A small, residential yoga school on the banks of the Ganges.
Yoga Alliance certified teacher training — 100, 200, and 300 hours.
Small batches. Direct access to your teachers. Pricing you can see before you ask.
Meditation
Hands-on Alignment
Breathwork
SanctuaryRishikesh has no shortage of yoga schools. Walk along the Ganges here and you'll pass a dozen of them before breakfast. What's harder to find is one that tells you what a course actually costs before you ask, and takes your safety as seriously as your practice.
Shunya Yoga School is a small, residential yoga school in Rishikesh, set among the Himalayan foothills a short walk from the river. We run Yoga Alliance certified yoga teacher training courses at 100, 200, and 300 hours, in batches of 4 to 16 students. No mass intake, no rotating cast of instructors you never quite meet. Just a clear, well-run course with pricing on the table from the start.
Most students who reach out are comparing four or five schools at once, from a browser tab in London or Melbourne or Ohio. So here's what actually separates a yoga teacher training course in Rishikesh from a genuinely good one: small batch sizes so instructors notice when your alignment is off, a founder who answers your questions directly rather than routing you through a booking agent, and a program built around structure — the kind that holds up on day 3 as well as day 24.
Founder Ashutosh Nautiyal built the school on a simple premise: that a student's first yoga teacher training should be run by someone who's still, visibly, a student himself. He teaches philosophy and sets the tone for the school day to day — not from a stage, but in the room.
“Shunya (शून्य) means empty space — not absence, but room. It's also the root of the mathematical zero: the point every number begins from. Training here isn't about adding more to your life. It's about clearing enough space to notice what's already there.”
Three residential yoga teacher training courses, each Yoga Alliance USA registered. New batches start on the 3rd of every month.
A focused introduction to Hatha yoga, pranayama (breath control practices), and the foundations of a personal practice. Suited to students without prior teacher training who want a serious, structured start.
Our core yoga teacher training course in Rishikesh, and the internationally recognized minimum for certification as a yoga teacher. Covers asana (postures), pranayama, philosophy, anatomy, and teaching methodology in full. Includes free airport pickup from Dehradun (DED) and a complimentary sound healing workshop.
An advanced course for students who already hold a 200-hour certification and want to deepen their practice and teaching — more Ashtanga Vinyasa, more anatomy, more time with the subtler sides of the practice. Also includes free DED airport pickup and the sound healing workshop.
Every course includes three meals a day, all course materials, your RYT certificate plus an AYUSH certificate (issued by India's Ministry of AYUSH), and a small handful of local excursions — the Kunjapuri and Bhoothnath temples, Parmarth Niketan, Vashishtha Cave — timed around the weather and the group.
There's no separate registration fee. A 20% deposit secures your place; the balance is paid on arrival or during the course, in cash (USD, EUR, or INR).
Reserve SeatA residential yoga school runs on rhythm, and ours is built the way a real teacher training should be — not a retreat schedule, a training one.
| Time | Practice |
|---|---|
| 6:00 – 6:45 | Wake-up call |
| 7:00 – 8:30 | Pranayama & shatkarma (cleansing techniques) |
| 8:30 – 9:30 | Traditional Hatha yoga |
| 10:00 – 11:00 | Sattvic breakfast (a light, plant-based diet rooted in Ayurveda) |
| 11:15 – 12:15 | Yoga philosophy |
| 12:30 – 14:45 | Anatomy & Ayurveda |
| 15:00 – 16:15 | Lunch & rest |
| 16:30 – 18:00 | Adjustment & alignment |
| 18:15 – 19:00 | Ashtanga Vinyasa / Vinyasa flow |
| 19:00 – 20:30 | Meditation & Yoga Nidra |
| 21:00 | Dinner & self-study |
| 22:00 | Lights off |
Schedule is approximate and may shift slightly depending on the batch.
We treat the schedule itself as part of the training — a concept known as Sadhana, or committed daily practice. During certain hours, students are also invited into Mauna, a period of observed silence that tends to surprise people with how much it changes the rest of the day.
Rishikesh is, by and large, a safe town — it's one of the reasons so many solo travelers end up here. But “safe town” isn't the same as “no plan,” and we don't expect you to just take our word for it.
Once you're enrolled, your safety on the ground is our responsibility. In practice, that means: you have Ashutosh's direct number for calls or texts, day or night, for anything that comes up — big or small. It also means we ask something of you in return: let us know where you're headed if you're leaving the school grounds, and don't head out after dinner without telling our team first. It's a small ask, and it's the same kind of house rule you'd find at any residential program that actually takes it seriously — not a restriction, just a way of making sure someone always knows where you are.
Ashutosh's personal line is open day and night for any assistance, logistics, or health needs.
Clear sign-out protocols and evening check-ins ensure every student is accounted for at all times.
Shunya Yoga School is registered with Yoga Alliance USA at both RYS 200 and RYS 300 — the accreditation recognized by yoga studios and schools internationally. Complete a course here and you'll graduate as an RYT (Registered Yoga Teacher), certified to teach anywhere that recognizes the Yoga Alliance standard.
Registered Yoga School with Yoga Alliance USA
Eligible for RYT designation across global studios
Doing the 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training in Rishikesh with Shunya Yoga School was such a beautiful experience. I came hoping to deepen my own practice and left feeling much more confident about teaching yoga. The teachers were patient, knowledgeable, and genuinely caring.
I joined the 100 Hour Yoga Teacher Training because I wanted an introduction to traditional yoga without committing to a longer course. The experience was much deeper than I expected. I especially loved the combination of asana, pranayama, meditation and philosophy.
My 300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training at Shunya was challenging in the best possible way. I really appreciated how much attention was given to the deeper aspects of yoga, not just the physical practice. I came from Europe with a lot of questions and left with a completely different perspective.
I booked a short meditation and sound healing course during my stay in Rishikesh and it became one of the highlights of my trip. The atmosphere at Shunya Yoga School was peaceful and welcoming, and I never felt like I was just another tourist.
I joined one of the yoga retreats at Shunya Yoga School while travelling through Rishikesh. It was exactly what I needed — time to slow down, practice yoga, meditate and reconnect with myself. The teachers and staff made me feel very comfortable from the first day.
I had been looking for a yoga school in Rishikesh where I could learn in a more traditional and personal environment. The 200 Hour TTC gave me a strong foundation in yoga, meditation, pranayama and philosophy. The whole experience felt very genuine and personal.
For Beginners & Dedicated Practitioners
If you've never trained before, start at 100 hours. It's a real commitment, not a taster course, but it's built to be a complete, standalone credential if that's all you're looking for right now.
For Aspiring Professional Teachers
Most students planning to teach professionally go straight for the 200-hour course — it's the internationally recognized threshold for certification, and the one most studios expect to see on a résumé.
For 200-Hour Certified Graduates
The 300-hour course is for students who've already completed a 200-hour training elsewhere (or with us) and want to go further, both in personal practice and in how they teach. It isn't a starting point.
Most students fly into Delhi and continue from there. A few ways to make the final leg:
Students enrolled in the 200-hour or 300-hour course get a free pickup from Dehradun (DED) airport. For 100-hour students, or anyone arranging their own transport, we can arrange a private taxi transfer for an additional $20–30, depending on timing and season.
Our team is available to help you choose the right path for your yoga journey.
“Shunya Yoga School is more than just a school—it is a spiritual sanctuary of stillness and authentic discipline in the Yoga Capital of the World.”
Prices start at $399 for the 100-hour course and run to $1,349 for the 300-hour course (private room). Every course includes three meals a day, all materials, your RYT and AYUSH certificates, and a set of local excursions. A 20% deposit reserves your spot; the rest is paid on arrival, in cash.
If you've read this far, you probably have a question or two we haven't answered yet — that's normal, and we'd rather talk it through directly than have you guess.
