Yoga and Ayurveda Experiences

India is the home of yoga and Ayurveda, and there is no better place to experience either. Yoga, the discipline of breath, posture and meditation, and Ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine based on diet, herbs and massage, have been practised here for thousands of years. A few days given to them can become the most restorative part of a journey.

Here are four places where yoga and Ayurveda are woven into daily life, and some advice on how to include them in your travels.

Rishikesh: the home of yoga

Rishikesh sits where the Ganges leaves the Himalayan foothills, and has drawn seekers for centuries. Ashrams and schools offer classes for every level, from a single morning session to month-long courses. Evenings bring the Ganga aarti, the riverside ceremony of lamps and chanting. Rishikesh is a few hours by road from Delhi, or a short flight to Dehradun.

Kerala: the heart of Ayurveda

Kerala has the deepest Ayurveda tradition in India, with physicians whose families have practised for generations. A proper Ayurveda programme begins with a consultation and is tailored to you; the classic treatments, including panchakarma, are best taken over at least a week. The monsoon months are traditionally considered the ideal season for treatment, when the air is cool and moist. Our Kerala tour can include time at an Ayurveda retreat.

Mysuru: a centre of Ashtanga yoga

Mysuru in Karnataka is closely associated with Ashtanga yoga, which was developed and taught here in the twentieth century before spreading around the world. Practitioners still come to study in the city, which also has a grand palace and one of the most colourful markets in the south. It sits on our Kerala and Karnataka tour.

Varanasi: meditation on the Ganges

Varanasi is one of the oldest living cities in the world and among the holiest in Hinduism. Dawn on the river, when pilgrims bathe and pray on the ghats, is an extraordinary time for quiet reflection, and many visitors join a morning yoga or meditation session by the water. Varanasi is part of our spiritual tour of India.

Adding yoga and Ayurveda to your journey

• A daily yoga class can be arranged in most of the cities on a classic journey, often in your hotel.
• For Ayurveda treatments, allow at least five to seven days in one place.
• Tell us about any health conditions beforehand, so the right practitioner can be chosen.
• The Ministry of AYUSH publishes background on India’s traditional systems of medicine.

If you would like to make yoga and Ayurveda part of your time in India, tell us what you have in mind.