The Yoga Institute, Goa

At four in the afternoon, Sattvik snacks and herbal tea are set out in the dining hall on Chorão Island. At six the evening yoga session begins as the sun goes down, and it ends in meditation and reflection. That rhythm is the daily life of The Yoga Institute Goa, a campus near Our Lady of Grace Church in Madel, Tiswadi, that shares a corridor with the Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary.

The Institute dates to 1918, when Shri Yogendraji decided yoga was not meant only for bearded men living in the mountains. He wanted it taught to householders, the people who commute, earn a living and raise children. The Institute describes itself as the oldest centre of yoga in the world. The Goa branch offers the same teaching as its Mother Branch, in an island setting.

The teaching treats asana as one limb among many. It rests on pillars that include Aahar (food), Vihaar (recreation and balance) and Achar (behaviour). The 200-hour teacher training course is the core program, built around the teacher-student relationship and the motto Learn, Teach, and Inspire.

Guests stay in Goan-style cottages with red cement floors and in Portuguese-style villas, with a scenic porch, shaded walkways and an infinity pool on the grounds. The kitchen serves Sattvik meals. Students plant and tend fruit and vegetables as Karma Yoga for the next batch, and herbs are picked from a medicinal patch. Shorter stays follow the Better Living retreat, either as a Healthation or as a Workation with time set aside for remote work. The Institute also offers pranayama and Mantra Sadhana workshops, corporate programs, and bespoke retreats for visiting groups, who join the centre's twice-daily sessions.