Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-shala.webp The yoga shala
Open to the forest and the morning light. The 5:30 bell leads to pranayama, asana and the day's study.
The Ashram · Rishikesh, India
A yoga ashram in Rishikesh, built in the forest for study
Abhayaranya Yoga Ashram sits in the Himalayan forest above Rishikesh, a 40-minute walk from the nearest road. It has one purpose, the study and practice of yoga, and in the last year alone it welcomed students from 65 countries.
- Yoga Alliance RYS 200 · 300 · 500
- HNB Garhwal University extension centre
- Teaching since 2005
Stand-in photo · export ashram-hero-aerial.webp The story of the ashram
From a school in Rishikesh to a forest ashram in the Himalayas
Rishikesh Yogpeeth began in 2005 with one conviction: that yoga deserved to be studied with the seriousness of a school, in the town where it began. The ashram is what that conviction looks like when you build it.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-archive-2023.webp -
A yoga school opens in Rishikesh
Rishikesh Yogpeeth begins teaching traditional Hatha Yoga to international students in the town where yoga is said to have begun.
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The move uphill
As Rishikesh filled with schools, the search turned to the forest above the town, near the Patna waterfall, where there is no road and no noise.
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An ashram built by hand
With no vehicle access, every brick, beam and book was carried up the trail on foot. It still is: food, supplies and luggage all arrive the same way.
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Abhayaranya, "the forest of fearlessness"
The ashram takes its name from the forest around it, a place to practise without fear or hurry.
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A university extension centre
An MoU with HNB Garhwal University, a central university of India, lets students earn an academic Certificate in Yoga alongside Yoga Alliance certification.
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An ashram in India with a worldwide family
More than 20,000 students from 120+ countries have trained or stayed here since 2005, and the ashram welcomes a new batch every month.
Film: the ashram in Rishikesh
Stand-in photo · export ashram-film-poster.webp Who comes to the ashram
One year at our ashram in India, told by the people who came
We looked at every student registration from October 2025 to October 2026: 545 people from every corner of the world. Here is who they were.
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65 countries in one year
Students registered from 65 countries in twelve months, from the USA and Germany to Mongolia, Kenya and Paraguay.
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91% travelled from abroad
91% came from outside India. The ashram runs in English, for international students, and new students arrived in every month of the year.
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6 continents represented
Europe, North and South America, Asia, Oceania and Africa: whichever one you fly from, others from it will be in your batch.
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92% of students were women
Nine in ten students were women. The ashram is a private, staffed campus with faculty living on site through every course.
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88% were not yoga teachers
88% arrived as students, not teachers, and one in five came only for their own practice. You do not need to be advanced to belong here.
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18–70 age range
Students were aged 18 to 70, and one in six was 40 or older. Teacher training here is not only for people in their twenties.
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1 in 4 shared a health note
One in four told us about an injury or health condition when they registered, from knees and backs to asthma. Tell us too, so we know before you arrive.
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1 in 3 came from full-time jobs
A third were in full-time work and one in ten was on a career break. Courses of 3 to 7 weeks fit annual leave or a sabbatical.
Where our students came from
Share of the year's registrations, by continent
Top 10 countries
- USA
- India
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- Australia
- Canada
- France
- Netherlands
- Italy
- Israel
Map slot: illustrated world map with the 65 countries of the last 12 months lit in Burnt Sienna, Rishikesh marked. Export as WebP, 1600 px wide.
Based on 545 student registrations, October 2025 to October 2026. Aggregate figures; no individual is identified.
No road, by design
The 40-minute walk that keeps the ashram quiet
No traffic, no tour buses, no drop-in crowds. The trail from the trailhead to the gate is the ashram's founding decision, and the reason it feels so different from the busy streets of Rishikesh below.
- Porters carry your luggage up, one per student, up to 15–18 kg.
- We coordinate your arrival from Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun.
- Students tend to arrive worried about the remoteness and leave calling it the best part.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-walk-trail.webp Inside the ashram
Life at Abhayaranya, space by space
Everything on the hillside exists for study, practice and rest.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-shala.webp 
Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-room.webp Cottage rooms
Private and twin-shared rooms with attached bathrooms, hot water round the clock, and the forest outside every window.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-library.webp Library and study spaces
Texts on philosophy, anatomy and the classics, with faculty at the dinner table when a passage needs unpacking.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-ayurveda.webp Ayurveda therapy rooms
An on-site Ayurveda doctor and therapists serve the detox programs and every student by consultation.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-thali.webp Kitchen and dining hall
Three sattvic vegetarian meals a day, cooked fresh. Vegan and gluten-free diets are catered daily.
Stand-in photo · export ashram-space-waterfall.webp The trail and the waterfall
The Patna waterfall is a short walk away; Rishikesh town, the Ganga Aarti and Lakshman Jhula fill the days off.
360° tour slot: shala, a cottage room, dining hall and the garden.
Safety
An ashram in India that women travelling alone trust
92% of last year's students were women. The ashram is a private, staffed campus; resident faculty live on site through every course and are available around the clock; and we coordinate your journey from the airport to the trailhead.
Read student reviews
Stand-in photo · export ashram-garden-practice.webp Notable mentions and recognition
Recognised in India and reviewed around the world
Yoga Alliance RYS 200 · 300 · 500
A Registered Yoga School at all three levels. Graduates can register as RYT 200 or RYT 500.
HNB Garhwal University extension centre
Through an MoU with this central university of India, students can also earn an academic Certificate in Yoga.
As featured in
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Award name, awarding body and year
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Award name, awarding body and year
Before you come
Questions about staying at an ashram in Rishikesh
Abhayaranya Yoga Ashram is in the Himalayan forest above Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, near the Patna waterfall. It is a 40-minute walk from the nearest road, which is why the campus is so quiet.
Fly to Jolly Grant Airport, Dehradun, the nearest airport, then take a taxi to the trailhead. We coordinate your arrival when you register. The last stretch is a 40-minute forest walk, and porters carry your luggage (one porter per student, up to 15–18 kg).
Yes. Last year 88% of our students were not yoga teachers when they arrived, and one in five came only for their own practice.
Last year our students were aged 18 to 70, and one in six was 40 or older. Practice is taught to the body in front of the teacher, not to an age.
One in four students last year told us about an injury or health condition when registering. Write it on your registration form so our faculty know before you arrive and can plan with you.
92% of last year's students were women. The ashram is a private, staffed campus with resident faculty available around the clock, and we coordinate your journey from the airport to the trailhead.
Vegetarian is our default; vegan and gluten-free meals are prepared daily, and medical diets are planned with you at registration.
By design. The ashram was built above the town so that study happens away from noise and distraction. Everything is carried up on foot, which costs more, and students tend to call the quiet the best part of their stay.
Above the noise of Rishikesh, since 2005
Join students from 65 countries at the ashram
Choose a course, or ask our yoga program counsellor anything about reaching and living at the ashram.