It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the sheer number of reputable yoga retreats and centers in India. As the motherland of yoga, the country naturally offers some of the best spaces to broaden your understanding of the ancient practice. To help you get started, we have rounded up a list of the seven finest yoga retreats in India where you can not only perfect your asanas but also learn about the yogic way of life.
This popular retreat, which specializes in Astanga Yoga, offers a range of courses of varying durations and ability levels. Set in the small seaside village of Assagao, near the market town of Mapusa, Purple Valley also boasts a fantastic location in addition to the various services that they offer. Courses come with complimentary and delicious vegetarian meals and accommodation options.
Teaching traditional Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the Krishnamachar Yoga Shala offers a variety of courses and teacher training programs. Taught under the supervision of Sri BNS Iyengar, the oldest living teacher of Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, the courses offered here are among the finest in the world. Accommodation, including private rooms with a shared kitchen, bathroom and terrace, is available to students.
Spanning across 12 acres in the forested foothills of the Western Ghat mountains in Kerala, this reputed center of yoga’s surroundings are serene. Among the range of courses offered at the Ashram are specialized camps for kids and teenagers, as well as advanced teacher training programs.
Set in the foothills of the Velliangiri Mountains in Tamil Nadu, the Isha Yoga Centre offers a range of introductory and advanced Hatha Yoga courses. Students are provided accommodation within the center’s rustic cottages, which come with attached bathrooms and air conditioners on request. Along with yoga programs, the center also offers meditation courses aimed at helping students progress towards inner peace.
Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre, Dharamkot, Himachal Pradesh
This eco-retreat for yoga and meditation sits within the hilly forests of Himachal Pradesh. With stunning views of the Himalayas, and surrounded by dense greenery, the Himalayan Iyengar Yoga Centre truly lets students disconnect from the rest of the world and delve into their yoga practice. Along with yoga courses and teacher training programs, the retreat also offers Ayurveda and meditation workshops.
With centers in Mumbai and Varanasi, The Yoga House offers frequent retreats, workshops, and classes for yoga practitioners of all levels. In addition to guiding you with your practice, The Yoga House will also help you explore the yogic way of life with talks on philosophy and enriching vegetarian meals.
One of the oldest and most comprehensive centers of yoga research, teaching, and learning in the world, Kaivalyadhama is where you should go if you are serious about your practice. Along with workshops and small-term courses, the center’s College of Yoga also offers advanced diplomas and bachelor’s degrees in Yoga philosophy.
