In the meantime, yoga has become popular all over the world. Many of us have integrated yoga firmly into our everyday life and visit a yoga class at least once a week. Yoga feels good, relaxes and keeps us physically and mentally in balance.
Many of us have the urge to get to know Yoga in India, its native place.
But India is huge and the possibilities of a yoga retreats in India are numerous and include yoga teacher trainings, ashram stays, holidays in yoga and ayurveda resorts and yoga holidays.
So how do you choose the right place? To make a decesion, your interests, prefered yoga style, amount of time and budget play a major role.
To help you a bit, I’ve listed the best yoga places in India.
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The Himalayas
Yoga has emerged in the Himalayas and many Indian sadhus (holy yogis) make pilgrimages to the great mountains to find a quiet place and use the power of the mountains for their yoga practice and meditation.
I do not mean to say, you should completely renounce your normal life and look for a cave in the Indian Himalayas.
No, but the Indian Himalayas have a very kind of energy. In places like Leh, Manali or Mcleod Ganj you can attend regular yoga classes, courses or teacher trainings or you can consider participating in a joyful yoga trek. Yoga trekking combines daily yoga classws with easy to moderate hikes through the fascinating landscape of the mountains. If you are interested in a Yoga Trek, you can find out more here.
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Rishikesh
Rishikesh is located at the banks the holy Ganges, exactly where the mighty river leaves the mountains. The small relaxed place is one of the most spiritual places in India and the place par excellence for yoga. Every year in March, a week-long yoga festival takes place here with yoga teachers from all over the world. But then the place is rather less relaxed and everything is quite overpriced. In Rishikesh there are countless yoga ashrams where you can live for several months and practice traditional yoga. In addition, there are a variety of yoga schools that offer both, drop in classes for everyone and one-month yoga teacher trainings and more.
Many of the ashrams offer free accommodation, but often you have to register up to three months in advance. Otherwise, you can also simply book an accommodation in Rishikesh and attend various yoga classes several times a day for a small fee.
I particularly recommend the Anand Prakash Ashram. For a fee of about 12 euros per day, you get accommodation, meals and yoga classes. Many yoga schools and ashrams offer not only the popular yoga teacher courses but also multi-day retreats.
My absolute favourite ashram in the middle of the Rajasthan desert. Yoga is still lived here in a traditional way and it is a very well-kept ashram. The small, amiable Indian Ashram family does some karma and bakhti yoga, but Hatha yoga classes are also offered twice a day, given by either Karma Yogis or the Guru of ashram himself. Every evening a fire ceremony takes place in the temple.
Here you can just relax, enjoy healthy organic and vegetarian dishes and deepen your yoga practice. In the meantime there is also an Ayurveda area and you can book not only an entire Pancha Karma Retreat, but also individual treatments.
Otherwise, walks and interactions with the villager are worthwhile. The children are happy about classes inEnglish, art and sports with you, and the surrounding families are happy to invite you to their home for a tea.
Chalo! Travel offers two-week yoga retreats twice a year at Shri Jasnath Ashram. You can also book your individual stay with us.
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Yoga by the Sea
Whether in a beach resort in Kerala or as a backpacker on one of Goa’s beaches: yoga, beach and sea are simply a perfect combination.
In Goa there are yoga schools everywhere with all possible styles. Join drop in classes, teacher trainings, workshops and retreats. In Kerala you will rather find luxurious Ayurveda beach resorts with daily Hatha yoga classes.
Very popular is our Kerala Yoga Holiday with round trip and Resort stay.
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Ahstanga Yoga in Mysore
Mysore in Southern India is a small former royal city with many palaces and the place par excellence for all followers of Ahstanga-Vinyasa Yoga. Here Shri K. Pattabhi Joys made the Ahstanga Yoga more popular around 1950 and besides the Shri K Pattabhi Jois Ahstanga Yoga Institute there are many other excellent yoga schools. Many of the yoga schools have strict guidelines, often requiring you to register at least two months in advance and commit to practice in the respective institutes for at least one month. You can of course also do your yoga teacher training in Ahstanga Vinyasa Yoga here.
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Shivananda Yoga at Shivananda Yoga Vedanta Center at Dhanwantari Ashram in Neyar Dam
Those who love the Shivananda Yoga style can either make very affordable yoga holidays at the Shivananda Center in Kerala or sign up for one of the very popular but rather crowded and expensive yoga teacher trainings.
The accommodations are simple but clean. Depending on the budget, you can choose between tent, dormitory, non-air-conditioned and air-conditioned room. The ashram atmosphere is very nice and the included meals good. The ashram routin consist of satsang, asanas, pranayama, meals and karma yoga.
