vital resource for Black women seeking peace, resilience, and self-compassion in everyday life.
14
Mindful of Race - Ruth King
Ruth King blends mindfulness practices with racial justice teachings in this transformative guide. Mindful of Race invites readers to explore their own biases with courage and compassion, cultivating awareness that leads to healing and systemic change. This book is a powerful tool for those committed to anti-racism work grounded in deep self-reflection and embodied presence.
15
Hood Wellness: Tales of Communal Care from People Who Drowned on Dry Land - Tamela J. Gordon
This evocative collection centers stories of resilience, healing, and collective care from Black communities navigating trauma and survival. Tamela J. Gordon offers a powerful narrative that challenges isolation and highlights the strength found in shared wellness practices. Hood Wellness is a tribute to the power of community, storytelling, and care as acts of resistance and restoration.
16
The Teacher's Guide to Accessible Yoga -
Jivana Heyman
In Casting Indra’s Net, Pamela Ayo Yetunde blends ancestral wisdom, somatic healing, and mindfulness to explore how trauma and healing ripple through our interconnected lives. This book invites readers, especially within the Black wellness community to engage deeply with their bodies, spirits, and relationships, fostering resilience and collective restoration. A vital guide for those seeking holistic healing through connection and presence.
While this list offers a comprehensive starting point, it is by no means exhaustive. These resources are here to support and inspire your ongoing journey of inner work, deepening your practice of yoga, mindfulness, and commitment to social and community liberation. I encourage you to continue exploring, reflecting, and expanding your personal framework with openness and courage.