Best yoga schools in India – Yoga is a spiritual practice that is deeply rooted in Indian culture. For centuries, spiritual seekers have made this holy land their new home to experience yoga in all its glory. Moreover, even those who came here for just a casual visit could not resist the peace and calm that yoga practice offers for their stressed-out mind. Thus, people look out for the best yoga schools in India to start their yogic journeys.
However, if your idea of yoga is sitting cross-legged with eyes closed, then there is a lot you have to know about this ancient practice. Different yoga styles have evolved from traditional yoga over the years and each of them has its unique features. The practice of yoga is not just one but a multitude of asanas or poses that enhance your physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Finding the best yoga schools in India plays an important role in helping you advance your present yoga practice. You might google the list of the top 15 best yoga training schools in India. But you need to have a clear knowledge of the different styles of a yogic practice prevalent in India.
Given below are the four major yoga styles you can learn at the best yoga schools in India.
The Iyengar yoga is a form of the Hatha yoga style that relies heavily on the physical practice of yoga asanas. It is amongst the best yoga styles you can practice at the best yoga schools in India. The movements you do in Iyengar Yoga works to improve your body alignment and it also includes the right breathing techniques.
Iyengar Yoga is a free-flowing form of yoga where you can use yoga props like blocks, belts, and ropes to hold your body in a particular position for a specific asana. If you are looking for a yoga style that offers physical benefits, then choose Iyengar Yoga.
The Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga is also known as the Mysore style of yoga. It follows a set of sequences of yoga asanas you practice with the right breathing techniques. This style of yoga is practiced widely and differs from its western counterpart.
Choose Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga if you want to practice a yoga style having pre-defined asanas and some great physical benefits. The class has a teacher during every session to guide you. However, they do not provide a step-by-step for each asana.
Hatha yoga primarily includes the physical yoga poses you perform during the yoga session. The modern-day version of Hatha yoga focuses on slow movements. You hold each asana for a few breaths before moving on the next.
If you are a complete yoga beginner then choose from the list of the top 15 best yoga training schools in India that offer Hatha yoga classes. However, some of the best yoga schools in India offer you advanced lessons on Pranayama, meditation, and the right yoga diet.
Also, read Hatha vs Vinyasa
If you want to practice yoga to dive deeper into your spiritual side, choose the Kundalini yoga style. Kundalini yoga is a combination of a particular sequence of body movements also known as Kriyas, the right breathing techniques, meditation, and mantra chanting.
Kundalini yoga activates the dormant serpent energy coiled around your spine to help you connect with the higher consciousness and unlock your true potential.
With that said, you have to keep in mind some points before saying yes to any particular yoga school. These points will help you find one of the best yoga schools in India providing lessons on the yoga style you want to practice.
Finding the best yoga schools in India is a tiresome task especially with so many yoga schools promising the best yoga practice. Given below are three tips to help you find the best yoga training program in India.
Do you want yoga teacher training near your home or are you willing to step out of your comfort zone? Location plays a vital role when it comes to choosing from the list of the top 15 best yoga schools in India as you need to disconnect mentally and be comfortable when practicing yoga. You should search for a yoga teacher training school that is located within natural surroundings like a mountain or beaches to get a relaxing experience.
You have to find out the best yoga schools in India that cover every aspect of the yoga style you want to practice. Also, the methodology plays a vital role as the course should provide you with the right conditions to advance your yoga practice.
A teacher is the life and blood of the best yoga schools in India. The level of knowledge and experience of the yoga teacher decides if the course is worth your time and money. You should prefer yoga teachers who have earned the Yoga Alliance certification.
Did Yoga Alliance ring a bell? Let us understand a bit about Yoga Alliance and its relation to the sacred art of yoga.
Yoga Alliance
Yoga Alliance is a US-based non-profit organization that represents the interests of the yoga community around the world. The organization plays a major role in promoting safe and accessible information on yoga to everyone and upholding yoga teaching standards around the world.
You might be thinking why the information mentioned above had specifically mentioned India for your yoga practice when you have endless options right in your country. Allow us to elaborate.
Although the knowledge of yoga has reached the farther corners of the world, there is a specific reason why you should visit India for mastering this art. India is the birthplace of this sacred art and where thousands of yogis come every year to know their true self.
Given below are the three major reasons why visiting India for your yoga teacher training is worth it.
For the majority of people practicing yoga in the west, it is all about breaking a sweat with a constant flow. However, that is not how yoga is taught in India. Here it is not just about its physical practice but also how it can help with your mental and spiritual growth.
Yoga practice in India is a lifestyle that includes not just practicing specific yoga asanas but also how you treat others, what type of diet you consume, and how you view the world around you. That is what you are going to learn in the best yoga schools in India.
Yoga has been a part of the Indian culture for more than 5,000 years. The long-term objective of yoga practice in India is to help you clear your mind of any emotional or mental blockage. Yoga is a bit of a complicated process that takes a person’s entire life to master. It is the reason why India is not just a land of mystics and gurus but also the best to start your yoga journey. Therefore, the best yoga schools in India aim at the overall wellness of a person.
Yoga as taught in India is not just about headstands or tree pose but art that focuses on your physical, mental, and spiritual growth. You can choose from the list of the top 15 best yoga schools in India to learn this ancient art.
Yoga has been a part of the Indian culture for centuries. It is the best way for you to keep your mind, body, and spirit free of any unnecessary stress. There are thousands of yoga schools in India. However, not everyone is able to provide you quality education.
Also Read: 12 Basic Asanas You Learn In Yoga Retreat Center
With that said, given below are the top 15 best yoga schools in India that you can enroll in to begin your yoga practice.
With that said, given below is a list of the best yoga schools in India offering the best yoga teacher training.
Located in the lap of the beautiful Himalayas in Rishikesh, Parmarth Niketan is a good option for you to study the spiritual aspect of yoga. This is one of the best yoga schools in India having a total of 1,000 rooms within its 8-acre campus. Parmarth Niketan provides you with beginner yoga courses, courses on Vedic heritage, and a yoga teacher training course.
Known for attracting yoga students from all around the world, the Ramamani Iyengar yoga school offers classes in Hatha yoga. The yoga school offers special yoga classes for women, children, and those with medical issues. Ramamani Institute focuses on in-depth knowledge of yoga. You have to possess some prior experience in the practice of Hatha yoga before applying to this school. Therefore, it is one of the best yoga schools in India for every age group.
If you are giving a career as a yoga teacher some serious consideration then choose Svadhyaya Kosha. The yoga school is located within the lap of the mighty Himalayas and the holy river Ganges. Courses offered at Svadhyaya range from a beginner-level 200-hour course, the intermediate-level 300-hour course to the 500-hour advanced yoga course.
The best part is you will be learning yoga from teachers who have practiced this sacred art and earned their Yoga Alliance USA certification. They provide in-depth lessons on yoga philosophy, meditation, mantra chanting, Yoga Nidra, Kundalini yoga, Pranayama, and others. It is the reason why the list of best yoga schools in India has Svadhyaya Kosha in the top 3.
Located in the foothills of Kerala’s the Western Ghats, the Shivanand Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram helps you master the ancient art of yoga. Your knowledge and practice of yoga reach a new level under the guidance of highly skilled yoga teachers. Being one of the best yoga schools in India, it aims to spread world peace by helping individuals work on their mental and spiritual well-being.
The yoga course includes lessons on the eight major systems in your body, how to teach yoga, mastering the art of Pranayama and Bandhas, and others.
Ashtanga Yoga Institute helps you advance your yoga practice beyond its physical aspects. The teachers at the school help you gain perfect control of your mind and body. Yoga courses at Ashtanga Institute provide you knowledge regarding yoga asanas, the yogic lifestyle, knowledge of the Yoga Sutras, and the art of body adjustment among others.
Himalayan Yoga Center, located in Kerala provides you lessons on how to use yoga to achieve unity of mind, body, and spirit. One of the best yoga schools in India, it offers beginner-level courses that provide the basics of yoga. Teachers at the center want everyone to unlock their true potential via yoga practice.
You learn multi-style yoga asanas, the culture and history of yoga, yogic techniques like meditation retreat and pranayama, and others. This is what makes the Himalayan yoga center find a place in the list of best yoga schools in India.
Located in the beautiful city of Dharamshala, Bhagsu Yoga Institute has highly skilled yoga teachers to help you attain total peace of mind. It is one of the best yoga schools in India that has a mission of spreading the knowledge of this sacred art beyond geographical limits. Bhagsu offers you in-depth lessons to master yoga techniques like Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, and mantra chanting, the five types of yoga asanas, and others.
Founded in 1964 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati who was a disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati, the Bihar school of yoga is an old yoga teacher training institute that offers you a chance to experience the true yogic lifestyle. This is one of the best yoga schools in India that incorporates traditional yoga poses with the right breathing and meditation. The main focus of the Bihar school of yoga is more on work and meditation.
Located in the economic center of India, Yoga Institute is the oldest organized center for yoga in the world. The institute was founded in 1918 by Shri Yogrendraji, who was a disciple of Shri Paramhansa Madhavdasji. Yoga Institute offers a variety of yoga courses, workshops, and camps.
You also have therapeutic health camps to overcome ailments like heart or respiratory problems, diabetes, hypertension, orthopedic conditions, and other stress-related health issues. They also provide special programs for children and pregnant women. Hence, it is one of the oldest and the best yoga schools in India.
T. Krishnamacharya, also known as the “father of traditional yoga” found the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram. Krishnamacharya taught yoga to B.K.S Iyengar and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. He is credited with developing the style of Viniyoga, which is based on the Hatha yoga style.
A popular program of this yoga school is the 120-hour 4-week non-residential course that covers the important aspects of yoga like pranayamas, asanas, meditation, philosophy, and mantra chanting. Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram has an intensive 500-hour International Teacher Training program for yoga.
Located in Dharamshala, Chinmay Yoga takes yoga practice to a whole new level with its range of yoga programs. Teachers at this yoga school help you take your yoga practice beyond its physical aspects and work on its spiritual and mental aspects. Chinmay Yoga is located away from the distractions of city life and that helps you focus on connecting with your being.
Chinmay Yoga school provides you in-depth knowledge of yoga history and philosophy, mantra chanting, different meditation techniques, Hatha and Kundalini Yoga, and others. Teachers at Chinmay Yoga possess complete knowledge of the yogic lifestyle. Thus, it is one of the best yoga schools in India having vast yoga practitioners around the globe.
Operated by Usha Devi who is a disciple of BKS Iyengar, Omkarananda is located on the banks of the Ganges and just outside Rishikesh. They offer beginners and advanced-level yoga courses that do not have any complicated registration process. They also have a nine-day intensive yoga course that requires three years of regular Iyengar yoga practice.
Abhinam, which is a Sanskrit word that stands for humble and egoless. Teachers at Abhinam believe that yoga is a life-long process and a permanent lifestyle instead of just the practice of specific yoga asanas. The yoga school believes in spreading peace and harmony with the adoption of a yogic lifestyle and creating a zero competition environment for everyone in the yoga practice session.
Abhinam Yoga School offers lessons on Ashtanga yoga with in-depth knowledge of the practice of Ashtanga yoga. They provide advanced lessons on the Sanskrit language with meticulous lessons on different yoga asanas. Hence, it is one of the best yoga schools in India aiming at overall wellness.
Mahi Yoga offers both yoga beginners and advanced practitioners an opportunity to take their yogic practices to another level. The yoga school believes in spreading the actual knowledge of yoga by adhering to Indian tradition. Teachers at Mahi Yoga believe in instilling a sense of yogic harmony and peace to help you adapt to the yogic lifestyle.
Classes in yoga practice include lessons on in-depth knowledge of vinyasa flow yoga. Also, you learn about breathing techniques, yoga anatomy, and workshops on arm balance during a yoga session.
Kranti Yoga, located on the pristine Patnem Beach of South Goa attracts yoga lovers from all around the world. Teachers at Kranti Yoga combine modern practices of yoga with the entire knowledge of yoga.
The yoga school offers lessons on human anatomy, yoga philosophy, self-practice of yoga asanas, and among others.
Yoga helps you clear your mind of any distracting thoughts to live a life. Regular yoga practice helps you maintain good physical health. However, you would need to enroll in a Yoga Alliance certified yoga school to reap the full benefits of this ancient art. The list of the top 15 yoga training schools in India would help you choose the right place to kickstart your yoga journey.
Ans) Yes! India is a perfect location to study and practice yoga. It is an ancient art that has become a part of the Indian lifestyle. Hence, you learn how to incorporate yoga practice into your routine.
Ans) Ashtanga yoga is one of the hardest yoga forms that you can practice. It is because of the requirement of the highest level of dedication, discipline, hard work, and consistency to practice this yoga form.
Ans) Yes! Beginners can join a yoga teacher training course. For that, they can join the most basic yoga course, 200 hour YTT. It is a perfect course for beginners to get familiar with all the yoga terminologies, asanas, meditation techniques, and much more.
