Parmath Niketan, Rishikesh

It was a rainy morning for a change, and luckily we had no early appointment. Our next meeting was at 2:30pm with Bhagvati at the Parmarth Niketan where no programme was running at the moment due to the upcoming yoga festival. Still, we could visit the facilities and see some of the 150 boys who study there, performing asanas near…

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Phool Chatti Ashram, Rishikesh

Our new day in the Phool Chatti Ashram started with a photo session of this wonderful place. Initially Lalita was not very fond of letting us go around the compound taking photographs and interacting with students, but the feeling got more relaxed after a short while. Coni ended up taking group pictures with all the yoga students, first with his…

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Complete yoga in Rishikesh: pranayama, asanas, meditation, philosophy, group chanting

We accepted Swami Veda’s invitation and stayed in the ashram for the night. It was a spontaneous decision, and we had to buy some toothbrushes on the spot. It was a great idea, we could see the full morning programme, which started at 5am with pranayama, asanas and meditation. After breakfast we visited the research center where we…

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Yoga science, yoga silence

Today we visited the Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama ashram, which follows the teachings of the Himalayan Yogi Swami Rama, who was also a master in controlling body functions like heart beat. One of the central ideas of the center is to scientifically prove the benefits of yoga. In the evening we were invited for a dinner and private…

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Iyengar yoga class in Rishikesh

Usha Devi teaches strict Iyengar yoga at the Omkarananda Ashram in Rishikesh. “Do less, but do it with understanding”, “See how the mind has to be connected with the body”, “Listen, you are not in holidays”, “Come on! Quickly!” – these are some of the words you could hear during her morning class which we attended. There…

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Omkarananda Ashram, Rishikesh

We met Usha Devi at 10am, just after her morning class in the Omkarananda Ashram in Rishikesh. Her guruji is none other than world famous B.K.S. Iyengar, the founder of Iyengar yoga. Each year Usha spends a couple of months in Pune where she’s in direct contact with Guruji, while the rest of the year she stays…

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Ashtanga Yoga Institute, Mysore

Today we’ve visited the birthplace of ashtanga yoga: the Ashtanga Yoga Institute. We’ve met Sharath Jois, the director of the yoga institute. He follows the yoga tradition of his grandfather, the world famous Pattabhi Jois. Just two significant details about Sharath’s life: He gets up every day at 1 am to start his practice. He is the…

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Mysore Mandala Yogashala in Karnataka

We left Bangalore early in the morning to be on time at our next destination – the Mysore Mandala Yogashala, in Mysore, Karnataka. We were welcomed by Harish, the founder of this small institute. It was a great experience to spend the day there, joining the Asthanga class, watching the Bharatanatyam lesson (an old traditional…

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Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram in Kerala

A smooth ride took us to the Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram at the Neyyar Dam, located in the foothills of Kerala’s Western Ghats. We were overwhelmed when seeing hundreds of people performing asanas everywhere – in halls, buildings, gardens, on the lakeside. We will examine this vibrant yoga place in the next two days…

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