#yogainrishikesh

+++ WARNING THIS POST MIGHT BE A BEET BORING FOR NON-YOGIS +++ 

Yoga classes in Rishikesh (Ram Jhula):

As I’ve mentioned before Rishikesh is the disneyland of yoga.  You could stay there sipping lassis, getting bendy and blissed out for months totally unaware of the madness that is in 99% of the rest of India.  I’m guessing that once the immigration rules change this year Rishikesh will become a bit of a cheap spa break for westerners in search of inner peace who have an aversion to paper work.  You now have no excuses to go to the most amazing country in the world :)

The yoga industry has very loose regulations.  You don’t have to have any qualifications to teach and even after doing the standard 200 or 500 hour teacher training courses there are no standard tests to pass so the range of teachers around the world from a mess to amazing is pretty spectacular.  My personal favourite will always be the Korean yoga teacher in Nepal who got hands/feet and left/right muddled up; the closest I’ve been to a drunk game of Twister on a yoga mat.  A lot of the better teachers use Rishikesh as a base for their annual MOT/check-up; not just checking in with one teacher but being in a location where you can get a taste of most types of yoga by some of the world’s best teachers.   Purists might chose MySore for Ashtanga (where Pattabhi Jois developed the style) or Pune for Iyengar (where BKS Iyengar still somehow at 96 still teaches), however, I’ve been to +50 teachers in the last 8 years and the best ones have been in Rishikesh.  Here’s my favourite and why (note that the listings are based on the tourist season schedules and all classes have mats available):

Surinder Singh Yoga

...btw photos on this post aren't mine but he really does look as happy as this all the time :)

If you overhear a conversation with “I love his classes he is amazing” chances are the discussion will be about Surinda’s class.  That doesn’t mean he has the best classes but he definitely gives the most love.  You have to negotiate a lot of cows and backlanes of Swargashram to find the yogashala, arrive early and often queue for a place but it’s worth it.  His classes are classic Hatha, quite slow with little happy spiritual anecdotes throughout and a soft tap on the shoulder after Surinda has made an adjustment.  Tips: arrive early and prepare to have overlapping mats.  Great for all levels.

Morning – Rajdeep Hotel, Ram Jhula, Swargashram (up close to the taxi stand, turn left towards Ganga Sai then ask). 8.30-10am.  He also does evening classes but I didn’t go.

Anup Gupta @Ananda



Anook is one of the few teachers who does specific pranayama classes so I went along to his 7am and was so impressed with his innovative techniques that I stayed for his 8am asana (yoga postures) class.  Blimey.  Traditional Hatha but looooong holds and the few classes I went to were 2.5 hours and included advanced asanas. Very little personal adjustments so I would not advise beginners go to this class but apart from that very impressive.
Located at the Geeta Ashram on the way up to the Shiva Temple/Taxi rank at the top of Swargashram.
Pranayama class 7-8am, Asana class 830-10am (but sometimes 11 ;) .  He also does ashtanga classes at 5pm

Brajesh@ Avatar

Despite being hard to find (Brajesh kindly found me on his bike and gave me a lift) this is one of the best yoga studios I’ve ever been in.  On a top floor high above Ram Jhula, it’s worth going to this class for the views alone.  The class is very slow (classical hatha) but if you like quality adjustments Brajesh is the best teacher I’ve ever had for personal adjustments.   It might, however, be as his classes are new and so for the 2014 season were small.  Typically 5-10 people as it’s a hard place to find so that could change once the word gets around. 

At Hotel Yog Vashishth, Swargashram (close to the Green Hotel) Drop in classes are 730-9am

Deepak@Tattva

For the Ashtanga heads out there Tattva yoga has a great reputation.  Kamal Sigh has a bad reputation for being overly commercial but his teaching and teachers are amazing.  Deepak teaches a few drop in classes of Ashtanga (beginners at 12 and intensive at 5).  Be warned, however, that at the beginners class I went to he did a crow ontop of my wheel and I later found out there were Ashtanga teachers in the same class.  Beginners in India doesn’t always mean simple.....although this is a catalogue photo this is what Deepak did to me in the 'beginners' class ;)

Swami Yogananda Maharaj Ji@Pamarth Niketan or Om Shanti Om 

This is one for the tourists.  Swami Yogananda Maharaj Ji is 106 years old and a legend.  His class has a focus on light breathing and stretching so is very similar to the Pawanmuktasana series with a bit of laughter yoga thrown in.  Having a 106 year old lead a laughter session really is quite something.  You won’t leave the class dripping with sweat but I can guarantee you’ll have a smile on your face.  This guy is pretty special.  I overheard someone talking to him about meditation and he said “I’ve been doing it for over 80 years and I still don’t get it so I just have a little snooze”.  Legend.

Location: Pamarth Niketan Ashram at 0630-0800, Om Shanti Om Sundays at 11am

Acro Yoga with Emily & Nunu 

Acro is great fun but needs to be taught by a qualified and safe teacher.  Emily is the best one I've come across, she's like a rock.   She will tangle you around in all sorts of shapes above her and the whole time you will feel 100% safe and you'll love your flight!

Above Trektindia in Laxman Jhula main market - Mon-Fri 11am-1pm (there are also jams on the beach in Ram Jhula from 4.30pm close to the Shiva rock).

Ashish at The Green Hotel

Ashish teaches Iyengar yoga.  My first Iyengar class was back in 2005, and at the time I found the therapeutic approach and detailed alignment quite frustrating.   However, I now appreciate that a style with such a scientific approach is useful.  If you look at the spectrum of yoga styles with Bikram being at one end (totally unguided and pushing yourself until you melt) Iyengar is at the other end with precise instruction and guidance.  Ashish was pretty good and I liked that he encouraged you to make notes, a rare opportunity for teachers to write useful stuff down.

Location: Green Hotel, Ram Jhula (in a laneway behind but if you ask at reception they'll direct you).  Drop in class 0830-1000

Usha Devi@Patanjala Yoga Kendra

I’ve saved the best for the end.   You might hear Surindar’s name more than Usha but it’s only as not as many people get the opportunity to learn with Usha.  It’s very hard to get into her drop in  Iyengar classes.  You book for a week as opposed to the daily drop ins (you can book daily but the price works out waaay cheaper for the week), and she only does drop in weeks once in a while.  Usha is a pretty unique lady;  she’s been in two serious accidents and had her body mashed to bits and in 1999 was told by multiple doctors that she would never walk.  She worked with BKS Iyengar (the chap who developed the style) and is now fully mobile.  Her teaching style is a mix between a strict army general and your favourite aunt.  One minute she is shouting at you for smiling or talking and slapping you hard on the thigh if you aren’t following her instructions, the next moment you see her smile and you feel her love.  Her classes are hard.   Really hard.  She’ll have you in a handstand and be talking you through all the parts of your body you need to move; who knew I needed to suck in my metatarsal, or that there are 6 corners to my heel?  From all the teachers I have ever been with, despite only having time for 3 lessons with Usha she is the one who has influenced my asana detail the most.   If you’re going to chose one teacher and her classes are available then do it.    

Patanjala Yoga Kendra is the first building on the left if you are walking from the Rickshaw stand in Ram Jhula towards Rishikesh.  Timing of drop in classes is based on the schedule.  Although the website says you don't need to register for the drop in classes, you do.  You'll need to go to the office at 8am on the Sunday before the classes start to register, there is usually a queue of eager Usha fans so good luck :)

Remember there are plenty of other teachers.   From speaking to others there are a few other good ones in Laxman Jhula and some very good teachers based in Ashrams on the Haridwar side of Rishkesh but I didn’t have time to check them out.  Another reason for me to go back :)

I've been two years in a row for Feb/Mar/April and I love that season in Rishikesh.  If you've a deep wallet you can also get to see most of the above teachers at the International Yoga Festival every March.  There's also one in November that is free and has a pretty good reputation (check out http://www.nadyoga.org/international-yoga-music-festival-rishikesh-india/ Nov 2014).

My six weeks in Rishikesh this year totally changed my practice.  Yoga is a process and the more you learn the deeper you go.  I’m so deep I can never get out and I love that :)