My AYM experience fully exceeded my expectations for a 200-yoga teacher training program in Rishikesh, India. The accommodations: Clean, new, home-y and spacious rooms. The yoga hall has a priceless view of the hills of Rishikesh. The food: A tasty variety of Indian food. Be prepared for lots of rice, chapati, lentils and daal. As long as you like Indian food, you will be happy and healthy while you are here. The location: Just outside the town of Tapovan, which is on the outskirts of downtown Rishikesh. It is a 10-minute walk down a hill to shops and lots of dining. A great "get-away feel" in the hills instead of being in the center of town, which is perfect for an awesome yogi vibe. The company: A diverse group from all over the world looking to learn yoga, have fun, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Rishikesh. Most importantly, the yoga: Thoughtful and creative teachers who care about the needs of the students. It is a strenuous program of 4+ hours of yoga/day and 4+ hours of classroom lecture/day. Dependent on the experience you are looking for, the following could be challenging to you: -It felt more like a social ashram than a quiet, peaceful and meditative experience. It could be dependent on your group, but something to consider. -You should like Indian food because at least six days a week, that is what is served in the kitchen for breakfast, lunch and dinner. -You are not directly in town, but could be challenging to those that want to be in the "heart of the city-center." -The accommodations were nicer than expected, with a high-end hostel feel (private bath or shared with just one other person, washing machine on-site, and shared dining area). However, warm water for showers was limited, wifi came and went and the power shortages that are typical in India happened regularly. All in all – an amazing place with great people, food and yoga.

Graduating tomorrow after a month at AYM completing my 200h YTT, and I could not be happier with the experience. Communication and support from the school from the day I contacted them via email, and throughout the course has been great. The staff (especially Sachin) is attentive and always do their best to accommodate us and attend to us if we need help with anything. The structure of the course is well-balanced, with at least 2 asana classes a day (Ashtanga Vinyasa every morning, and Hatha Yoga every evening), as well as pranayama/meditation, anatomy/physiology and philosophy classes daily. The course runs 6 days a week with Sundays off. The teachers make for a truly authentic experience and you really feel like you're learning from the birth place of yoga. The pranayama/meditation and hatha yoga teachers are particulary inspiring. I would personally recommend coming with some previous experience of yoga asana practice as the programme is quite physically intensive (especially the ashtanga classes). The final teaching practice assignments are incorporated gradually, with the last week only picking up with an open-book written test. Accommodation is good. Clean and comfortable with AC or non-AC options available during the hot summer months. Food is ayurvedic and copious - we never went hungry! Wifi mostly worked well, with a few days of on-and-off, but always enough to stay in contact with friends and family. The school itself is located away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Rishikesh (about a 20min walk away); which is perfect as it's close enough to pop down to for errands and restaurants/cafes, but also removed enough for it to be a quiet oasis perfect for studying yoga in. Up the hill in the other direction there are even some natural pools in a stream which have been a real treat in the hot weather. We had a great group of people from all over the world which made for an active and fun learning environment. I have had a really wonderful time here, I can't believe it's already been a month. It really has flown by! I would recommend this course to anyone. Thank you AYM!

AYM went above and beyond expectations. The teachers are incredibly knowledgeable, humble and kind. The chefs and staff work so hard and deliver such beautiful food and service. The location is stunning and the ashram is lovely. You really get the most out of this course, not a moment is wasted here as the teachers are so inspiring. I'm extremely humbled and blessed to have had my training here. I leave with so much knowledge and a better human

A well planned and well situated Yoga Institute at Rishikesh, where they take learning and teaching Yoga seriously. Great set of well educated teachers, and a great atmosphere to learn their knowledge. Comfortable accommodation , great kitchen staff for those lovely Ayurvedic food ,a good ayurvedic therapist in the property for those tired and stiff muscle from the practices . Highly recommended for any level of yoga practitioners, and Thank you AYM for the gift of Yoga.

I completed the 200Hr TTC at AYM in Rishikesh in April 2016. The school is beautifully located in upper Tapovan, just far away enough to have some peace and quiet from the busier streets, but close enough to pop into town if you ever needed to. The teachers were all humble, good natured and knowledgeable and I felt as my first teacher training it gave me a good starting base for any further studying I wish to undertake. It involved learning pranayama techniques, meditation techniques, mantras, yoga philosophy and teaching methodology, the asana focus being Hatha yoga, from an incredible teacher as well as an introduction to the primary series of Ashtanga yoga. The staff are all friendly and helpful and made Rishikesh feel like home. I would recommend this school as a good starting point for anyone wanting to delve into their yoga practice. Thank you AYM!