Frequently Asked Questions

Since 2005. For more than twenty years we have run yoga teacher training courses and retreats in Rishikesh, and today we teach at our own home, Abhayaranya Yoga Ashram, in the forest above the town. Students come to us from all over the world. In the last year alone they came from 65 countries.

A traditional yoga school in a working ashram, not a wellness resort. We treat teacher training as serious study: early mornings, full attendance, daily practice and the classic texts. Students tell us the discipline is what makes the weeks here so rewarding.

You can read more about the campus on The Ashram page.

By design. The ashram was built above the town so that study happens away from traffic, markets and noise. Everything is carried up on foot, which costs us more, and students often say the quiet is the best part of their stay.

It depends on your time, your experience and what you want to take home.

If you want to teach, or simply to go much deeper into your own practice, start with the 200 hour yoga teacher training. If you already hold a 200 hour certificate, the 300 hour course takes you further. If you have about two months and want the whole path in one go, the 500 hour course joins the two. If you want rest and a reset rather than a qualification, a 7 or 14 day retreat is the better fit.

Not sure? Message a program counsellor on WhatsApp and talk it through.

Yes. The 200 hour and 500 hour courses assume no earlier study of yoga theory or anatomy. The first days build strength, alignment and breath from the basics, so everyone has a solid foundation before the work gets harder. Last year 88% of our students were not yoga teachers when they arrived.

No. Many students train to deepen their own practice and never teach a class. Others start teaching soon after they go home. About one in five of last year's students came only for their own practice, and the course is the same for everyone.

The 200 hour course runs for 3 weeks and 1 day and covers the foundations: asana, pranayama, anatomy, philosophy and how to teach. Graduates can register with Yoga Alliance as RYT 200.

The 300 hour course runs for 4 weeks and 1 day and is only for people who already hold a 200 hour certificate. It goes further into subtle anatomy, adjustments, scripture and teaching practice.

The 500 hour course is the two taken back to back, with one rest day between them, over 7 weeks and 4 days.

Dates for every course are on the teacher training page.

A 200 hour yoga teacher training certificate from a school registered with Yoga Alliance (RYS 200). We ask for a copy before we confirm your booking. Certificates from online RYS 200 courses are accepted too, as long as the school that issued yours is still registered.

Very likely not. Last year our students were aged 18 to 70, and one in six was 40 or older. Flexibility is something the course builds, not something you need on the first day. Teachers adapt each pose with props and simpler versions, so you practise with the body you have.

Choose a retreat if you want to rest, practise and recover for a few days or weeks, with no study hours and no assessment. Choose teacher training if you want a full timetable of classes, real study and a certificate at the end.

If you start with a retreat and find you want more, you may be able to move into a training batch.

It is a full and intensive course. You practise twice a day and spend the rest of the day in classes and study, six days a week, so it tires the mind as well as the body. Most students find the first week the hardest and settle into the rhythm after that.

You do not need to arrive as an expert. If you are new to yoga, a few weeks of gentle practice, stretching and simple breathing at home is plenty. Arrive well rested rather than after a burst of hard training, and come with an open mind. The course is there to teach you.

We suggest you pause it. The course gives your body plenty of work, and rest is part of the training. If you do exercise on your own, keep it light, especially in the first week while you adjust.

Traditional Hatha Yoga, as set out in classic texts such as the Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita. We do not teach a branded style. Names like Power Yoga or Vinyasa Flow belong to the last century and mostly describe the physical side of yoga.

You will still learn alignment, sequencing and flowing practice, so you can teach the kind of classes studios offer around the world. But the heart of the training is the older practice: steady holds, breath work, awareness of energy and meditation. Postures are taught as preparation for a calm, steady mind.

Daily classes study Patanjali's Yoga Sutras, the Bhagavad Gita and the ethics of yoga. The course opens with the first of the Yoga Sutras, atha yoga anushasanam, “now begins the teaching of yoga”. We read it as an invitation to set aside what you think you know and to study with patience and discipline.

To meet the teachers behind these texts, see India's Spiritual Masters.

It grew from Indian spiritual traditions, and we teach it as philosophy and history. Students of every faith, and of none, study it with us. You are welcome to join the chanting and ceremonies, and no one is asked to adopt a religion.

You will learn the Sanskrit terms used in yoga, the names of the asanas, and how to pronounce and chant key sutras and mantras. You do not need to know any Sanskrit before you arrive.

Alignment is a daily class of its own. Teachers show how a pose changes for different bodies, using wooden blocks, cotton straps, bolsters and the wall, and how to keep joints and ligaments safe. You learn to adjust students mainly with clear spoken cues and light, careful touch, never by pushing a joint further than it wants to go.

Yes. In the last week of anatomy classes you get a full introduction to Ayurveda: the three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha), the body's tissues and the digestive fire, agni. Our resident Ayurveda doctors and qualified medical doctors contribute to the anatomy module.

A team of resident teachers who live and teach at the ashram, each with their own subject, such as asana, philosophy, anatomy, pranayama or meditation. You can meet them on our teachers page.

To confirm · Add the number of teachers per batch if you want it here (the current site says 6 to 7).

Yes. Rishikesh Yogpeeth is a Registered Yoga School with Yoga Alliance (USA) at the RYS 200, RYS 300 and RYS 500 levels. When you graduate, you can register with Yoga Alliance as an RYT 200, RYT 300 or RYT 500 teacher. You do this on their website, and they charge their own registration fee.

Not by law in most countries. Yoga Alliance is a private register of schools and teachers, not a government licence. In practice, though, studios, gyms, resorts and insurers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Europe and Australia usually ask for an RYT 200 or RYT 500, so it helps you find work and get insured.

Yes, if you want one. Alongside your Yoga Alliance certificate, you can choose a Certificate Course in Yoga from Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University (HNBGU), a central university of the Government of India.

Tell the office when you book or during your first week. You pay the university's examination fee, and you sit the university's written and practical exams at the ashram during your course.

To confirm · Confirm the exact certificate name and which courses (200, 300, 500) it is offered with. Same open item as on the Partners page.

Yes. Attendance at every class, lecture and practical session is required. Absence is accepted only for genuine illness or an emergency. Your certificate says you are ready to teach, so missed classes or repeated lateness can cost you the right to sit the final assessment and receive it.

At the graduation ceremony on the last morning of your course, together with the rest of your batch.

On the 200 hour course the bell rings at 5:30 am. Cleansing practice (shatkarma) starts at 6, mantra chanting at 6:15, pranayama at 6:30, and asana runs from 7:15 until breakfast at 9.

Philosophy follows at 10:30, then alignment, adjustment and teaching method at noon. After lunch at 1:30 there is time for self study, then anatomy at 3:45, a second asana class at 5 and meditation at 6:45. Dinner is at 7:30, and lights go out at 10 pm.

To confirm · Timetable taken from the current 200 hour page. Confirm it is current, and whether the 300 hour day differs enough to mention.

It is a working ashram, not a holiday resort. Days start early, attendance is required and the timetable is full. Most students find the rhythm comes easily after the first few days, and many say it is the part they miss most when they leave.

Yes, Sunday is a rest day with no classes. The school organises outings for anyone who wants them, such as a walk to Patna waterfall, a trek along the ridge, visits to Himalayan temples, the evening Ganga Aarti on the river in Rishikesh, or a swim in a mountain stream. You are just as welcome to rest, read or explore Rishikesh on your own, as long as you are back before dark and rested for Monday.

Yes. Despite the forest setting, there is Wi-Fi in the common areas, the library and the student cottages, so you can stay in touch with family and handle anything essential.

Speed can vary, and the connection in the hills sometimes drops for a while, so please do not plan work that depends on it. The timetable is full anyway, and many students enjoy spending less time on their phones.

Everything you need for the course. On the first day you receive a tote bag with your course manual, notebooks and pens. Mats, blocks, straps, bolsters and your own neti pot are provided. Course books are lent to you from the ashram library, so there is nothing to buy.

Most students head to the library, which looks out over the mountains and holds yoga scriptures, philosophy and anatomy books and quiet desks. The café on the edge of the ridge serves masala chai, golden milk, coffee and light snacks, and is where people write their journals and get to know each other. The terraced gardens have stone paths, benches and quiet corners facing the hills.

Day 1 is for arriving. You check in, settle into your room, have your health screening and join the orientation. There are no classes that day. Classes begin on the morning of day 2.

The last day ends with the graduation ceremony, which usually finishes between 10:30 and 11 am. You can check out and leave any time after 11.

Our team meets you at reception, checks you in and shows you to your room. They walk you through the timetable, meals and the campus, and arrange your health screening. Keep your passport and booking confirmation handy for check in.

Each student checks in in person, as your passport and registration are checked on arrival. If you are travelling with another student and arriving at different times, tell us beforehand and we will plan around it.

Yes, if a room is free. Extra nights before or after your course include your room and all meals, and are charged per day. Ask a counsellor when you book.

Yes. The ashram has a simple laundry service: your clothes are washed in a washing machine, not pressed or ironed as in a hotel. It is charged separately. Ask at reception. Many students also wash small things by hand.

Please ask us before anyone plans a visit. The ashram is a place of study with its own rules about guests, and we will tell you what is possible for your dates.

To confirm · Add the actual visitor rule if there is one (for example daytime only, or Sundays only).

Rooms are in cottage style stone buildings set along the mountain terraces. Every room has its own private bathroom with hot and cold water, a wooden bed with cotton linen, a study desk and shelves, and a view over the forest and valley. There are no televisions, on purpose.

Hot water times can vary through the day, so please use it with care. Water and power are precious on a mountain ridge.

The course is exactly the same either way. A twin shared room suits people who like company and want to keep their costs down. A private room suits light sleepers and anyone who wants quiet for study. You will find the fee for each on the course pages.

Yes, you can ask. If you are coming with a friend or have met another student before the course, tell us their name before you arrive and we will do our best to put you together. Requests made at check in are much harder to arrange.

Three vegetarian meals a day, freshly cooked in the ashram kitchen. The food is sattvic, meaning simple, light and nourishing, and follows Ayurvedic ideas about what supports a body in daily practice. Everyone eats together.

Yes, always. Vegan and gluten free meals are part of everyday cooking in the ashram kitchen, so there is no difficulty. Just tell us when you book. If you have a medical diet or a food allergy, write it on your registration form so we can plan with you.

Because the ashram is remote and everything is carried up the hill, the kitchen cannot follow lifestyle diets such as keto, high protein or carnivore, or personal fitness meal plans.

No. The ashram is vegetarian, and we ask every student to respect that for the whole of their stay, including what they bring in. If you have a medical reason for a particular diet, talk to us before you book.

On a forested ridge above Patna waterfall, near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, India. Our address is: Abhayaranya Yoga Ashram, Neelkanth Temple Road, above Patna Waterfall, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand 249302, India.

The closest is Dehradun Jolly Grant Airport (DED), about 20 to 25 km from Rishikesh, or roughly 45 minutes by road. Many international students fly into Delhi (DEL) instead, which is about 5 to 6 hours away by road.

Yes, if you would like us to. About 10 days before your course starts, our team opens a WhatsApp group for your batch. Post your flight details there and ask for a pickup, and we book a trusted taxi to meet you.

The taxi is an extra charge, and you pay it at our front desk once you reach the ashram, so there is no money to sort out with a driver in a new country.

Yes. Trains run to Rishikesh station, and Haridwar station nearby has more connections to major Indian cities. From either, a taxi takes you on to the foot of the trail. Buses and taxis also run from Delhi. Whatever you choose, plan to reach the trail by 4 pm.

Post your new arrival time in your batch WhatsApp group as soon as you know, so we can change your pickup if we are arranging your taxi. If the delay means you cannot reach the trail by 4 pm, we will help you book a hotel in Rishikesh for the night and you walk up the next morning.

No. No vehicle can reach the ashram. The road ends at the foot of the hill, and from there it is a walk of about 1.5 km uphill on a forest trail. Porters carry your luggage up for you.

About 30 minutes for most people with average fitness, a little longer if you stop often for the view. The trail is unpaved, with gravel, uneven stone steps, some steep stretches and a small stream to cross. Wear proper walking shoes or trainers for the walk, not sandals. Sandals are fine once you are at the ashram.

Please plan to reach the start of the trail by 4 pm, so you finish the walk in daylight. The trail runs through a protected forest with no lights and wild animals about, so no one walks it after dark.

If your flight or train is late, stay the night at a hotel in Rishikesh and walk up the next morning. Let us know in the WhatsApp group and we will help.

Porters carry your main bag up on arrival and down when you leave, free of charge. Please keep that bag to about 15 to 18 kg, and no more than 20 kg. If you bring extra bags that need a second porter, there is a small charge for each extra trip.

Report it at the airline's baggage desk before you leave the airport and keep the reference number. Then tell us. The airline is responsible for finding and delivering your bag, and we will help with basics at the ashram while you wait. Carrying a change of clothes and your medicines in your hand luggage makes the wait much easier.

Pack light and practical. Comfortable, modest clothes for yoga and loose, light clothes for the rest of the day. A warm layer for cool mornings and evenings. Walking shoes for the trail and sandals for the ashram. Your toiletries, sunscreen, insect repellent and any medicines. A reusable water bottle and a small backpack. A power adapter if your plugs differ. An umbrella or rain jacket in the monsoon months.

There is no need to bring a lot. Rishikesh has plenty of shops for anything you forget.

No. Mats are provided, along with blocks, straps and bolsters. If you like the feel of your own mat, you are welcome to bring it.

There is no need to buy any. Comfortable, breathable clothes that cover shoulders and knees are right for classes and for ashram life. Many students enjoy buying a few Indian clothes in Rishikesh once they arrive.

It changes a lot through the year. Summers are hot, the monsoon brings rain and humidity, and winters are cool, especially early in the morning and in the evening, and cooler still up on the ridge. Tell us the month you are coming and we will suggest what to pack.

To confirm · Optional: add rough month ranges (for example monsoon July to September) if you want them public.

Yes, some. Cards and UPI payments are common in Rishikesh, but small shops, taxis and stalls often take only cash. A modest amount of rupees for snacks, local transport and small purchases is useful. There are cash machines in Rishikesh.

Yes. Foreign visitors can buy an Indian SIM card with their passport and visa, though registration takes a little paperwork. An eSIM or international roaming also works if your phone and provider support it. If you plan to use an Indian SIM, make sure your phone is unlocked before you travel. Our team can point you to the options in Rishikesh.

Usually, yes. About one in four students last year told us about an injury or a health condition. Write yours on the registration form when you book. When you arrive, our Ayurveda doctor and yoga therapy teachers see you, and they tell your asana teachers which poses to change or leave out for you.

Yes. Every residential student has a full body screening on the first day. It looks for imbalances, old injuries and anything that limits movement, so your teachers can guide your practice safely from the very first class.

Yes. Bring enough for your whole stay, in the original packaging, with a copy of the prescription or a note from your doctor. Some medicines have travel or import rules, so check yours before you fly. Tell us about any medication that might affect your practice.

Tell a member of staff straight away. Our team knows the local doctors and hospitals and will help you get care and arrange anything you need. We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers medical treatment in India.

Rishikesh is known as one of the safest towns in India for international visitors and for women travelling alone, and 92% of last year's students were women. The ashram is a private campus with staff on site day and night. From your airport pickup to the walk up and the whole of your stay, you have named people to contact.

Outside the ashram, take the same care you would anywhere: keep valuables out of sight, avoid quiet places after dark, and tell someone at the ashram if you go beyond the usual places.

Two kinds, each for 3, 7 or 14 days.

The Yoga Retreat gives you morning and evening asana classes, pranayama, guided meditation, yoga nidra, mantra chanting and a daily philosophy talk.

The Yoga and Ayurveda Retreat includes all of that plus Ayurvedic care: consultations with our doctor, meals planned for your constitution, daily massage and treatments chosen for you.

See our retreats for dates.

3 days is a short first taste of ashram life. 7 days is the most popular choice and the shortest stay in which most guests feel real change in their stress, sleep and habits. 14 days gives a full reset, with time for complete Ayurvedic cleansing (panchakarma) and a deeper settling of body and mind.

Private consultations with our resident Ayurveda doctor, including pulse reading (nadi pariksha) and an assessment of your constitution. Panchakarma treatments chosen for you. A daily Ayurvedic massage (abhyanga) with herbal oils. And meals that the doctor plans with the kitchen to suit each stage of your treatment.

Read more on the Ayurveda retreat page.

Mostly, yes, but your treatment comes first. After some treatments, such as intensive massage, shirodhara (warm oil poured over the forehead) or internal cleansing, the doctor will ask you to rest completely. On those days you skip the stronger asana classes so your body can recover.

No. You need no experience of yoga, meditation or Sanskrit. Our senior teachers give simpler and harder versions of each pose, so beginners and experienced practitioners share the same class comfortably.

Yes, if the next 200 hour batch has room. Talk to our student care team at the ashram. What you have paid for your retreat is counted towards the fee for the course.

If you booked 7 or 14 days and leave after fewer than 7, your stay is recalculated at the daily rate for short stays, which is higher. Anything included only in stays of 7 days or more, such as the full doctor consultations, is adjusted too.

Each course page shows its current fees and dates, so they are always kept up to date in one place. Courses and retreats are residential, and the fee covers your room, three meals a day, tuition, course materials, books on loan, practice props and your certificate.

Start with the teacher training courses or our retreats.

Choose your course and dates, fill in the booking form and pay the deposit. Your place is held once the deposit reaches us, and you pay the balance when you arrive at the ashram.

Book your place

Your place is confirmed once your deposit has reached us and your registration is complete. We then send you a confirmation with the details of your course, your room and your arrival.

If you have paid and have not heard from us within a few days, send us the email address you registered with and your payment details. International payments can take a little time to reach us, and we will check for you.

No, the deposit is not refundable. If you give us enough notice, though, it is not lost either: you can move it to a later batch.

You can, but the deposit is not refunded. If your plans change, write to us before you change any travel, because moving your dates is often possible instead.

When you arrive at the ashram. There is nothing more to pay before you travel.

By bank transfer to our account in India, or by card through a secure online payment link that we send you. Students in Australia can pay into our Australian bank account and avoid international transfer fees.

At the ashram you can also pay in cash (US dollars, Indian rupees, euros or pounds), by UPI or Paytm, or by card. Card payments made at the ashram carry a small bank processing charge.

We send bank details only by email from our official address. If you ever receive payment details that look different, please check with us on WhatsApp before you pay.

To confirm · Bank account numbers are left off the public page on purpose (fraud risk). Confirm the last paragraph matches how the team sends payment details.

Yes, if you tell us at least 5 weeks before your course starts. We then keep your full deposit for 6 months from the original start date, and you can use it for any batch with room in that time.

If you tell us less than 5 weeks before the start, or do not arrive, the deposit is lost.

Yes. Courses and retreats that start in May, June or July are 10% off. If you later move a summer booking to a batch outside those months, the discount no longer applies and the standard fee is due.

Very occasionally, when a batch has a place to spare close to its start date. Scholarships are rare and cannot be planned, so if you are ready to train, please book in the usual way. Read how it works on the Yoga Scholarship page.

No. Everything at the ashram, from food to building materials, is carried up the hill, which makes it costly to run. To keep things fair for every student, all guests, content creators included, pay the standard fee for their room and meals.

Most international students come on India's e-Tourist Visa, which you apply for online before you travel. There is no embassy visit and you do not post your passport anywhere. Depending on your passport you can usually choose a 30 day, 1 year or 5 year visa. Make sure your visa covers your whole stay. Rules change and depend on your nationality, so check them and apply only on the official Indian e-Visa website.

Yes. Once you have registered and paid your deposit, we send you an official letter of acceptance on our letterhead. You can attach it to your visa application or show it at immigration if you are asked.

Your passport, your visa or e-Visa, your flight or train tickets, your booking confirmation, your travel insurance details and an emergency contact. Keep paper copies of the important ones, and digital copies in your email or cloud storage in case anything goes missing.

No. Please do not set off until your visa has been granted, as you will not be allowed to board or enter India without it. When it arrives, check that your name, passport number and dates are all correct before you fly.

We do. House of Om is a yoga school based in Bali that offers our programs through its own website and social media under the name House of Om India. From the day you arrive, your teaching, your room, your meals and your care are all run by Rishikesh Yogpeeth at our ashram.

More on this on our Partners page.

Not always. House of Om sets its own deposit, payment dates and rules for changing dates, and these differ from bookings made directly with us. For questions about your payment or changing your booking, please check with House of Om. For anything about your course or your stay, talk to us.

To confirm · The emails list House of Om's terms (larger deposit, full payment 30 days before, a charge for changes). Left general on purpose so the page never goes out of date or contradicts their terms.

Yes. You join the same batch, with the same teachers, timetable and certificate. Please arrive ready for ashram life: early mornings, full attendance and a disciplined daily routine, which is quite different from a holiday retreat.

Yes. Yoga Bodhi is our community for everyone who has completed a course with us, in any year. Members join live online sessions and stay connected with teachers and fellow graduates. Find out more and register on the Alumni and Yoga Bodhi page.

Yes, through the Nishkam Volunteer Program, which is open to Yoga Bodhi members. Selection has three steps: a video interview, a psychological evaluation and a final interview.

Our students write reviews on Google and TripAdvisor. We show a selection, word for word and including the less glowing points, on our Student Reviews page, with links to the full record on both sites. If you trained with us, an honest review there helps the next student most.