Exploring Rishikesh India – The Birthplace of Yoga

Yoga and Rishikesh are profoundly interrelated and connected as one of the main ‘origin’ places for Yoga in India is Rishikesh. Yoga masters and yoga schools in Rishikesh have practiced yoga and meditation in for many decades.

Thousands of yoga students and hundreds of yoga teachers travel to Rishikesh every year only because they have a shared love for the ancient science of Yoga and Meditation.

Rishikesh is known around the globe as the birthplace of Yoga. Each year thousands of people from all around the world come to Rishikesh to dive deep into themselves through the ancient art and science of yoga.

Yoga word means ‘Union’, the union of the body-mind and soul, the union of the feminine energies and the masculine energies within, the union of the heart and mind, union of the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual bodies within us.

Rishikesh is the perfect place to bring about this internal union

With amazing landscapes, an abundance of Mother Nature, the forests, the Himalayan Mountains, the divine rivers flowing, yoga schools, ancient temples and so much more Rishikesh is the perfect place to dive deep within yourself to find a deeper connection to God and your true self.

Rishikesh is not only considered the yoga capital of the world but is also considered the adventure sports capital of India.

Here you will find the best yoga schools with the best yoga teachers and you will also be able to enjoy the best quality of adventure sports in this mystical city of Rishikesh. The spiritual energy of Rishikesh is beautiful, high vibrational, and serene yet extremely powerful.

Many who have traveled to Rishikesh in search of God and truth have claimed to have profound and life-changing spiritual experiences here that have bought a positive change to their lives from inside out.

Here are a few tips on how to explore Rishikesh:

YOGA AND SPIRITUALITY IN RISHIKESH

One of the best tips on how to explore Rishikesh for those who have a deep yearning for truth and for learning the ancient science of yoga is exploring the spirituality and yogic field in Rishikesh, the ancient city of the gods.

There are hundreds of excellent yoga schools in Rishikesh which have the best yoga and meditation teachers in the world and the country. This is one of the reasons why Rishikesh is known as the yoga capital of the world.

Many best yoga schools in Rishikesh offer yoga retreats in India and yoga teacher training in India that are for beginners, intermediate yoga practitioners, and advanced level yoga practitioners.

For beginners, many yoga schools offer 50-hour and 100 Hours, teacher training in India, Rishikesh, and also similar courses of meditation teacher training courses details for those who feel called to do them.

Furthermore for intermediate practitioners, 200 hours and 300 hours yoga teacher training courses in India are taught at many different yoga schools in Rishikesh. For advanced practitioners, 500 hours of teacher training courses are offered. The same is applied for meditation teacher training courses as well for different levels of practitioners.

As yoga is profoundly diverse and has many forms and streams of yoga, many yoga schools in Rishikesh also offer Kundalini yoga teacher training, Nada yoga teacher trainingand other types of yoga teacher training courses in India.

To dive deeply into the practice of yoga and meditation, it is advised to do the 500-hour teacher training courses offered at the yoga schools in Rishikesh, especially if it is your passion and dream to become an excellent and skilled yoga teacher.

Retreat centres and yoga schools

Rishikesh also is home to many excellent and top-quality retreat centres that offer the best yoga retreats in India. If you feel that you want to dip your toes in the waters of yoga and meditation and the world of spirituality, then attending one of the yoga retreats is a fantastic idea and a beautiful gift to give to yourself.

Some of the best yoga retreats in Rishikesh are held by RishikulYogshala, Arogya Yoga School, Rishikesh Yoga Peeth, Sattva Retreat, Himalayan Yoga Ashram and many others.

These retreat centres and yoga schools have retreats starting from 2-15 days where you can learn about the yogic lifestyle, yoga asanas, meditation and connect deeply to yourself and nature.

The International Yoga Festival is held every year in Rishikesh, where people from all around the globe come to teach and learn yoga. In 2020, the international yoga festival will be held from the 1st to the 7th of March.

Spiritual leaders of India visit the International Yoga Festival. In the previous festivals, Spiritual leaders like Swami ChidanandSaraswati and many others have visited. Yoga and meditation sessions are held every day of the yoga festival.

Lectures on Ayurveda, Bhagavad Gita, Vedanta philosophy, Yoga sutras and much more also held during the international yoga festival.

Ashrams

Rishikesh has many beautiful and old ashrams that have been in place and functioning for many decades. Regular yoga and meditation classes are held at these ashrams. The ashram space provides rooms and a place for people to stay.

Some ashrams provide free stay facilities while at most of the ashrams a certain amount needs to be paid for stay, food and to avail the yoga and meditation sessions. However, the costs are very minimal and reasonable.

Some of the best ashrams in Rishikesh that provide stay and regular yoga and meditation classes are the Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Sivananda Ashram, Yoga Niketan, Sadhana Mandir, PhoolChatti Ashram and many others.

Geeta Bhavan is a beautiful ashram on the banks of the River Ganges that has 1000 rooms and halls for people to stay free of cost. Here no money is charged and is a must stay ashram at least for one night to get the real feel of devotion to God.

At the Geeta Bhavan, you will meet many interesting people who are on a spiritual quest, in search of God and truth.

Temples

Rishikesh has some ancient and beautifully constructed temples, some of which are architectural marvels that are so beautifully designed and built. The temples of Rishikesh have an energy of devotion and peace that seeps into those that visit them.

The Trayambakeshwar Temple, also known as the Tera Manzil Temple, is one of the most famous and beautifully constructed temples. As the name Tera Manzil suggests, it is 13 floors and is an architectural marvel that is a shrine to many gods and goddesses.

This temple is more than 400 years old and is a must-visit temple on your trip to Rishikesh.

Other mystical temples of Rishikesh Include the Lakshaman Temple, Raghunath Temple, The Neelkanth Mahadev Temple and the Shatrughna Temples and many more.

NATURE AND ADVENTURE

Rishikesh is a magical place and what makes it so magical is the divine nature that is so abundantly present here.

In Rishikesh, you can enjoy the best waterfalls to take a dip into the water and connect to the spirit of water. You can also enjoy beautiful treks and hikes into the forests of Rishikesh and connect deeply to Mother Nature and the natural world.

As Rishikesh is the capital of adventure sports in India, it is perfect for those who seek to fan the flames of their adventurous soul. Along with Yoga courses and retreats you can also enjoy the marvellous adventure sports in Rishikesh.

You can go for River Rafting which is done in the mother of all rivers – the River Ganges, or you can go rock climbing or experience at the Giant Swing at Mohan Chatti. There are other adventure sports like mountain biking, flying fox, and so many more for your excitement and adventure.

STAY AND FOOD

Rishikesh offers stay options for all budgets and preference starting from small budgets, medium budgets and high budget accommodation facilities. There are many homestays, ashrams, 3-star, 4 star and 5-star hotels, which you can choose depending on your preference.

Many fantastic restaurants offer different cuisines like Indian, Italian, Greek, and so many more. Some restaurants offer vegan, organic and locally grown fruits and vegetables. Rishikesh has all kinds of food stalls and restaurants to nourish your body, mind and soul. Starting from the Little Buddha Café frequented by travellers from all over the world to the ever popular Chotiwala Restaurant, options are aplenty when it comes to food and dining joints in this vibrant town.

Author Bio

Om Singh is a blogger at Retreat Kula, a website that offers yoga and Ayurveda Retreats around the world. He is always on the lookout for interesting places to visit. It took him 25 years of his life to realize where his true calling lies. However once that was done, there’s been no looking back.