Course activities in India
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Yoga Training Centre
Yoga master Sunil Kumar runs two-hour classes three times a day (8am, 10am and 4pm; Rs200) at the Yoga Training Centre, on the 3rd floor of a small backstreet building near Meer Ghat. He teaches an integrated blend of hatha, Iyengar, pranayama and ashtanga, and serious students can continue on certificate and diploma courses. This place is highly recommended by travellers.
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Learn for Life Society
Learn for Life Society, which can be contacted through the nearby Brown Bread Bakery has established a small school for disadvantaged children, and travellers are welcome to turn up and help out. The charity also recently started a women’s empowerment group, offering fair-paid work to local women, some of whom are mothers of the school’s students. The women make produce such as jams and pickles which travellers can buy from Brown Bread Bakery. See the website for more details.
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Yoga Study Centre
According to locals, this is one of Rishikesh’s most highly regarded yoga schools and runs two- and three-week Iyengar yoga courses for all levels (payment by donation). It’s a small ashram on the river south of the town, off Haridwar Rd.
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Maharaja Sawai Mansingh Sangeet Mahavidyalaya
This is an excellent music school located behind Tripolia Gate. Tuition (per month from Rs500) is given in dance and in Indian instruments such as tabla (pair of drums) and bakhawas (double-sided drum).
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Vina Maharaj Music School
In Lakshman Jhula, Vina Maharaj Music School offers sitar, tabla, harmonium and flute lessons at Rs200 per hour, and organises concerts.
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Insight Meditation Retreats
Three nine-day vipassana meditation and spiritual inquiry retreats are held by Insight Meditation Retreats from 7 January to 6 February at the Thai Monastery. Space is limited so book ahead. From mid-November you can inquire at the Burmese Vihara between 15:00 and 16:00. Donations are requested.
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Tushita Meditation Centre
Near Dharamkot, Tushita offers eight-day nonresidential courses and 10-day residential retreats in Buddhist philosophy, plus courses for advanced students.
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Open Ladakh
Open Ladakh runs meditation sessions, yoga, weekend retreats in Stok and longer introductory courses.
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Mahabodhi Society of Sri Lanka
Dharma talks, meditation and special pujas (offerings or prayers) on full-moon and other days.
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Vivekanandar Illam
Free one-hour classes on Wednesday nights at 7pm.
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Bhagwan Rajneesh Ashram
The Bhagwan Rajneesh ashram is in a desirable northern suburb of Pune. Since the Bhagwan's death in 1990, it has continued to draw in manifold sanyasins (seekers), many of them Westerners. Facilities include a swimming pool, sauna, 'zennis' (Zen tennis) and basketball courts, a massage and beauty parlour, a bookshop and a boutique guesthouse. The main centre for meditation and the nightly white-robed spiritual dance is the Osho Auditorium (a 'cough-free and sneeze-free zone'!).
The Osho Samadhi, where the guru's ashes are kept, is also open for silent or music-accompanied meditation.
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Root Institute for Wisdom Culture
The Root Institute for Wisdom Culture holds popular introductory 10-day meditation courses from late October to March that are useful for beginners. A requested donation of Rs. 7020 covers the course, accommodation and meals. Intermediate-level courses are also scheduled from December to February. The 6.45am 45-minute meditation session is open to all, and for a donation visitors are welcome to stay on for breakfast. Visit the website for other events.
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Malaviya Bhavan
Four-week physical yoga certificate course and a four-month diploma course that also covers Hindu philosophy. Students must obtain a student visa.
Varanasi has plenty of opportunities for yoga courses, but beware of 'fake' yoga teachers who are mainly interested in a hands-on lesson with young females. Some guesthouses also advertise yoga classes on their rooftops, which are occasionally free to guests.
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International Yoga Clinic & Meditation Centre
Near Man Mandir Ghat but difficult to find, Yogi Prakash Shankar Vyas teaches hatha, pranayama, kriya and spiritual yoga.
Varanasi has plenty of opportunities for yoga courses, but beware of 'fake' yoga teachers who are mainly interested in a hands-on lesson with young females. Some guesthouses also advertise yoga classes on their rooftops, which are occasionally free to guests.
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Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre
Set on 16 acres of gardens, the classy Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre is a place that derives its therapies from ancient scriptures and prescriptions. A wide range of treatments are on offer, as well as basic training programs. It’s wise to visit with some time on your hands; the best deals are the overnight-stay packages (Indian/foreigner from Rs9300/US$269).
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Saturday Curry Morning
Delicious cooking courses are run from a purpose-built kitchen just across the river at Betim, and the Saturday Curry Morning, which runs from 9.30am to 2pm, is just the thing for those not wanting to spend a whole week chopping and grinding. Courses must be booked in advance, after which you’ll receive details of how to get to the aromatic Indian kitchen.
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Jayalakshmi Fine Arts Academy
Jayalakshmi Fine Arts Academy is an established place with classes in bharatanatyam (dance), singing, veena (Indian stringed instrument), tabla (drums) and a range of other musical instruments. Private tuition fees start at Rs200 per hour for a minimum of five hours, and there’s a one-off registration fee (Rs350).
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Academy of Magical Sciences
Ever wanted to learn how on earth they do that Indian rope trick? This is your chance. This academy works to preserve traditional Indian magic, give recognition to street magicians and train students in the art of illusion. It holds regular shows and have a store selling magic kits. Fun.
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International Music Centre Ashram
The family-run International Music Centre Ashram is hidden in the tangle of backstreets near Rana Ghat but worth seeking out. Sitar, tabla, flute and classical dance tuition is Rs150 per hour, and concerts are held every Saturday and Wednesday evening at 8pm (Rs50).
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VolunteerTibet
VolunteerTibet is a community organisation that arranges placements in areas of need – eg teaching, computer training, and social services. Volunteers with two months or more to spare are preferred, but short-term placements can also be arranged.
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Ankit Music House
Ankit Music House, in the same building as the Yoga Training Centre, in the alleys near Meer Ghat, also offers classical music tuition, for Rs100 an hour. Instructors Bablu and Vijay can give advice on buying musical instruments.
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Tibetan Welfare Office
The Tibetan Welfare Office can provide advice on other opportunities for volunteers around McLeod Ganj, including environmental efforts such as the Clean Upper Dharamsala Project.
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Bodhgaya Vipassana Meditation Centre
Bodhgaya Vipassana Meditation Centre runs intensive 10-day vipassana courses twice each month throughout the year. The small compound is 4km west of town and runs on donations.
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LHA - Volunteering
LHA arranges placements at a variety of local community projects. You need a minimum of two weeks for teaching placements and one month or more for serious vocational programmes.
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Tibetan Universal Massage
The recommended Tibetan Universal Massage offers training in traditional Tibetan massage. Courses run for five afternoons on set dates and cost Rs1500.
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