I've had a wholesome and beautiful experience at Rishikesh Yogpeeth!
The place:
It is a place I now call home: Nestled in the mountains, only reachable by foot it's quiet, authentic, surrounded by nature... and simply a magical place.
I've completed two trainings at this place, one in 2024 and one in 2026, and while the place grows (they recently added their own temple!), you can still feel the heart of the place remains and grows with it.
One way you can tell this is by the people who work there. Because of it's location of being nestled into the mountains, staff and teachers there are residential.
Most people who work there are either from the village up the mountain or at the Ashram. It's incredible, how community is at the core of Yogpeeth, actually. You'll see the same faces every day and very quickly feel part of the family.
This goes for the teachers as well: Instead of heading back home at the end of the day or after class, the teachers stay at the Ashram. You might see them in the cafe, in the dining hall for lunch or dinner, or in the evening or in between classes. A special part of the curriculum is 1-on-1 sessions with the teachers, where you'll meet in the break times or after dinner to discuss your topics of choice, ask questions, simply chat or Asana-focused.
The Curriculum:
For each of the parts of the curriculum there's usually a specialist teacher who stays on-site. The times I was there, there's a group teacher for Asana and Alignment, a teacher for Chanting and Pranayama, a teacher for Philosophy and Meditation and an Ayurvedic doctor who teacher anatomy and Ayurveda.
For a while now the doctor has been residential and offers Ayurveda consultations, which you can combine with Ayurvedic treatments and massages on-site. If you're feeling unwell or your muscles are sore or you're just feeling for a treatment, it's really convenient and also reassuring to have this on-site.
At the beginning of the course we had a check-in with a teacher, on any health concerns, injuries, former injuries... so they can best act and react during the course. During Asana, Alignment, Pranayama the practices and poses are then adjusted to your requirements. A beautiful day to integrate each and every person - the true sentiment of yoga.
Outings:
Since you don't leave the Ashram during the week (it feels so integrating to stay), there's usually an outing down into Rishikesh on the day off. The first one is fully arranged by Yogpeeth, the second or third can be self-organized, but there's usually a group heading down and Yogpeeth organizes the taxis again.
There's always the option to stay at the Ashram and get all full meals, an option I opted for a few times to find more peace and solitude in this beautiful place.
Plus, there is always the option to hike down to a beautiful waterfall (20 min) or up to the village and temple on regular days.
Traveling Solo & Safety:
I traveled as a single female and it turns out: So do most.
I know a lot of people have concerns for the safety of traveling alone: And I really felt safe the whole time. The Ashram can organize taxi pick-ups from and to the Ashram, even from Delhi. A great way to feel safe the moment you step off the plane, because the Ashram keeps an eye on it. Once at the Ashram, there's a ground keeper at night, and during the day, everyone knows who comes and goes.
The Accommodation:
This place is built in the middle of the mountains and yet: They managed to build such a beautiful setting with beautiful gardens and bungalows.
I always shared the room and I haven't heard of anyone who magically gets along with their room-mate. Yogpeeth claims to randomly allocate rooms, but honestly it feels like they always manage to make fantastic pairs. ;)
The rooms are comfy and clean and we get fresh sheets and towels once a week, which, again, the fantastic staff and people from the village wash for us.
It's a different life up there, one that fits perfectly with the idea of yoga. A full immersion into letting go, needing less - and finding back to what matters.