Yoga- India Long standing Tradition of Healing
Yoga is a means of discovering and comprehending spiritual India. Additionally, yoga is linked to Indian culture and tradition. Yoga, which means "to unify" in Sanskrit, denotes a way to have a healthy existence. Yoga aligns and strengthens the body while disciplining the mind via meditation. According to yoga, our health is actually influenced by our body's neurological system. Daily yoga practice helps to purify the neurological system, which keeps our bodies robust and healthy.
The theory underlying the age-old Indian practice of yoga has had an impact on a number of facets of Indian society, including the way that the country's education system and cultural institutions, as well as its health care and medical systems, operate. The yogic principles, which focus on uniting the mind with the body and soul to promote improved mental, spiritual, and physical welfare, play a significant role in the community's culture. Yoga is a set of postures, meditation, controlled breathing, word chanting, and other practices said to aid in the development of self-realisation, the alleviation of any pain one may be going through, and the attainment of a state of happiness.
It is practised by both young and old people without regard to gender, class, or religion and has gained popularity throughout the world. Yoga was traditionally taught via the master-pupil relationship known as the Guru-Shishya model, with yoga gurus serving as the primary keepers of the associated knowledge and abilities. As well as schools, universities, community centres, and social media, yoga ashrams or hermitages now provide devotees new possibilities to learn about the historical discipline. Yoga is taught and practised using both ancient writings and scriptures in addition to the abundance of contemporary literature on the subject.
Unquestionably, India is the centre of yoga in the world. India is home to thousands of centres of excellence for yoga, from the Rishikesh Himalayan foothills to the picturesque backwaters of Kerala. From the newest studios in Bengaluru, the IT hub, to the oldest Yoga centre in Mumbai, a range of styles and courses are offered in yoga schools. Nearly all traditional types of yoga have its roots in India, including Sivananda, Ashtanga, Iyengar, and Vinyasa.
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which comprise 196 Sanskrit sutras on the practice of yoga, state that there are eight limbs to yoga, or Ashtanga. These eight limbs serve the goal of self-realisation or enlightenment. The following are the eight limbs of yoga:
Yama, which means abstention or self-control, comes first. Niyama, which means observation, comes second. Asana, which is the practice of maintaining a yoga stance, comes third. It makes it possible for the body to meditate for extended periods of time. It is accomplished by letting the body relax or become less rigid and allowing the mind to unify with the infinite (the infinity symbol in yoga represents oneness, that all humans are united in this circle of life).
Fourth, pranayama is a technique for managing and harmonising the breathing cycle, which results in a protracted exhalation of air.
Fifth, Pratyahara tries to remove one's cognition-based senses.
Sixth, the Sanskrit word Dharana means to focus.
Seventh, Dhyana, meaning to ponder and reflect; eighth, Samadhi, is the state of intense spiritual absorption, or oneness attained via meditation.
In recent years, yoga has also gained popularity in the west, which has encouraged a growing number of people to travel to India and study the practise there in a traditional environment. In India, there are several yoga studios offering everything from comprehensive courses to convenient drop-in sessions. Consider your needs carefully before applying because each centre has a different teaching style and approach to yoga.
You can get a sense of what is available from the following list of traditional yoga schools in India.
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Ashtanga Institute, Mysuru- The Ashtanga Institute is based in Mysore and is governed by the famous guru Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois's descendents. Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois taught yoga there from the 1930s until his passing in 2009. Only serious pupils are allowed in the classes, and spots are in high demand. You must submit your application at least two months in advance. Although there isn't any offered, there is plenty nearby.
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Krishnamacharya Yoga Centre, Chennai- The head of the Krishnamacharya Yoga Centers is TKV Desikachar, a descendant of T Krishnamacharya, the "grandfather" of contemporary yoga. One of the largest and most renowned yoga centres in India, its programmes cover the concepts, teachings, and practise of asana, pranayama, meditation, mantra, and key aspects of yoga philosophy. In addition to yoga therapy sessions, Yoga Mandiram offers several international programmes for educating yoga teachers as well as programmes for instructors of healing chants. Some courses are two to four weeks long.
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Purple Valley Yoga, Goa- Goa's Purple Valley is the place to go if you're a modern yogi who wants India, detox juices, quick Wi-Fi, and access to the top Ashtanga teachers in the world (John Scott, Petri Raisanen, Alexander Medin). Despite its hardcore reputation, beginners are welcomed and even encouraged, making it a fantastic place to begin your Ashtanga training. Mysore-style self-practice is available in the morning, and special workshops in philosophy, yogic life, kirtans, and pranayama are offered in the afternoons. The retreat is stretched out over two houses in the Portuguese style and tropical forest-themed gardens. Buffet meals are prepared by two chefs from abroad and one Ayurvedic chef and include items like soy burgers and masala millet crepes. Additionally available are consultations with massage therapists and Ayurvedic physicians. Purple Valley, which was once the domain of international students, is increasingly gaining popularity among Indians.
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Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute, Pune- Students from all over the world attend this institute to study yoga. Iyengar yoga classes are available at this yoga studio for all skill levels, with a focus on breath-controlled postures. There are separate classes for women, children, and people with medical conditions. Registration is required in advance. A maximum of six courses may be taken each week over the course's one-month term.
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Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh- Yoga may be studied in a profoundly spiritual setting in Parmarth Niketan in the holy town of Rishikesh, with its stunning mountain backdrop. The eight-acre site of the ashram contains 1,000 rooms. It offers a broad range of yoga for beginners, Vedic spirituality, and teacher training programmes, among other things. Visitors can attend the daily classes as well. The ashram has an annual international yoga festival in March that is a major draw. The ashram also conducts a Ganga aarti each evening and traditional Indian wedding ritual.
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Bihar School of Yoga, Munger- Swami Satyananda Saraswati, a disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswati, established the Bihar School of Yoga ashram in 1964. (One of the greatest yoga masters of the 20th century, who founded the Divine Life Society in Rishikesh). It's a very traditional setting where a complete yogic lifestyle is taught. Traditional postures, breathing techniques, and meditation are all included in Satyananda Yoga. Attending the school, you'll discover that postures aren't frequently used. The focus is on service and meditation rather than work. The offshoot Bihar Yoga Bharati, which is more welcoming to foreigners, would be the best choice for those who are more interested in taking a yoga course.
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Sivananda Vedanta Yoga Centres Neyyar Dam, Trivandrum- Vishnudevananda, a close follower of Swami Sivananda, founded the Sivananda Vedanta Center. The teaching philosophy is built on the five pillars of yoga, which are postures, breathing, relaxation, meditation, and diet. Yoga and meditation classes are available at the Neyyar Dam ashram, and they are suitable for both novice and experienced practitioners. Yoga TTC (yoga teachers training courses) and advanced TTC are offered all year long at the Sivananda Neyyar Dam Ashram and its group ashrams in Kerala and the Himalayas. They provide some of the best yoga retreats and vacation packages in India. Three to four weeks are the average length of a course.
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The Yoga Institute, Mumbai- The Yoga Institute is the world's oldest officially recognised centre for yoga. Shri Yogendraji, a student of Shri Paramhamsa Madhavadasji, created it in 1918. (a renowned yoga master from Bengal). The Institute provides a variety of top-notch courses, workshops, and camps despite not being as well-known as some of India's other yoga centres. In particular, the therapeutic health camps are intriguing. These work to treat a variety of illnesses, such as those relating to the heart, lungs, and sugar, hypertension, arthritis, and stress. Additionally, there are unique programmes for young people and expectant mothers.
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AyurYoga Eco Ashram, Mysuru- Shri Krishna Chaitanya is the founder of the AyurYoga Eco Ashram, which is situated in South India halfway between Mysore (Karnataka) and Kerala state. It occupies 18 acres of pristine countryside. One of the top yoga ashrams in India, AyurYoga offers a range of yoga teacher training programmes, wellness retreats, and Ayurveda and spiritual retreats. AyurYoga and its staff used focused karma yoga to transform the formerly desolate patch of land into a lovely tropical paradise. They have designated a portion of the ashram for an organic vegetable garden, which now meets the needs of the ashram in addition to a yoga and Ayurveda area.
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Phool Chatti, Rishikesh- The ashram, located 5 kilometres upriver from Rishikesh's iconic Laxman Jhula suspension bridge and next to a historic pilgrimage path, draws on the spiritual vigour of the holy city while avoiding its frantic bustle. Although Swami Dev Swarup Nanda is in charge of the ashram, Sadhvi Lalitambay, the yoga director, who has lived here since she was 15, is in charge of most classes. During the seven-day yoga course, participants will meditate, recite mantras, use neti pots to clean their nasal passages, practise pranayama, do asanas, pray, sing kirtans, and engage in a lot of discussion about yoga philosophy. There are also meditative strolls, hikes, and river dips. Although the ashram itself is almost a century old, the facility recently underwent renovations, so the rooms now have some contemporary amenities, like hot showers.
