India being a place where מורת יוגה was originated, I believe if one wishes to immerse oneself into the fine art of Yoga, no other than India is the destination. India is a land of yoga and it attracts yogis from all over the world who are seeking a spiritual and serene gateway from the travails of daily lifestyle.
Why do I call India as the best destination to learn yoga? Because I am an Indian. Well No. India invented Yoga and Meditation many millennia before the world could understand its importance. India houses a number of yoga houses and retreats and one can look for an array of courses and treatments in India to heal one’s mind, body and soul.
Yoga in the west focuses mostly on the physical postures and sequences (asana) but in India especially in traditional ashrams, asana is only one aspect of the whole system. So in India, one can expect a greater emphasis on breathing, meditation, cleansing on one’s soul with devotional practices such as philosophy tuition, chanting of mantras, and karma yoga.
While we move forward in discussing why India is the best yoga destination for you, I would like to mention a few good places in India where you can learn the art of Yoga.
This place is called the world capital of yoga. The place is a spiritual destination for many people and it houses a number of Ashrams and yoga centers both ancient and modern ones. The city is located on the bank of river Ganges and it is believed that meditating here brings one's soul closer to Moksha (Enlightenment).
At this school, yoga is a lifestyle and not just any practice. Karma yoga is given preference over Asana. Alongside the classes, one must expect to work like a yogi, cleaning utensils, kitchen work; toilet cleaning is the part of one’s schedule here.
This place is for a modern yogi who is looking for juices, detox, and Wi-Fi along with his yoga practices. This place has the world’s best teachers like John Scott, Petri Raisanen etc. for yoga and meditation. Do not worry if you are not a veteran in Yoga, being one of the most reputed institutes to learn yoga, it encourages beginners with great zeal too.
Lonavala is small hill station located between Pune and Mumbai. This ashram was designed as a yogic center in 1924 and one can spend a day, a week, a month and even years to explore and experience the myriad of programs it has to offer to you. The ashram also offers diploma and full accredited degrees for yoga teachers along with short courses for beginners and advanced students.
This center has uniqueness in itself. In summers the center is working in Himachal and in winters the space shifts to Arambol Goa. The owner of the institute is an accredited yoga teacher passed from BKS Iyengar and is known for his yoga techniques. All the students here must pass through the first five-day course before they proceed for the professional courses ahead.
This is one of the prettiest places for yoga in Mysore. The yoga center is located in a century old house and a charming café supplied by owner’s organic farm. It is more like a western style retreat than a traditional ashram. There is a wide range of classes to choose from. The teaching is led by a team of 9 teachers and teacher training is highly regarded here.
These were the few best yogic centers to choose from if you wish to learn yoga in India. The yoga centers in India are quite diversified. One can get complete traditional and ancient feel at one centre and exactly opposite like a western retreat on the other. You will not find the traditional yoga with a western touch anywhere else in the world except India. When you have a myriad of options to learn yoga in India, why do you still wish to hunt for a good yoga training institute anywhere else in the world?
