Yoga Teacher Training in India

The 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh provides an integrated 200-hour course and a 300-hour course to produce superior yoga teachers. For passionate students and potential instructors, this course is created to take you through the two progressive months of learning basic and advanced levels of yoga practice and teaching. Come to Rishikesh and be a part of this transformational training process that transforms the souls, practitioners, and teachers.

Meet the instructors

Vivek portrait
Sandeep portrait
Karamjit portrait
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Vivek Sandeep Karamjit & 2 More…
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Highlights

  • 500-hour yoga teacher training course
  • Eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance upon completion
  • Training incorporated with yoga philosophy, human anatomy, pranayama, and meditation
  • The school offers students the best environment, in the rather calm southern part of the Himalayas
  • Character building, mastering the mind, and achieving self-realization
  • Experienced and dedicated teachers
  • Focusing on personal and professional growth
  • 60 nights accommodation with daily vegetarian meals included

Skill level

  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced

Types

60 days with instruction in English

hours Average daily hours of activity: 9.5
Group size: Maximum of 20 participants
Airport transfer available: Jolly Grant Airport (US$ 20 per person)
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Accommodation

Facilities

  • Health Club
  • Spa
  • Steam room
  • Café
  • Dining area
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Fireplace
  • Garden
  • Lounge
  • Luggage room / storage
  • Meditation garden
  • Multilingual staff
  • Smoke-free property
  • Terrace
  • Yoga shala
  • ATM / banking
  • Board rental
  • Car rental
  • Convenience / grocery store
  • Currency exchange
  • Free Wi-Fi
  • Internet access
  • Ironing / ironing board
  • Laundry
  • Meeting room
  • Wireless internet

Akshi Yogashala aims to create an environment that nurtures your growth and transformation during the 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh. This advanced course requires dedication, focus, and a supportive atmosphere. They provide this through their serene accommodations and nourishing meals.

The yoga school owns carefully designed rooms to provide relaxation, which is crucial to enhance your yoga experience. Regardless of whether you are in a shared or private room, the spaces are clean and comfortable. All the necessary items are provided.

Each of the rooms is comfortable and user-friendly, light, and airy, with an emphasis on meditation and relaxation. For comfortable furniture for one to take a nap, work, or sit while studying, the study areas have provided beds, desks, and chairs. Staying in fairly secluded areas, their accommodations give you an opportunity to rest after more intense practice sessions.

Program

Certification

Students who complete the training are eligible to register with Yoga Alliance as Registered Yoga Teachers (RYT®).

To receive the 500-hour YTTC certification, you’ll need to attend all classes, complete assignments, demonstrate advanced teaching skills, and show a commitment to the yogic lifestyle. Students who complete the 500-Hour Yoga Teacher Training receive the RYT-500 certification from Yoga Alliance to show that they are excellent yoga teachers. Yoga professionals who aim at establishing themselves as experienced instructors with diverse training that will enable them to teach students of all classes and, at the same time, maintain the traditional values of yoga will benefit from this program.

In the first month, you will engage in the 200-hour yoga teacher training, which lays the groundwork for yoga. It consists of the more classical kinds of yoga, such as Hatha and Ashtanga yoga of which have postures (asanas), breathing instructions (pranayama), meditation classes, and yoga concepts. As a result, the emphasis is placed on creating a realistic view of yoga as both a physical practice and a spiritual journey, and, at the same time, on teaching skills development.

In the second month, you move to the 300-hour yoga teacher training to deepen the practice and gain more knowledge about it. This next level of instruction goes to the next level of asana alignment, pranayama, meditation, or yogic path, encompassing finer aspects of the student, including the energetic structure, chakras, and nadis. You will also improve your instructional skills, developing a way to approach students and develop effective sequences for the class.

Why choose Akshi Yogashala

Akshi Yogashala envisions itself to create a reputation as the best Yoga school in Rishikesh, providing yogic studies in two dimensions, traditional and modern. Sitting in the rather calm southern part of the Himalayas, the school offers students the best environment where they can discover themselves. The yoga course offered at Akshi Yogshala includes Hatha yoga, Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa yoga, and others; therefore, there is no question of the students being provided with an all-sided learning opportunity.

The instructors at the school are experienced and certified by Yoga Alliance, as well as dedicated teachers who feel passionate about what they are doing. They have adopted a very individualistic model that creates a safe environment where learners can develop their talents and further develop their training. While learning yoga at Akshi Yogashala is mainly about learning lessons, it also reaches much further and encompasses such values as character building, mastering the mind, and even achieving self-realization.

The calm and serene environment, added to the training incorporating yoga philosophy, human anatomy, pranayama, and meditation, gives the students the best opportunity to embrace the yogi's life. Every student is encouraged to develop into a good instructor of yoga, but also a person who is more assembled and harmonized. Students decide to start their life-changing journey with Akshi Yogashala, which empowers them to guide others, practice yoga, and live life with integrity and passion.

500-hour yoga teacher training course objectives

This 500-hour YTT course is designed to enhance your yoga journey both personally and professionally. Through this program, you will strengthen your practice by incorporating a daily routine that includes asanas (yoga postures), pranayama with bandha (breathing techniques with energy locks), mudras (hand gestures), kriyas (cleansing techniques), and meditation. You will also gain a deeper understanding of yoga anatomy and yoga philosophy, helping you understand how the body functions in various yoga postures while connecting with the deeper philosophical foundations of yoga.

The course covers advanced techniques in pranayama, mudras, and meditation, along with the practice of yoga therapy, where you will learn to use yoga as a tool for healing and recovery. You will study classical yoga texts like the Patanjali Yoga Sutras, Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gheranda Samhita, and the Upanishads, deepening your connection to the ancient wisdom of yoga.

Additionally, you will develop the skills to organize and structure your own yoga classes, tailoring them to meet the needs of your students, whether beginners or advanced practitioners. This comprehensive training will transform you into a knowledgeable and confident yoga teacher. You will be ready to inspire and heal others through yoga.

Daily schedule

  • 05:00 Wake up
  • 05:30 - 06:00 Ginger/herbal tea
  • 06:00 - 07:30 Hatha yoga
  • 07:45 - 08:45 Pranayama - breathing practices
  • 09:00 - 10:00 Breakfast
  • 10:30 - 11:30 Yoga anatomy
  • 11:45 - 12:45 Mantra/adjustment and alignment
  • 13:00 - 14:00 Lunch
  • 14:00 - 15:00 Rest
  • 15:00 - 16:00 Yoga philosophy / ayurveda
  • 16:15 - 17:45 Vinyasa yoga
  • 18:15 - 19:15 Meditation and relaxation
  • 19:30 - 20:30 Dinner
  • 20:30 - 22:00 Self-study
  • 22:00 Gates closed, time to rest

500-hour yoga teacher training curriculum

Asana

  • Hatha yoga - Advanced classical and traditional style
  • Chandra namaskar with chakra awareness
  • Primary + advanced series of joints and glands exercise
  • Balancing series of asana
  • Core practices of asana
  • Difference between Hatha and Ashtanga yoga
  • Twisting series of asana
  • 4 important meditative postures
  • Study of asana as more than a physical exercise
  • Shankprashalana asana series for cleaning the abdomen
  • Asana according to Patanjali
  • Astanga primary and intermediate series
  • Flexibility and strength for series
  • Importance of having a lot of water in the body to do series
  • Importance of sequence and systematic flow

Relaxation techniques

Part 1:

  • What is sleep?
  • Three states of consciousness
  • Benefits of deep sleep
  • What is yoga Nidra?
  • Yoga Nidra practices from the Satyananda tradition
  • How do yoga Nidra practices cure insomnia problems?

Part 2:

  • Study of lucid dreams
  • Study of intuitive dreams
  • Role of yoga Nidra in developing intuition
  • Yoga Nidra practices from Himalayan tradition
  • Implications of resting the mind in the heart center
  • Yoga Nidra and its common assumptions

Science of breath (pranayama)

Part 1:

  • Chest breathing with diaphragmatic breathings
  • What is prana and pranayama mean?
  • Types of pranayama practices
  • What is nadi?
  • What are Ida and Pingala?
  • Seven main practices of pranayama

Part 2:

  • Pancha prana (the five vital forces)
  • Kumbhaka (retention)
  • Importance of Sushumna
  • Nature and activities of Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna
  • Awakening of Sushumna energy
  • Tuning of nadi by nadi shodhanam

Mudras and bandhas

Part 1:

  • Nine main doors in the human body
  • Why and what are yogic locks?
  • What are the preparation and its benefits?
  • Three main bandha
  • Moola bandha-root lock

Part 2:

  • Uddyana Bandha
  • Jalandhar Bandha
  • Maha Bandha
  • Importance of Maha Bandha
  • Benefits and contra-indications

Part 1:

  • Importance of mudra according to Hatha Yoga
  • Types of mudra
  • Practicum of Gyana and Chin Mudra
  • Practicum of Ashwini Mudra
  • Physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of Mudra

Part 2:

  • Practicum of asana mudra
  • Practicum of prana mudra
  • Practicum of psychic mudra
  • Preparation of mudra for bandha
  • Meaning of yoga mudra

Yoga philosophy

Part 1:

  • What is yoga?
  • History of yoga
  • The four yugas in yogic tradition
  • The five kosha (bodies)
  • What are self-realization and liberation? Why?
  • What is consciousness?
  • The four faculties of mind –field
  • Five stages of mind-field
  • The four foundational pillars of life
  • Intro to ayurvedic lifestyle
  • Intro to yogic sleeping lifestyle
  • Intro to the Kama Sutra
  • Eight limbs of Yoga of Patanjali
  • What is the waking state in yogic science?
  • What is the dreaming state in yogic science?
  • What is the deep sleep state in yogic science?
  • What is meditation and yoga Nidra?

Part 2:

  • Study of kundalini and chakra
  • Study of Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga, Raja yoga, Swara yoga and Tantra yoga
  • Study of yoga in connection with Gita
  • Health maintenance and benefits of yoga
  • Study of nourishing the body
  • Karma and non-attachment in yogic dimensions
  • Four levels of consciousness
  • Kundalini awakening
  • Keys to successful living in yogic science
  • Meditation and the spiritual heart
  • Intuitive dreams and lucid dream
  • Meaning of birth and death in yogic science
  • Reincarnation in spiritual science
  • 6 main obstacles in the path of yoga
  • Samadhi and its study

Meditation and concentration

  • Breath awareness meditation
  • Inner light meditation
  • Chakra awareness meditation
  • Body less meditation
  • Mantra Awareness meditation
  • Walking meditation
  • Full moon meditation
  • Third eye meditation

Art of alignment and adjustment

Part 1:

  • Six steps of doing asana correctly
  • Workshop on side bending and front and back bending
  • How to make the mind flexible by making the body flexible?
  • How to use props for protection?
  • Alternative style of asana for various benefits
  • Various limitations and contra-indications of specific yoga practices

Part 2:

  • Art of adjustment yoga for daily life
  • Workshop on twisting postures
  • Understanding each and every detail of the whole body, its emotions, and vibrations while doing asana
  • Balancing the body weight to feel the infinity within
  • Modifying the asana practice according to individual limitations

Mantra yoga and its importance

  • What does mantra mean?
  • What are the types of mantras?
  • Chanting of mantra
  • Sanskrit meaning of different mantras

Part 1:

  • Importance of (OM)-AUM
  • Mantra for meal purification
  • Mantra for obstacles
  • Mantra for universal masters to bless
  • Mantra for realization
  • Mantra for well-being

Part 2:

  • Introduction of Ajapa Japa
  • Importance of so-hum
  • Invocation mantra for Patanjali
  • Mantra for completeness
  • Mantra for awakening wisdom
  • Mantra for fearlessness life
  • Mantra for divine love between teacher and student

Yoga anatomy

Part 1:

  • What is yogic anatomy and physiology?
  • Introduction of the respiratory system and yogic breathing
  • How shat kriya practice and benefits the body
  • How pranayama practices are connected to the digestive and immune systems?
  • How do asana practices give various effects on joints, the spine, and the muscular system?
  • The structure of the spine and its movement in yoga
  • Types of contraction in the muscular system
  • Know the basic studies and types of joints to avoid injury during asana classes
  • Studies and discussions about the spine according to the yogic point of view

Part 2:

  • Familiarity with major systems in the body
  • Review of the yogic digestive system and respiratory system
  • Shankprashalana effective practice in the upper and lower abdomen
  • Effects of pranayama on the cardiovascular system
  • Benefits of asana on the muscular system
  • Anatomy of glands and their connections to chakras
  • Importance of the master gland to know the value of the third eye in yoga
  • Anatomy of the nervous system with an understanding nadi and pranic currents
  • Chakra meditation for the glands

Yoga therapy

  • Yogic counseling for therapy
  • Yogic therapy for back problems, slip disk problems, diabetes,
  • Usage of yogic techniques as therapy
  • Spinal deformation, thyroid, and obesity
  • Yoga therapies on common diseases like headaches, colds, sinuses, and migraine

Included excursions

After an extensive week-long learning, it is time to enjoy and relax on the excursion day. Students will enjoy excursions and cultural interaction programs where they will see and experience rich Indian culture. Students will have the opportunity to dive into spirituality and experience the holistic nature of the Indian religion, culture, and Universe.

Examples:

  • Visit the Himalayan caves
  • Himalayan sunrise tour
  • Rafting on the river Ganga / Ayurveda massage
  • Local sightseeing
  • Ganga Arti
  • Music concert

Instructors

Vivek Arya - portrait

Vivek Arya

Sandeep Pandey Ji - portrait

Sandeep Pandey Ji

Karamjit Sihag - portrait

Karamjit Sihag

Deepak Bhatt - portrait

Deepak Bhatt

Maya Om - portrait

Maya Om

Location

This program is based in Rishikesh, the world capital of yoga, and provides an opportunity to stay close to your essence in a quiet and inspirational environment. The serene environment of small hills in remote areas of the Himalayas and the river Ganges create a conducive environment for character transformation.

Why choose Rishikesh for yoga?

Rishikesh has become known as the ‘Yoga Capital of the World’ and provides an ideal backdrop to your training. Located at the bank of the holy river Ganges at the foothills of the Great Himalayas, Rishikesh has been a spiritual capital of yoga for hundreds of years, with tourists from all over the world. Here are a few reasons why Rishikesh is the ideal place for your yoga journey:

Spiritual energy and sacred atmosphere

Rishikesh is a blessed city with a lot of spiritual vibrations. Letha is alive with the feelings of historical ethos; many ashrams, temples, and gurus make the atmosphere spiritual, and thus your yoga is deeper. The ambiance of this city is perfectly suited to introspection, spirituality, and healing, perfect for rediscovering yoga as a whole.

Rich yogic tradition

Rishikesh is regarded as one of the yoga capitals of the world and has produced several saints and monks. Rishikesh is the origin of yoga; this place will teach you the fundamentals that were passed for generations consistently. It is the place where the practice of yoga was first started in the West, and is still a place where people can learn the real facts about yoga.

Connection to mature

Rishikesh is located in the land of natural beauty. Rishikesh, nestled among the Himalayas and full of the Ganges River water, offers a rather tranquil environment for practicing yoga. This immediately leads to inner harmony, tranquility, and awareness, which all students require to move to a higher level in Yoga. Being surrounded by nature allows one to get as far as possible from the noise and bustle of everyday life and fully devote oneself to the process.

Yoga and wellness community

It is a home to yogis, yoga teachers, along with spiritual personalities and enthusiasts from all over the world. Through this international hub, you will be able to integrate with other practice enthusiasts and learn from each other and advance your understanding in yoga practice. Yoga festivals, workshops, and retreats are also available in the city to help the enthusiasts develop more knowledge to enhance his or her practice.

Perfect place for transformation

It is only in Rishikesh that one can get a raw and real experience of self-realization. Yoga, meditation, and the background of natural space the effective contributions to the spiritual and physical human development. Yoga studios are providing an array of courses, including teacher training programmes or for the purpose of enhancing one’s practice. Rishikesh is the ideal place as it lays down the foundation of mental, physical, and spiritual evolution.

Accessibility

It is well connected to most of the tourist destinations across India, and the many options of accommodations make it easy for the yoga practitioners and students from all over the continent. Whether traveling by air, train, or bus, Rishikesh’s proximity to Haridwar (approximately 25 kilometers) and Dehradun Airport makes it easy to reach this sacred city.

Food

Yoga follows the principle of nourishing the mind, body, and spirit, and the school ensures that meals support this principle. Sattvic food is available on CoGo, with a daily changing menu of vegetarian and vegan dishes prepared from fresh produce sourced locally. The meals are designed to cater to the body, soul, and mind, supporting flexibility, detoxification, and energy.

Nutrient- and vitamin-packed, the meals are strategically planned to match the demands of the rigorous 500-hour program. From grains to vegetables, all food is prepared to be balanced, healthy, and promote overall well-being.

Offering healthy and tasty meals, the school ensures students maintain energy and concentration throughout the course. At Akshi Yogashala, every aspect of your stay is thoughtfully considered to contribute positively. This holistic approach helps you become the best yoga teacher you aspire to be.

The following meals are included:

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Drinks

The following drinks are included:

  • Water
  • Tea

The following dietary requirement(s) are served and/or catered for:

  • Vegetarian
  • Vegan
  • Yogic
  • Ayurvedic
If you have special dietary requirements it's a good idea to communicate it to the organiser when making a reservation

What's included

  • Eligibility to register with Yoga Alliance
  • All classes
  • All meals
  • Study material
  • Laundry
  • Free WiFi
  • T-Shirt
  • Excursions
  • Rubber neti
  • Bag
  • Neti pot
  • Pen and notebook
  • 60 nights accommodation

What's not included

  • Airport pickup and drop off
  • Personal expenses
  • Over stay at the ashram
  • Flight cost
  • Visa charges
  • Doctor consultation
  • Insurance
  • GST

How to get there

Arrival by bus

You can also reach Rishikesh by bus from the Interstate Bus Terminus in Delhi. Take a Volvo or any luxurious coach from Delhi to Rishikesh, but keep in mind that the bus journey can be very tiring. They can also send their taxi to pick you from the bus terminal, or you can also hire an auto-rickshaw for RamJuhla, but then you have to walk across the bridge to the school premises.

Arrival by train

You can also take a train from Delhi to Haridwar, which is 25 kilometers away from Rishikesh. Haridwar is linked to many major cities in India.

From Haridwar, you can hire a taxi, or they can also send their taxi to pick you up on request in advance. The taxi charges from Haridwar to Rishikesh will be 20 USD.

Arrival by taxi

You can hire a taxi, or if requested, they can also send a taxi to pick you up. The cost of which will be 20 dollars for Dehradun.

Airport transfer available: Jolly Grant Airport (US$ 20 per person) Additional charges may apply. You can request this in the next step.

Cancellation Policy

  • A reservation requires a deposit of 22% of the total price.
  • The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
  • The rest of the payment should be paid on arrival.

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61 days / 60 nights
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Availability

Arrival: Thursday September 3, 2026
Departure: Monday November 2, 2026

2026 training dates

This training is also offered in 2026 from February 3 to April 2, 2026 with the same tuition fee. If you are interested, please send an inquiry to Akshi Yogashala.

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