The ashram where yoga and ayurveda still mean what they should
Inside AyurYoga Eco-Ashram: the riverside ashram quietly shaping some of the most grounded yoga teachers, and most restored Ayurveda guests, in the world
There are yoga retreats, and then there are places that change how you understand yourself. AyurYoga Eco-Ashram, on the banks of the river Kabini in the quiet countryside of Mysore, belongs firmly in the second category.
Founded more than 15 years ago, it has become one of India's most respected centres for blending yoga and Ayurveda with a unique approach to training yoga teachers. The setting is its own kind of medicine: 18 acres of organic farmland, four open-air yoga pavilions, a medicinal herb forest, eco cottages and vegetable gardens, all wrapped in the natural quiet that modern life has made vanishingly rare. At this altitude, temperatures hover between 20 and 30°C all year, and the Western Ghats are an hour away.
“The goal is not to produce teachers who can simply lead a sequence. It is to help students genuinely understand yoga.” — Krishna Chaitanya, founder
Since 2010, AyurYoga has delivered more than 115 yoga teacher trainings to over 2,000 students from upwards of 20 countries. Unlike many large-scale schools, numbers remain intentionally small — a maximum of 10 to 20 students per training, supported by eight resident teachers, including two amazing female Ayurveda doctors. The ratio alone is remarkable in a market where 1:10 is considered generous.
The 200-Hour Hatha Yoga Teacher Training runs for 30 immersive days, balancing asana, pranayama and teaching methodology with anatomy, philosophy, Yoga Nidra and yogic psychology. The 300-Hour Advanced Training goes further into Bhagavad Gita, kriyas, Ayurveda and yoga therapy — 10 hour days widely regarded as one of the most comprehensive yoga immersions in India today.
The on-site Ayurveda hospital is staffed by medically qualified, Kerala-trained doctors and therapists, with retreats running from seven to 28 days — Panchakarma detoxification, Rasayana rejuvenation, stress recovery — each protocol tailored to the individual after consultation, in the ancient way. Guest numbers in the hospital are capped at 10 at any time. The philosophy throughout is depth, not volume.
The ashram is non-religious and non-sectarian, drawing teachers from across the traditional yogic disciplines. It is known as a safe destination for solo female travellers, with vetted drivers for all transfers and round-the-clock team support. The food — vegetarian, largely grown on the land — is, by many guests' reckoning, a highlight in its own right. Registered as a non-profit trust, the ashram runs free Ayurvedic clinics for local villagers, distributes organic seeds to nearby farmers, and supports schoolchildren in the surrounding villages. To stay here is, quietly, to participate in something good.
For further information visit: ayuryoga-ashram.com
Om Magazine
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