International Yoga Day 2019: Worldwide Famous Yoga Institutes
June 21st, the day which coincides with the summer solstice was declared by the UN General Assembly as International Day for Yoga. The very first World Day was celebrated all around the world, with great enthusiasm in spite of hostile weather conditions in different parts of the world.
There are many World Wide famous yoga centres, providing everything from in-depth courses to flexible drop-in classes. As the style of yoga and approach to teaching varies at each centre, it’s important to give proper thought to your needs before applying.
Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh
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. The ashram also performs sacred Indian wedding ceremonies and a Ganga aarti every evening.
Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram, Chennai
Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram was founded by the son of the “grandfather” of modern yoga — T. Krishnamacharya. Krishnamacharya taught yoga to both BKS Iyengar and Sri K. Pattabhi Jois. He developed an individualized style of yoga known as Vini yoga, based on Hatha Yoga adapted to suit different needs. The Heart of Yoga is one of the institute’s most popular programs. It’s a 120 hour, four-week non-residential intensive covering key aspects of asana, pranayama, philosophy, meditation, and chanting. Vedic chanting and pranayama (breathing) courses are also offered, along with a special 500 hour+ International Teacher Training Program.
Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune
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. Unfortunately, there can be a two-year wait to get a place at the Institute. As the Institute emphasizes the in-depth study of yoga, students are also required to have substantial prior experience in practicing Iyengar Yoga.
Must Read: Ramamani Iyengar Yoga Institute where Iyengar Yoga integrates the body, mind, and emotions
Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Mysore
Located in Mysore and run by descendants of the revered guru Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois, who taught yoga there from the 1930s up until 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. Accommodation isn’t provided but there’s plenty to be found close by.
Bihar School of Yoga, Munger
The Bihar School of Yoga ashram was founded in 1964 by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a student of Swami Sivananda Saraswati (one of the greatest yoga masters of the 20th century, who founded the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh). It’s a very old-school place that teaches a full yogic lifestyle. Satyananda Yoga incorporates traditional postures, breathing, and meditation. However, if you attend school, you’ll find that postures are rarely practiced there. Instead, the emphasis is on work (service) and meditation. Those more interested in attending a yoga course would be better off enrolling at the offshoot Bihar Yoga Bharati, which is more open to foreigners.
Must Read: Amrita Yoga School : Tool to experience the Treasures of ancient Wisdom
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers & Ashrams, Kerala and Tamil Nadu
Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Centers and Ashrams were founded in 1959 by Swami Vishnudevananda, another disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati. Teachings are based on the five points of yoga—postures, breathing, relaxation, meditation, and diet. The ashrams offer 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 ashrams, are also offered.
Yoga Institute, Mumbai
The Yoga Institute is the oldest organized centre of yoga in the world. It was founded in 1918 by Shri Yogendraji, a disciple of Shri Paramhamsa Madhavadasji (a renowned yoga master from Bengal). The Institute, while not being as well known as some of India’s other yoga centres, 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.
Art of Living, Bangalore
The Art of Living Ashram is considered to be one of the finest ashrams not only in India but also in the world. It includes breathing techniques, stretching, yoga postures, meditation, and relaxation, education about Patanjali, yoga sutra, and Ayurveda. In Level 2 it offers in-depth knowledge and experience about yoga. It provides a complete cleansing process- both mind and body. It includes advanced yoga poses and breathing techniques, along with subtle strengthen and healing contradictions.
Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore
The Isha Yoga Center is an organization which is located in Coimbatore. It was founded by Sadhguru with the motive to create an inclusive culture towards global harmony and progress. Their program provides resources of the ancient science of yoga in every dimension. The programs provide methods for anyone to attain physical, mental and spiritual well being.
Must Read: Yoga : T Krishnamachaarya – A True Yoga Master and a Complete Teacher
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.
@religionworldin
