yoga

your yoga travels in India makes sense, you don’t necessary have

to fly there to find authenticity. Here, 10 spots with real-deal links

to the Eight Limbs for your bucket list.

Yoga retreats are great, but even the most extraordinary practice

in Costa Rica simply can’t compare in depth to practicing along

the sacred Ganges River in Rishikesh. There is something

unmistakably unique about the experience of traveling to

a destination where the yogic tradition’s roots run deep.

While starting your yoga travels in India makes sense, you

don’t necessary have to fly only to yoga’s birthplace to find

authenticity. Destinations closer to home like New York City and

the wild Rocky Mountains also have real-deal links to the eight

limbs. Here, 10 spots for your yoga travel bucket list.

hile starting

If you’re going on a yoga pilgrimage, Rishikesh is

a good place to start. Dubbed the “birthplace of

yoga,” this spiritual town is nestled in the foothills

of the Himalayan mountains along the sacred

Ganges River in Northern India. Legend has it that

a famous saint came to the river to give penance

and was acknowledged by Hindu God Vishnu.

Rishikesh is replete with ashrams and temples that

pay homage to various gods and goddesses, as

well as a plethora of yoga classes and workshops.

Stay at the garden-set Phool Chatti Ashram (from

$190 for a 7-day program with vegetarian meals)

known for the silent components of its retreats.

Or get spoiled at Ananda in the Himalayas (from

$510/night), which sits on a 100-acre Maharaja

Palace Estate. The luxury spa resort is famed for its

Ayurvedic spa and wellness treatments, yoga and

meditation classes (check out their new Dhyana

Self-Realization program), and organic cuisine.

Intrepid Travel’s 13-Day Mountains & Mystics

itinerary (from $1,095) includes visiting ancient

temples in Old Delhi and the Dalai Lama’s tranquil

Dharmasala, before completing the trip by setting

up camp along the banks of the Ganges River in

Rishikesh.

Rishikesh and the Ganges

River Valley, India

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december 2018 / january 2019

yogajournal.com.sg