Yoga tours to India

Today, yoga is practiced by about a quarter of a billion people on the planet, which is why in 2016 UNESCO included this teaching in the List of Intangible Heritage of Humanity. “Yoga cannot be taught, but yoga can be learned,” says one of the popular principles of this philosophy, and every year hundreds of thousands of followers of the doctrine go to the place where it all began to comprehend its wisdom. How not to get lost in the variety of yoga tours to India, because today they are offered not only by yoga schools, but also by ordinary travel agencies? Let’s try to figure it out.

Where to go

It is impossible to put a dot on the map of India and say “yoga originated here”. By default, the entire Hindustan Peninsula is considered its homeland, with almost every region ready to offer its own “proper” yoga tour. However, only the most desperate seekers of enlightenment are able to go to Jammu and Kashmir, which is not recognized by Pakistan, so most tours are associated with “general tourist” places.

Rishikesh is the world capital of yoga, with not only the largest number of ashrams, but also three main trump cards – the Ganges, the Himalayas, and the Beatles. There are more than 200 ashrams of varying “seriousness” – from obscure huts to the legendary Maharishi, from whose bowels the White Album emerged.

In Rishikesh, they teach not only yoga but also Ayurveda, and offer a lot of additional activities – from Vedic cooking and Sanskrit courses to rafting on the Ganges and trekking in the Himalayas.

Kerala is the main Ayurvedic region in southern India, overlooking the Arabian Gulf, where you can successfully combine spiritual practices with a beach vacation. Related disciplines are also popular here: there are several hundred yoga ashrams in the region, most of which are concentrated on the coast. The best destinations for yoga tours are the state capital Trivandrum, the resorts of Varkala, Cochin, and Kovalam.

Goa is a word that conservative yogis and yoginis will only wince in disgust: the general frivolity of this resort state, in their opinion, is not consistent with spiritual practices. However, their more liberal colleagues have long and happily gone on yoga tours to Goa, taking the opportunity to combine training and practice with beach holidays and relaxation in the bosom of incredibly beautiful nature (and especially progressive ones do not forget to look at rave parties).

Holidays in India: when, where and why

Tamil Nadu’s specialty is the abundance of religious sights, mainly Shiva temples. Yoga tours are held mostly in the state capital Chennai. Tourist cities on the coast are also popular with those interested not only in yoga but also in the history, culture and religions of India.

Daily routine on a yoga tour

The daily routine on yoga tours depends on the seriousness of the enterprise. In classic result-oriented programs, students follow a 7-hour class program – 5 hours of practice and two hours of theory. Such an intensive schedule immerses the practitioner in the world of yoga and includes not only the basic elements – asanas and pranayama – but also related disciplines – bandhas (internal energy clamps), naulas (internal organ massage), mudras (folding fingers into special shapes), japa (mantra repetition) and meditation.

Students are given lectures on the philosophy of yoga, explained cleansing practices, and provided with theoretical material on pranayama and mudras. Classes are usually held under the personal guidance of a master.

During the practice, the translation is carried out by the master’s personal students – yoga instructors in India, which guarantees the correct meaning.

Realizing that not all students are ready for such a rigorous immersion in the rather ascetic world of yoga, travel agencies offer lighter options for tours. In them, theory and practice are limited to learning asanas and training in proper breathing, and free time is devoted to beach vacations, excursions and relaxation. The approximate daily schedule of such tours is 1.5 hours of yoga practice in the morning and evening, lectures and master classes in the middle of the day, and the rest of the time is free.

How much does it cost

The cost of yoga tours depends on a lot of factors – the duration of the programs and the category of the ashram, the degree of academicity of the course and the popularity of the teachers, accommodation, the availability of additional courses and leisure activities. In general, a standard two-week tour with a basic training program will cost from 20-25 thousand UAH with accommodation in a double room and three vegetarian meals a day. Courses for teachers are more expensive – from $1000 for a basic 100-hour course to $2000-3000 for a detailed 300-hour training. Prices on the page are as of March 2023.

The price of special courses and seminars depends on their exclusivity and varies greatly: a weekend intensive may well cost several hundred dollars, while individual lessons with a renowned teacher will ask you to pay a thousand dollars or more.

When to go

The season of yoga tours to India coincides with the tourist season. Most programs are held from October to March, when the resorts of the southern states have hot, dry weather and almost no rain. This allows you to practice yoga outdoors and combine the practice with beach vacations and sightseeing trips.

The tourist season in the Himalayas lasts exactly the opposite: people come here from May to July and in September to October. At this time of year, it is moderately dry and sunny, warm enough and comfortable enough for outdoor yoga practice and walks.

In July and August it is also warm, but rainy and foggy, while most yoga practitioners appreciate the mountains for the opportunity to feel the energy of mountain landscapes that are not hidden behind the curtain of rain.