Rishikesh india yoga

Meditation, relaxation, letting go, so many terms that carry you, interest you, make you want to develop your yoga practice? It's a very good idea, congratulations! India has established itself as a world temple of the discipline, oscillating between large ashrams and courses reserved for practitioners.

Rishiksh is often announced as the anchor of yoga. And for good reason, in 1968, the Beatles came there, with the aim of initiating themselves to the practice, to the point of drawing inspiration for an album (the White Album). Thus, from kundalini to Ayurveda, through traditional yoga, India is a must for yogis.

But as good Westerners that we are, how can we practice yoga in India? What are the essential places to follow a yoga teaching? Is Rishikesh the only spot worthy of interest to enjoy the benefits of yoga? The answer right away!

 

Rishikesh, the Mecca of yoga in India

As you will have understood, it goes without saying that we could not start this article without talking about Rishikesh. This open-air yoga center is actually an Indian region, located 250 kilometers north of New Delhi, which places yoga sessions almost as a collective ritual. A perfect destination for yogis in need of consciousness, many ashrams have developed there.

Some of the best known and most recognized ashrams include :

• The Parmarth Niketan Ashram, located at the gates of the Himalayas, is highly prized by local yogis. It consists of a multitude of rooms, located on the banks of the Ganges, and places the teaching of yoga as suitable for all levels. So, whether you are a beginner or a yoga teacher, everything is possible. Hatha yoga, yoga nidra, nada yoga, welcome to Rishikesh / Address: Main Market Road, Near Ram Jhula, Swarg Ashram, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249304, India

• The Himalaya Institute is also a place in the region where yoga is taught with great success. The teaching consists of a beautiful structure, ideal for beginners, but also to place harmony between body and mind at the center of its stay. In this ashram, Swami Rama reveals all his talent as a teacher, perfect for the Westerners that we are! / Address: Swami Ram Ashram-Himalayan Institute near Ganga Kinare Hotel Rishikesk 249 201 UP.

• Not far from the city of Rishikesh, four kilometers to the north, is the Vanamalai Yoga Center. Located in Lakshman Jhula, this peaceful and restful place offers a breathtaking view of the Ganges River and adopts the small group solution to teach the practice of yoga. Mixed with Hinduism, this one-week course has very little space, but when you're a beginner, it's worth it! / Address: Vanamalai ashram Tapovan Sarai PO (Laxman Jhula) Rishikesk UP 200 m from the junction of the Badrinath road, towards the Laxman Jhula bridge.

• Finally, there is also Yoga Niketan, near Shivanandashram. Still in the area, Satchi's classes are famous for the quality of the hatha yoga lessons, and for the diversity of the teachers (one is from Quebec, and another French, notice to the French-speaking people!). Many activities are developed in parallel, in order to make us want to stay here as long as possible / Address: Shivanandashram PO 249 192 Rishikesk UP. Three km from the city center on the right bank of the Ganges River.

Note that in this beautiful region of Rishikesh, monks often meditate on the banks of the Ganges. A typical AND local spectacle, what more could you ask for? And if you come in March, the International Yoga Festival is organized there, to meet great yogis, but also to learn more about yoga postures.

 

 

Other must-see yoga places in India

But the Rishikesh region is not the only region in India where yoga reigns supreme, far from it! Indeed, the country has many nooks and crannies where pranayama, alignment and yoga vinyasa are not unknown terms. Here's a short overview of places conducive to the practice of yoga!

Among the high places of the yoga tradition is the International Centre for the Art of Living. This yoga center, perceived as a place of spiritual retreat, is located high up in the Panchagiri Hills. This idyllic setting, punctuated by free classes, is a great place to harmonize body and mind.

The trick? There is no trick, you simply have to help with household chores in the ashram. In this way, it will be possible to enjoy the view of the mountains, to follow a small yoga training course, and to leave more balanced and harmonized as never before!

Address: Road, Udayapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560082, India

Further south in the country, after Kerala, we find the Kalari Kovilakom ashram. Following a yoga class with recognized teachers, enjoying a green setting, detoxifying with an adapted program, all this speaks to you? Well, at Kalari Kovilakom, that's what we do!

While yoga nidra is the specialty of the ashram, it is between meditation and yogic practice that one can come and find oneself there. And, let it be said, if only to come and admire the tea plantations of Kerala, the journey is worth the detour!

Address: Payyallur, Kollengode, Palakkad, Kerala 678506, India

 

 

And Goa, do you know it? If you plan to spend some time there, it's a must for any yoga lover, for the simple reason that ashrams flourish there. And among them, the Ashiyana Yoga Retreat Village combines an ecological approach with the ambition of wellness through yoga.

Small wooden houses stand side by side, in which yoga is practiced, of course, but also chanting mantra or meditation. All nestled in the middle of nature, a paradise for amateurs!

Address: Junas Waddo, Mandrem, Goa 403527, India

Friends of solitude, you may be interested in the Ma Anandamayi Ashram in Almora. Run by a discipline of Ma Anandamayi, Swami Nirgunananda, this ashram follows the writings of the master. Based on Himalayan thought, harmony with oneself and deep relaxation, this place is, in India, particularly interesting.

It is a wonderful illustration of the seventeen years that Ma Anandamayi took deep in the Himalayas as a hermit. These elements are likely to be of interest to the most practising among us. A yoga mat, a good dose of vitality, and you are ready to recharge your batteries! Welcome to India!

Address: Swami Nirgunananda Ma Anandamayi Ashram Patal Devi Almora UP

Finally, a last but not least address in India when it comes to doing yoga! The Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram in Trivandrum offers meditation cures and yoga workshops through regular practice. The watchword? The discipline, thanks to which each practitioner will be able to progress in his interiority.

On the program: an ayurvedic treatment, a deepening of the practice of yoga, a work on breathing, in short, enough to recharge in a few days (two weeks exactly), all for about 20$ daily, in the middle of this beautiful region that is Kerala!

Address: Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram PO Neyyar Dam, Trivandrum, Kerala 695 572

 

 

Why practice yoga in a specific place?

We tend to wonder why go to India to practice yoga, why go to a specific place to take classes. The answer is quite simple: it is a bubble of well-being, which we always find difficult to recreate on a daily basis.

And yes, between stress, the constraints of life, or even noise and visual pollution, we find it difficult to refocus, and to take care of ourselves globally. Going to India is a symbolic departure from daily life, for a break from balance and relaxation.

A moment apart, in communion with nature, but also with the notion of the collective, within an often sumptuous ashram. A guaranteed change of scenery, for a practice of yoga one cannot go further. This is the reason why some unavoidable places have stood out, which we have just mentioned here!

This kind of place is an opportunity for us Westerners to enjoy the discovery of a country, and the re-discovery of a very special person: ourselves!

Come on, ready to refocus? India is waiting for you!