1. Yoga Bags: Yoga mat forms an essential accessory for students undergoing a yoga course. However, carrying a yoga mat around in hands can be annoying and discomforting. Having a yoga bag serves the purpose. It comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and prints. The bag holds the mat in place and protects it from wear and tear. You can easily find numerous range of yoga bags both online and offline.
2. Yoga CDs: If you are a beginner to the science of yoga then you can begin your training by watching yoga CDs and DVDs available in the market. There are dozens of yoga CDs offering a complete understanding of hatha yoga, ashtanga yoga, kundalini yoga and also it teaches you the importance of yoga in life, its benefits and so much more.
3. Yoga Jewellery: You must have come across several yogis, yoga practitioners wearing lotus flower rings, rudraksha malas with om pendants, etc. For them, the act of adorning yoga-inspired jewelry contains real meaning and is a reminder of their yogic principles.
4. Yoga Props: Many yoga practitioners use yoga props such as blocks, bolsters, blanket and straps for better alignment and adjustment and to prevent further injury. For an effective and safe yoga practice, yoga accessories is a must for yoga practitioners.
5. Yoga Books: Whether you are a newbie or an existing yoga practitioner, reading yoga books allows you to gain a deeper understanding of the glorious science of yoga and also connects you with your yoga practice. Gift them life-changing yoga books that they shall cherish for life.

So, this festive season, do something special. Gift these yoga-inspired holiday choices and make the yoga practices even more fun and rejuvenating.

Each year on this auspicious day, yogis, spiritualists from all over the globe join in harmony – to celebrate health and life as a whole. We decided to be a part of this wave too and join its cause. Which could be a better place than the very birth place of Yoga to celebrate this day? And, so we headed to the yoga capital of the world, Rishikesh and braced ourselves with eventful celebration of this great day.

The beautiful town of Rishikesh welcomed us with the music of temple bells clanking together in melodious harmony and fresh morning dew of the early morning drizzle. Nestled in the beauty of Himalayas, the entire town and its people were clad in shades of white, yellow and green strolling towards Yoga Ashrams. International Yoga Day 2017 celebration graciously commenced in the town of Rishikesh with the AYUSH (Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) protocol as yogis, people from all over the globe gathered here to spread the message of Yoga for health and overall well-being.

Every Yoga School and Yoga Ashram in Rishikesh hosted yoga practice and training in their vicinity in honor of 3^rd International Yoga Day. Rishikul Foundation, in association with Rishikul Yogshala and GMV Yoga Pvt. Ltd., took a step further in spreading the message of Yoga and became the first every Yoga foundation to organize the first ever International Yoga Awards. The International Yoga Day 2017 celebration by Rishikul Foundation commenced with the Common Yoga Protocol and concluded with paying homage to the Ganga Aarti with several workshops, exclusive yoga and Ayurveda sessions, cultural performances, Yoga Championship, Yoga Scholarship Awards and International Yoga Awards in between through the entire day. With exclusive sessions and highly educational workshops on Hath Yoga, Adjustment and alignment during Asanas, Tantra Meditation, Third Eye Opening Technique, Hip Opening Asanas, Yogic Cooking, etc. the event became a truly yogic day.

With the Yoga Championship, the foundation awarded 100% scholarships to the winners of this dignified yogic competition. The event was graced by eminent yoga gurus and great personalities from all over the country as a token of participation in spreading the divine message of yoga for health to the entire nation. It was a truly glorious evening to witness – definitely one of its kinds.

Almost every yoga ashram and school in the town contributed to the International Yoga Day Celebration by planting trees in the town. Rishikul Foundation organized for 108 plants to be planted on this day as a promising symbol of better, healthier and peaceful future.

The day went on with Satsang and Meditation sessions, yoga practice, cultural performances, yoga dance, Acro-yoga demonstrations that lasted till late night. The 3^rd International Yoga Day concluded in Rishikesh with the Ganga Aarti and with the yogis, travelers, spiritualists, descending back to their respective abodes and peaceful spirits.

As the town bid goodbye to the International Yoga Day 2017, the glimmering diyas, the peaceful spirits promised a new beginning along with a hope for healthier and a more fulfilled future. The day and its events were locked into our memories as an inspiration to live a better, healthier and a more peaceful life.

Some of us yogis might feel the same way too. We dream of becoming well grained yoga practitioners, but some of us might not have the required money to chase this tremendous dream of ours.

A few great men and women once said, “If you have a dream, you must fight for it. Fight to strive and survive.”

So, if you aspire to become a yoga practitioner one day and bring a change to this world through the art of yoga, then do not let money stand in your way.  Instead, apply for Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship program and turn your dream of becoming a yogi into reality.

Those who hail from a humble background and are looking to attain yoga teacher training on a budget can benefit greatly from these Yoga Scholarship programs.

After careful research on various yoga schools in India that come under the RYS (Registered Yoga School) category, we have shortlisted the key pointers of consideration when applying for a Yoga Teacher Training Scholarship program in India:

• RYS category Yoga schools usually prefer an applicant to be a basic level yoga practitioner with a track record of one to two years of yoga practice.
• Additionally, you may enter a ‘letter of reference’ in your application file from an ex-student of the yoga school you are applying at.
• Dedication and discipline are key factors and these shall be taken seriously into account. Hence, try your best to maintain an attendance record of 85% at least in order to avoid the risk of getting your scholarship cancelled. So, whenever you apply, make sure you have a clear schedule and a focused mind for undergoing their rigorous yoga teacher training program.
• The concept of Karma yoga is not only preached, but also strictly practiced in most of the RYS category yoga schools all over India. Hence, participate actively in Karma Yoga projects. Similarly, if you have participated in any kind of Karma Yoga projects before then mention their details along with supportive evidence in your YTTC Scholarship application to make a stronger impression.
• Additionally, you can include pictures, written experiences expressing your passion for yoga.
• The most important point to consider is whether you actually require financial assistance or not. In order to prove the same, you shall be asked to produce documents in support of your financial status stating you are not financially capable of affording the YTTC program on your own.
• During the entire course, you shall be expected to display moral conduct. Any form of misconduct shall result in dismissal of your status as a scholarship student in the respective yoga school.

Once you are selected for a yoga teacher training scholarship, whether 200 hour yoga teacher training or Hatha Yoga classes or 500 hour Yoga TTC, you shall be provided with the same schedule, classes and treated the same way as other students.

A standard YTTC scholarship package includes:

• Double Occupancy Accommodation
• Ayurveda Meals thrice a day
• Yoga Classes (Same as non-scholarship students)
• Course Curriculum Delivery (Same as non-scholarship students)
• Certification on Successful Completion of the Program

So, if you think you have it in you, then it is time to put your passion for yoga to test. Register for a yoga scholarship test today and bring yourself closer to your dream of being an established yogi.

To Know more about the Scholarship, join yoga teacher training in India.

Let’s take a closer look at what life in Rishikul Yogshala would mean:

Assistance for You to Acclimatize

Coming to India for the first time from the West can be a great culture shock for many. Getting used to the confusing and often disturbing sights and sounds of this populous country that is home to diverse cultures can be rather difficult in the first phase. To ease the possible stress and negativity that might arise from a sense of alienation in a strange land, Rishikul Yogshala is always on the ready to assist their visitors at every step. You can count on the administration to seek help in anything from the moment you arrive. Airport transfer facility, help with luggage, laundry, room cleaning, specific preference in food, help with travel plans in and around the city—you only have to name it!

An Idyllic Yogic Home

The accommodation for students at Rishikesh is in a scenic spot facing the green forested hills spread out as far as the eye could see. Tucked away from the main city, this region is home to a village community. Here, life is uncomplicated and shorn off mindless luxury. Espousal of the key yoga values like non-violence, simplicity, and community love is embedded in the lived experience here. Amidst this idyllic scene, Rishikul Yogshala is the home where your heart will find peace.

Bringing You a Taste of India

For those who find joy in cooking and exploring exotic flavors, the stay at Rishikul Yogshala will have an extra allure. An amazing kitchen staff, skilled at preparing the best famed Indian dishes will dish up something new every day. The food mantra here remains in consonance with yogic ideas—simplicity is bliss. Also, Ayurvedic culinary principles of preserving food value and preparation of nourishing dishes remains central to their cooking style. Simple meals of daal-chawal or soup of pulses with rice, roti or Indian flat bread with vegetable mishmashes made here by the Rishikul chefs have all the magic to bring a smile to the faces of the hungry yogis.

Interactive Classes and Approachable Teachers

The instructors at the Yogshala are hand-picked for their mastery of yoga skills and obedience to its primary ethics. In addition, these instructors come with veritable training in “teaching methodology”. The classes are designed carefully to ensure systematic education and the teachers are mindful to convey their messages with clarity to each individual learner. The classes are ideally interactive and the students are encouraged to ask as many questions as they can. Knowledge through sharing of personal insights and experience is exemplary in these sessions. Just as the school’s student testimonials suggest, nobody is ever made to feel like a misfit in the realm of Rishikul Yogshala. The classes never fail to be warm and accommodating to all.

Infusing a Lot of Fun

Experienced ones know that yoga, or anything for that matter, can get quite boring if overdone and without interval. Careful of providing students with much needed respite, the organizers of Rishikul have punctuated the curriculum of yoga education with recreational activities. Adventure water sports, trips to local attraction, ritual and religious celebrations, talent shows, and any idea of such refreshing fun is made to materialize at Rishikul Yogshala.

Be a part of the wonderful Rishikul Yogshala family and you will never cease to be a child at heart!

We have touched and affected hundreds of lives through the purity and wellness of Yoga and meditation since 2010 and as we move forward in this noble path of life, we wish nothing but the best for all of you out there.

We understand that not all of us are cut out for jumping right into a month long Teacher Training program, so we are introducing workshops and short-term courses based on the principles of Hatha and Ashtanga yoga. The great thing about these programs is that it won’t take as much of your time, it will be easy on your pocket, and it will be taught by the same teachers who teach the TTCs and are highly knowledgeable and celebrated.

As the world gears up to celebrate the International Wellness Day on January 7^th, 2017, we plan to begin the year with a special Yoga and Ayurveda Teacher Training program in Kerala – God’s own country, and then bring to you something which has never been done before – a certificate course in Beginner’s level Adjustment and Alignment in our school in Rishikesh and in Nepal followed by a certificate course in Advanced level Adjustment and Alignment.

Come May, we plan to host a 200 hour Teacher Training Scholarship Program for yoga enthusiasts from all over the world who are one step away from their yoga dreams because of lack of resources.

Headquartered in Rishikesh, our school is known to conduct teacher training programs throughout the year – even when the others in line take a break. For us, there is no break to a way of life as magical as Yoga.

2016 has been a great year for us and we have touched quite a few milestones in the year –

• We came became the most positively reviewed yoga school on TripAdvisor,
• We earned 100 reviews on TripAdvisor, and
• We also became #1 ‘Spa and Wellness’ choice for tourists.

So as we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the New Year with open arms, we would like to thank all of you – our teachers, our students, our management, and all of you well-wishers who have made it possible for us to reach where we are at this point in time and for your continued admiration and encouragement which has helped us plan a whole fresh year and a bunch of exciting wellness programs.

May our association last many more years and may we always be family.

We wish you a very Happy New Year and a Happy New You!

Enlightenment with Dance:
On this day, our students were given a taste of Indian classical music and dance with brilliant Bharatnatyam dance performance. This genre of classical dance has its origin in ancient India and is centered on similar religious and spiritual themes as in yoga. The dance postures displayed in the performance invoked an awe-inspiring sense of reverence to the Supreme Being and gave rise to joy in the hearts of the assembled audience.

The sequence of Bharatnatyam dance is set to the tune of Carnatic music raga, the heritage classical Indian music. The presentation effectively displays the harmony between music, rhythm, and movements. The element of “harmony” is also an important aspect of yoga which binds the practitioner with the supreme Spiritual One through perfectly harmonized working of the body, mind, and soul. To remember the grace of God on Christmas day with the vision of the divine harmony being played out on the stage has been an enlightening experience for all.

Ashram Visit to Know Love and Service:
To develop the idea of holistic spiritualism, on this day of celebration, our students were taken on a visit to the Sri Narayana Guru Ashram. A social reformer who worked for the social and spiritual freedom of people in a caste ridden society, the founder of the ashram, Sri Narayan Guru led the nation to embrace the notion of universal love without boundaries. To come face to face with this great example of love and service to humanity inspired our students immensely.

The day was well spent in merriment and joy in the spirit of Christmas, becoming another landmark in the transformative experience of our students on their yoga journey in India.

Later in the day at the orientation program, our teachers addressed the class of December 2016, introducing the notion of “yoga” as universal harmony—the profound idea with which they are to engage deeply in the days to come.

Shri Bipin Baloni, one the chief yoga teachers who would be leading the class for this month, spoke of Indian religious culture and how the philosophy of yoga is fundamental to it. Narrating the tale of Lord Vishnu, who in the Hindu pantheon is known as the Eternal Preserver, Bipin Ji introduced the idea of the almighty creator being worshipped in multiple forms, embodying different attributes of creation. This idea of a singular, all-embracing divinity is central to yogic practice.

The class was given a taste of the rich performance art of Indian tradition with a Bharatnatyam dance presentation by one of the former student. Based upon the glory of Lord Vishnu’s third incarnation on earth- the Vamana, this dance feature is an awe-inspiring one and to be understood in relation to yoga later during the progression of the course.

The day came to a close with the venerated faculty member, Swami Atma’s address to the group. Atma Ji emphasized upon the guru-shishya (master-pupil) relationship and the gurukul (school of education) tradition of ancient India. He welcomed everybody to learn in peace and harmony, and encouraged to uphold a child-like, inquisitive but wholeheartedly receptive mind throughout the learning period.

Its new teaching project of the 15 day Adjustment and Alignment focuses on a vital aspect of asana practice, that of corrective movements to keep the body in balance when performing the postures.

The training is conducted in two sessions—

• The Beginner’s Level Yoga Adjustment and Alignment Course and
• The Advance Level yoga Adjustment and Alignment Course.

The former is aimed at those newly starting out in yoga, graduates of 200 hour or 500 hour teacher training courses while the latter is a more advanced guide for practitioners looking to start their own classes.

The adjustment-alignment course programmed by Rishikul Yogshala has a clear direction and stays true to the distinguished holistic approach which is the hallmark of yoga in India. As a result, you will have a clear rationale of any given posture with regards to its effect upon the body-mind complex, and face zero confusion when following the instructions regarding yoga-postures.

Instead of demanding you to blindly follow instructions, this course will take you deeper into the subtleties of each posture and guide you in improving them, thus:

• Prepare you well for scheduling your own yoga curriculum;
• Inform you thoroughly about a number of asanas;
• Gloss over what you have learnt during your 200 hour training;
• Guide you in adjustment-alignment for improving self-practice;
• Brief you on modification for specific body types;
• Inform about different prop usage;
• Teach you about time allotment for asana practice for different body types
• Tutor you on breathing techniques

The Rishikul Foundation is planning on introducing this comprehensive course on yoga adjustment and alignment in all its centers—Rishikesh, Nepal, Kerala, and Vietnam. The most experienced teaching faculty of Rishikul Yogshala has been entrusted with these classes, promising a most enlightening experience.

About Us: Rishikul Yogshala is the most reviewed yoga school in India and has been successfully conducting various Yoga Teacher Training courses and retreats in India and a few neighboring countries since 2010. The school has been approved by Yoga Alliance USA. Rishikul Yogshala also offers courses in meditation and Ayurveda. For more information, visit https://www.rishikulyogshala.org/. Alternatively, you can call +91 7060060954 or email at rishikulyogshala@gmail.com.

To Know more about Yoga Adjustment and Alignment, join yoga teacher training in India.

Situated only a few meters from the 2,000 year old highly revered Janardanaswamy Temple is our humble abode this year for the 200 and 300 hour yoga teacher training.

The Location:

Kerala is known as the birthplace of Yoga and the beach town of Varkala where this ancient study of holistic healing and alternative medicine is often amalgamated with the wellness of Yoga. Keeping this in mind, our school is strategically located a few minutes from Varkala beach which is also known as the Papanasham beach.

The Property:

Situated few meters from the famous Janardanaswamy Temple on one side and the Papanasham beach on the other, the school property is newly constructed and thus vibrates of free positive energy. There are 20 rooms in total, all fitted with basic yet comfortable furnishings, a spacious dining hall, a huge open-air yoga studio on the terrace, an Ayurveda facility, and a warm wooden decor. There is a nice garden just outside the property which can be used as a resting space during breaks.

The Rooms:

The clean and freshly constructed 20 rooms at the schools are equipped with a double bed (twin bed in case of shared rooms), attached bathrooms with western style toilets, a study table and chair, and AC (in selected rooms). These simplistic rooms are designed in accordance with the purist lifestyle of a yogi.

The Dining Space:

The Dining hall located within the premises is large and can accommodate all students at once comfortably.

The Yoga Studio:

Overlooking the surrounding greenery of Southern India, the rooftop open-air yoga studio is decorated with beautiful curtains and is covered for a cooler shade during the day.

The Staff:

We understand that you have come a long way from your home to live and experience the joy of yoga and Ayurveda with us and thus, it is our prime responsibility to ensure that you have a wonderful homelike experience. We treat all our employees as family and in return, they instil the same closeness and care-giving in their behaviour towards all our students. Our friendly and warm personnel work day and night to make your stay with us a cherished one. Whether you want local sightseeing tips, airport transfers, shopping tips, or have any special requests, our staffs here give it their best to provide you with what you need (or at least they try as much as they can).

To know about the Centre of Varkala, Kerala in further detail, explore our Yoga Teacher Training In India.

Some of them had already spent a month here in training for the 200 hour teacher training and now ready for the next step—the 300 hour course. They filled in the others, who were newly initiated to yoga and India, on the ritual about to commence. As they gathered around the fire-pit placed in the middle of the hall and conversations flourished, a foundation of camaraderie and fellowship was laid amongst this family of strangers hailing from different parts of the world.

We spoke to Terra— coming from the US, she was curious to find out what yoga meant in the land of its birth. She was inspired to teach but for her, the course was an opportunity to expand and improve personal practice.

Melanie, one of our esteemed students who completed her 200 hour training with us in the month previous had gained a more detailed insight on yoga in India. The element of breath, says Melanie, is an aspect much neglected in the yoga of the West. Learning in India helped her integrate breath and meditation with breath in her personal practice—a lesson she is inspired to take further with her 300 hour yoga teacher training this month.

Yulia, joining us this November from Israel confirmed her calling to yoga teacher training as something she definitely knew she would do at some point in life. The message of unity in yoga fascinated her. The way so many culturally different individuals congregated to learn and grow with yoga in India was a stuff of great wonderment for Yulia and she wanted to discover more.

Our principle yoga philosophy teacher, Shri Gangesha Chaitaniya, addressed the assembly and defined the significance of the fire ceremony. The fire placed in the middle of the congregation symbolized the purity and strength of the sun and the offering of the participants became a sign of reverence to this immense source of power. The priest chanted mantras invoking auspiciousness for all that struck a chord with everyone present there. Though unfamiliar to the ancient Sanskrit verses, the students were touched by the rhythmic singsong tone of the chant that is a universal language on its own. Listening to the verses proclaiming the glory of the Almighty as the remover of obstacles, the bringer of prosperity and joy and the one who withholds the energies of creation, preservation and destruction was meant to strengthen the participants.

They closed their eyes and breathed the air purified by the havan or the holy fire and were inspired to pray for things besides the material—the path to truth when they are in untruth, for the light when they are surrounded by darkness, and for courage when gripped by fear.