The sacred city of Rishikesh, located on the Himalayan foothills hills of northern India, will always be associated with the Beatles and their stay there, in the study of transcendental meditation in 1968.
This divine Hindu pilgrimage site resting peacefully on both sides of the sacred river Ganges has recently formed the core for outdoor activities and yoga. Join us to have such life transforming experience in The world capital of Yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, We currently lead Multi-Style in 100 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, 200 hours yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, 300 hour yoga teacher training in Rishikesh, 500 hour yoga teacher training course in rishikesh , Our all courses are affiliated by yoga alliance USA, Yoga alliance UK, Yoga alliance inter-national.
Here is a list of basic activities in Rishikesh that can be explored for several weeks or days.
Experience life in an ashram
Rishikesh has one of the largest ashram groups in the world, defined in general as spiritual retreats. Himalayan Yoga Ashram is one suchpopular ashram that you can visit and experience during your rishikesh tour. The Ashram was founded in 2012. For the last 5 years, many spiritual researchers have been enriched following their routine discipline , participating in a teacher training program or Ayurvedic healing.
The Himalayan Yoga Ashram is located in Tapovan, a very quiet area of Laxman Jhula in Rishikesh. We are surrounded by mountains around and the Ganges always flows nearby, calming the senses as soon as one arrives here. This particular area has also been blessed with a light breeze, even in summer!
By staying in the ashram, you will get a useful structure to purify your being and reconnect to your spiritual heart. The eternal joy that we all seek be it consciously or unconsciously dwells in this sacred place and waits to be rediscovered by us.
The daily guidance of the ashram is performed by Yogi Ram under the initiation by grace of his Guru Swami Hanuman Giri.
Another popular ashram – Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh is home to the International Yoga Festival to be held in March.
Attend a ceremony of Ganga aarti at the Parmarth Niketan ashram
The Hindu religious rituals known as ‘aartis’ are performed on the banks of the river every evening at sunset and include music and fire as offerings to the ‘Mother Ganges’, as known in Hindu culture.
It is not rare to see the fires burning in the distance, indicating that a body that is incinerated by the ashes will soon be dispersed in the river, a Hindu ritual that promises to free the soul from the constant cycle of rebirth.
Plunging your feet into the Ganges while establishing a floating bed is part of the tradition, considered as the complete bath, for those looking for a more realistic experience. However, the river flows rapidly and banks can be slippery with moss, so be careful.
Aarti at Haridwar
It is worth taking a day trip to the enchanting nearby town of Haridwar to witness its aarti, However,watch out for false saints who try to steal a “donation”.
Attend a session of kirtan
Rishikesh is home to a series of small temples that serve as makeshift places for musicians who perform kirtan (long songs and songs of prayer in response) accompanied by harmonies, tablas, flutes, symbols and any other instrument that surrounds them.
These sessions can continue at any time and participation is generally welcome (although it is better to ask first with a silent gesture).
Visit the Beatles Ashram
Technically, it is the ancient ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught transcendental meditation to celebrities like Mia Farrow, Mike Love of the Beach Boys and Mick Jagger. But it was the Beatles who put the Maharishi and Rishikesh on the map when they visited their vast 14-acre ashram in 1968.
Although they left the Maharishi after their journey, Rishikesh was a creative blessing for John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The couple wrote more than 30 songs in the ashram, including most of The White Album, while the visit would have had a lasting impact on George Harrison, both musically and spiritually.
The compound was discarded after the Maharishi moved to Europe in the 1970s, although the Indian government did little to restore it, it was opened to the public in 2015.
Inside, you can enter the vaulted meditation caverns that inspired “Dear Prudence”, who wrote about Mia Farrow’s sister who didn’t want to “go out and play”, go up a path with a view of the Ganges and visit the great hall of meditation Adorned with colored graffiti.
Enjoy the outdoors
- Just 90 minutes by car, Rajaji National Park is home to over 500 elephants, along with dispersed panthers, leopards, deer and even anteaters, and offers on-site accommodations for those who wish to enjoy wildlife.
- For even more adventures, try bungee jumping from a specially designed cantilever hanging from a cliff in the Ganges.
- Cross one of the two giant walkways.A more pedestrian-type outdoor activity, but which can be equally treacherous, involves crossing the two narrow footbridges of Rishikesh.
- Pedestrians and motorists share a narrow road to Lakshman Jhula.Built in 1929, Lakshman Jhula stands 59 feet above the water level, extends for 450 feet and is only 6 feet wide. Although mainly used for pedestrian traffic, pedestrians crossing the bridge, who tremble significantly, must maneuver around motorcycles and cyclists, as well as cows or families of monkeys that swing on cables.
- Although its twin bridge Ram Jhula was built in 1986 and spans 750 feet, it offers an adventure no less.
Visit the city of Rishikesh
Many Rishikesh pilgrims overlook this microcosm of India, unaware of the fact that there is a lively street market just minutes from its peaceful borders. The city of Rishikesh is a collection of maddening restaurants, candy shops, fruit and vegetable stalls, mechanics and souvenir shops that embrace both sides of the busy Haridwar Road. Try the special desserts, as well as fresh and fragile peanuts.
Socialize in cafes
Being a holy city, Rishikesh strictly prohibits alcohol and non-vegetarian food, so eating out is a fairly sober affair. Although restaurants are plentiful, with some small attempts to serve international cuisine, coffee shops are found here. Pumpernickel’s German bakery near Lakshman Jhula, for example, offers no pumpkin bread, but serves excellent coffee along with tasty desserts and foods. Many travellers tend to stay in these cafes for much longer than a meal, since Wi-Fi is free and relatively stable. This can be a fun way to exchange stories with other travellers, connecting to your Instagram accounts (a must for those travelling to India) and track your travels.
Embrace the animals
As in many parts of India, many different animals live with humans around the city, including sheep, cows, pigs and dogs. Monkeys are famous for taking food away from people when they walk, or for attacking hotel rooms if they see open windows, even while they are being watched.
Although it is better to avoid monkeys, feeding quiet dogs with leftovers is a cause worthy of good karma.
Practice and learn yoga at Himalaya Yoga Association in Rishikesh
Agni Yoga offers complete and unique 200-hour, 300 hour, 500 hour and 100 hour yoga teacher training courses and short term yoga retreats in the holy city of Rishikesh, surrounded by the Himalayan foothills. This program offers training in both the art and the science of meditation and yoga.
Yoga and meditation with pranayama form a spiritual practice in its entirety, a path of healing, peace and freedom from fear and suffering. In Patanjali Yoga, it is said that “meditation is the seventh limb that leads to Samadhi.” In Vedanta and in Buddhism, meditation is also an important element of the path. Serious yoga students require a solid foundation in both the theory and practice of yoga, pranayama and meditation positions.
If you are already a yoga and meditation practitioner or if you are still a beginner, this program will deepen your practice and also allow you to teach a combination of yoga and meditation to individuals and groups.
And that is just not all. After completing your chosen yoga teacher training course from Agni Yoga, you will obtain a certification on yoga teacher training approved by Yoga Alliance International. With this qualification , you are eligible to teach yoga anywhere in the world. So you can become an International Yoga teacher.
What will you get to learn through a yoga teacher training program in Rishikesh?
At Agni Yoga, we focus on both theory and practice, so as to enable our students perfect their yoga practice and become a theoretical and practicing yoga teacher.
Theory:
In this yoga section you will be taught:
Philosophy of yoga: Patanjali’s philosophy of yoga is a unique and complete description of life and consciousness. Patanjali begins by describing the central problem of human life, the kleshas or negative afflictions that generate fear and pain. These emotions arise due to a distortion of consciousness (chitta viritti), in which the Atma is separated from the consciousness.
Meditation: The seventh limb of Asthanga Yoga, the study and practice of meditation enables the individual to to develop a sustained awareness of all that seeps into the perception of the mind. This consciousness leads to Samadhi, the ultimate goal of a yogi.
Shatkarma: Shatkarma is a practice or an art of purifying or detoxifying our body and mind in a natural way. In the theory section, you will be taught what the different types of shatkarma are, their benefits, precautions and so on.
Anatomy and physiology of yoga: the anatomy of yoga is the study of your body on how it works. In your anatomy and physiology classes you will be provided with knowledge about the muscular system, the skeletal system, the nervous system and a detailed study of the spine, joints, etc. After that it is possible to understand which muscle is stretched, rotate while working in alignments of yoga poses.
Ayurveda: Ayurveda is an ancient Vedic science closely related to the practice of yoga. Understanding the ayurvedic concepts will help you to deepen the practice of yoga and develop a diet and a lifestyle suitable for your individual needs. The Ayurvedic lessons will include the study of the basic principles of Ayurveda (elements, dhatus, doshas and tastes) Kapha, Vatta and Pitta. Know your body type, diet and much more.
Practical:
In this section of our yoga analysis you will be taught how to do practically everything, like yoga asana, shatkarma, etc. So, let’s see what you will be taught:
Yoga asanas: asanas help a practitioner to become more aware of his body, mind and environment. You will be taught basic to advanced yoga postures and the alignment of each asana you practice and you will be taught the benefits and precautions you should take while you are practicing or teaching others.
Shatkarma: As already mentioned above, the shatkarma is a practice to make the body free of disease in a natural way. In the practical section you will be taught how shatkarmas are made. Like the jalaneti (a practice that cleans or detoxifies the part of the head by mixing hot water and salt), kapalbhati (a practice to cleanse the lungs), etc.
o Meditation: you will be taught more on the different types of meditation- Guided Meditation, Breathing Awareness Meditation,Om / Mantra Meditation,Dynamic meditation,Tips for eveloping concertation, Silence Practice,Ajapa japa,Antar mouna
Pranayama: pranayama is a technique to control breathing while doing asana, while sleeping or doing any work. The different types of pranayamas are: Anuloma-Viloma, Ujjayi, Kapalabhati, Bhastrika, etc.
Course Overview on Yoga Teacher Training Course (YTTC) at Agni Yoga Rishikesh:
Conducted by talented and accomplished yogis and fine yoga gurus who have abundant experience in Yoga and Meditation.
- Asana practice.
- Final written exam conducted at the end of the program.
- Saturday movies and kirtan nights
- Opportunity for local sightseeing and excursions on weekends
- Shared accomodation facilities provided for 28 nights
- Nutritious and healthy sattvic meals and tea
- Study materials
- Free airport pick-up for students from Dehradun airport
Agni Yoga believes yoga to be the ‘health and wealth’ of life and to achieve it, one must have the virtues of patience and perseverance in one’s life. So keep practicing yoga as you make it a part and parcel of your day-to-day life.
