Rishikul Yogshala

Courses at Rishikul Yogshala start the same way each month. Students check in on the evening of the 6th, before seven, and orientation begins on the 7th. The school stands at Narayan Kunj in Jonk Village, near Ram Jhula in Swarg Ashram, on the banks of the Ganga in Rishikesh.

It was founded in 2010, and the school says more than 25,000 students have graduated since. It is registered under the Society Act with the Indian Government and recognized by Yoga Alliance International, the Rishikesh Yoga Association and Yoga Alliance (USA). Its stated mission is to carry Indian yogic teaching forward, drawing on Swami Rama, the Iyengar approach to body and mind, and Swami Satyananda's Bihar School of Yoga. Its vision is stated as a mantra: may everyone be happy, free from disease, see goodness in everything, and may none be distressed.

The teacher trainings run at 100, 200, 300 and 500 hours. The curriculum covers Ashtanga, Iyengar and Hatha postures, pranayama, meditation, philosophy, anatomy and physiology, and adjustment and alignment. All are residential, and the 300-hour course requires the 200 first. A seven-day retreat offers a shorter immersion: three yoga classes a day, two massages, and excursions to the Ganga Aarti, a local market or the Mauni Baba trek, depending on weather.

Students live in one of three accommodation buildings, in simple twin rooms with a study table, hot water around the clock and Wi-Fi. Private rooms are available as well. Three sattvic vegetarian meals a day follow Ayurvedic principles, with produce bought from local shops. One seat in every batch is a fully funded scholarship, covering tuition, materials and certification. It goes to commitment rather than credentials, and the recipient pays only for room and meals, listed at $749 for the 200-hour course.