Yoga has always been an integral part of Indian culture with number of historical institutes practicing and teaching it. These yoga schools offer a combination of in-depth courses and flexible drop-in classes. Here's a list that talks about the most famous yoga schools in the country:
This renowned Institute attracts serious students of yoga from all over the world. It conducts regular classes in Iyengar Yoga (a form of Hatha Yoga which focuses on postures) for all levels. Special classes are also held for women, children, and those with medical problems. As the Institute emphasizes the in-depth study of yoga, students are also required to have substantial prior experience in practicing Iyengar Yoga.
Address: 1107 B/1, Hare Krishna Mandir Road, Model Colony, Shivaji Nagar, Pune. Ph: (91 20) 2565-6134.
Course Duration: One month. A maximum of six classes can be attended per week.
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Located in Mysore and run by descendents of the revered guru Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, who'd been teaching yoga there since the 1930's before his death in 2009, the Ashtanga Institute offers ongoing intensive ashtanga yoga classes throughout the year. The classes are for serious students only, and places are much sought after. It's necessary to apply at least two months in advance.
Address: #235 8th Cross, 3rd Stage, Gokulam, Mysore Ph: (91 821) 2516-756.
Course Duration: Minimum of one month, no more than six months.
Krishnamcharya has not just disciples but a yoga institute on his name in Chennai. This school was found by T K S Desikachar Krishnamacharya's son in 1976. Krishnamacharya yoga mandiram based in Chennai mainly emphasis on viniyoga, ashtanga yoga and yoga therapies for people. Yoga enthusiasts can learn different forms of yoga from this Krishnamacharya's (the father of modern yoga) yog kendra. Non-residential Pilgrimage of Sound Vedic Chanting, Heart of Yoga, and Pranayama (breathing) courses are offered for international students twice a year. A special International Teacher Training Program is offered as well.
Address: New No.31 (Old #13) Fourth Cross Street, R K Nagar, Chennai. Ph: (91 44) 2493-7998.
Course Duration: Two to four weeks.
The Bihar School of Yoga ashram was founded in 1964 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. It's a very old-school place that teaches a full yogic lifestyle. Satyananda Yoga incorporates traditional postures, breathing, and meditation. At the sprawling Bihar School, yoga is a lifestyle not a practice, and karma yoga is given precedence over asana. So alongside classes expect hours of work (service) – including gardening, kitchen work and toilet cleaning – supplemented by cold showers and a simple diet.The institute has many ongoing yoga projects in collaboration with prestigious hospitals and medical organizations and is popular as a hub for yoga seekers.
Address: Bihar Yoga Bharati, Ganga Darshan, Fort, Munger, Bihar. Ph: (91 6344)222430.
Parmarth Niketan, with its stunning mountain setting in the holy town of Rishikesh, is a wonderfully spiritual place to study yoga. The ashram is equipped with 1,000 rooms on its eight acre campus. It runs an extensive program of beginner yoga, Vedic heritage and spirituality, and teacher training courses. Daily classes are also open to visitors. A popular attraction is the week long international Yoga Festival that's held at the ashram every March.
Address: P.O. Swargashram, Rishikesh (Himalayas), Uttarakhand. Ph: (91 135) 2440088.
Sivananda Ashram was founded by Swami Sivananda and is run by the Divine Life Society. Teachings at the Sivananda Ashram are based around the five points of yoga -- postures, breathing, relaxation, meditation, and diet. The ashram offers drop-in classes, as well as courses in yoga and meditation. The beginner's yoga and meditation courses are very popular. Yoga Vacations and Teacher Training, staying at the ashram, are also offered.
Address: Neyyar Dam, Trivandrum district, Kerala.
The Yoga Institute is the oldest organized center of yoga in the world. It was founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendraji. The Institute, while not being as well known as some of India's other yoga centers, offers a range of excellent courses, workshops, and camps. The therapeutic health camps are of particular interest. These aim to overcome specific ailments including heart and respiratory problems, hypertension, diabetes, orthopedic conditions, and stress related issues. There are also special programs for children and pregnant women.
Address: Shri Yogendra Marg, Prabhat Colony, Santacruz East, Mumbai. Ph: (91 22) 2611-0506.
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#8. Omkarananda Patanjali Yoga Kendra, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand
Swiss born Usha Devi is a strict adherent of BKS Iyengar and his famously precise but therapeutic style, and the ashram in which she teaches, on the banks of the Ganges just outside Rishikesh, is as functional and austere as her instruction is straight from the source. You won’t find any teacher training or certifications here, only daily drop-in classes (for beginners and intermediate) for which no early registration is required, and a nine-day intensive course for which three years regular practice in Iyengar yoga is a prerequisite. Rooms are available on site, and the nearby town is teeming with guesthouses.
Address: Near Taxi Stand Muni-ki-reti, Sivanandanagar, Haridwar Rishikesh Badrinath Rd, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249192
Course Duration: From 5 days to 21 days. Regular yoga classes are also held.
This coastal gurukul is the most traditional and immersive on this list, teaching a classical style that embraces all eight limbs of yoga. Famous for their six-month teacher-training course – which requires the completion of a year-long correspondence course before you’re even eligible to apply, and to which only 10 students per year are accepted – this is not for the casual yogi, but, for the bold, the rewards are abundant, with a depth and breadth of teaching that’s remarkable.
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#11. Mysore Mandala, Mysore, Karnataka
With a tranquil, century-old house and charming cafe supplied by the owners’ organic farm, this is Mysore’s prettiest yoga space – closer to a western style studio than a traditional ashram, but no less authentic for it. Ashtanga is the focus but there’s a wide range of other classes to choose from, including hatha, shatkriya (cleansing), backbending and pranayama as well as instruction in Sanskrit and lessons in the yoga sutras. Teacher training is very highly regarded here; led by a team of nine teachers, it includes the aforementioned branches, alongside classes in anatomy and Ayurveda.