Top 6 Yoga Schools/Centres in India

1. Ramamani Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune, Maharashtra

The renowned institute attracts serious students of yoga from all over the world. It conducts regular classes in Iyengar Yoga, a form of Hatha Yoga that focuses on postures, for practitioners of different levels. Special classes are also held for women, children, and those with medical problems.

As the institute emphasises the in-depth study of yoga, students are also required to have substantial prior experience in practising Iyengar Yoga. A must-visit destination for serious yoga practitioners, the institute is run by the children of the grand old man of Indian yoga, the late B.K.S. Iyengar.

2. Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute, Mysuru, Karnataka

The institute in Mysuru, a city of palaces and fountains near Bengaluru, is much sought-after by foreigners serious about yoga. Located in Mysuru and run by descendants of the revered guru Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, who had been teaching yoga there since the 1930s before his death in 2009, the Ashtanga Institute offers ongoing intensive Ashtanga Yoga classes throughout the year.

The classes are intended for serious students, and places are much sought after. It is necessary to apply at least two months in advance.

3. Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Based in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, this institute teaches the Viniyoga tradition of gentle yoga. The Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram is run by the son of the ‘grandfather’ of modern yoga, T. Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya taught yoga to both B.K.S. Iyengar and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois.

The style of yoga practised at the institute is Viniyoga, which involves using the tools of yoga, such as postures and breath, to suit different needs. Non-residential Pilgrimage of Sound, Vedic Chanting, Heart of Yoga, and Pranayama courses are offered for international students twice a year. A special International Teacher Training Programme is also offered.

4. Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala

Situated in the sylvan surroundings of Neyyar Dam and forests just outside Kerala’s capital city, Thiruvananthapuram, the 12-acre Sivananda Yoga Ashram offers a peaceful setting for yoga and meditation.

The ashram follows a holistic approach that brings together yoga, devotion, and philosophy. It offers drop-in classes as well as courses in yoga and meditation. Its beginner’s yoga and meditation courses are particularly popular.

5. Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand

Nestled in the Himalayas on the banks of the Ganges, Parmarth Niketan has long catered to travellers visiting the holy city of Rishikesh, a destination renowned for its yoga traditions.

The ashram has 1,000 rooms spread across its eight-acre campus. With its stunning mountain setting and location beside the sacred Ganges, Parmarth Niketan offers a deeply spiritual environment in which to study and practise yoga.

6. The Bihar School of Yoga, Munger, Bihar

The Bihar School of Yoga ashram was founded in 1964 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati. It is an old-school centre that teaches a comprehensive yogic lifestyle. Satyananda Yoga incorporates traditional postures, breathing techniques, and meditation.

However, those attending the school will find that postures are rarely practised there. Instead, the emphasis is placed on work, or service, and meditation. Those more interested in attending a structured yoga course would be better served by enrolling at the offshoot Bihar Yoga Bharati institute, which is more open to international students.