Latest news with #InternationalYogaFestival
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Hindustan Times
Planning a yoga retreat? 4 destinations you need to have on your itinerary for a transformative experience
Wellness travel is coming to the forefront, especially as increasingly overwhelming workloads and burnout become an unshakable norm in daily life. Travel, which was once all about sightseeing and ticking off tourist checklists, is now shifting toward a slower, more mindful approach, one that prioritises rest and rejuvenation from the grind and hustle. Yoga is one of the holistic practices for wellbeing that offers mental and physical rejuvenation. Even other than yoga, there are many holistic practices from Ayurveda techniques to meditation, which travellers are actively seeking out on their wellness vacation. Yoga retreats are suitable places where travellers can enjoy a meditative experience. Make yoga the highlight of your travel for a rejuvenating experience.(Shutterstock) ALSO READ: Yoga expert shares 'no. 1 pose' that can help you sleep like a baby: 'Get 8 hours of rest in just 4' Ravi Gosain, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), highlighted the growing influx of wellness tourists to various regions across India. He said, 'India's longstanding tradition of yoga, Ayurveda, naturopathy, and holistic healing offers a uniquely authentic wellness experience of body-mind-soul transformation that cannot be matched. India's depth of spiritual knowledge, natural beauty, and authentic approaches to wellness are married seamlessly with luxury and sustainability, providing an inviting environment for both spiritual truth seekers and discerning wellness tourists.' He further explained how, in comparison to Western wellness facilities, India offers a more affordable yet high-quality alternative, with certified practitioners and government-regulated centres ensuring safety and authenticity. This makes Indian destinations ideal spots for yoga retreats. Ravi listed out 4 popular destinations in India for yoga retreats, emphasising the unique offerings and experiences that set each one apart: 1. Rishikesh Rishikesh's serene ghats offer a peaceful location for yoga.(Shutterstock) Rishikesh is globally known for yoga, meditation, and spiritual renewal. Renowned for some of the best places in the world for yoga, meditation, and pilgrimage, the holy city of Rishikesh contains some of the most recognised yoga institutions in the world and holds the annual events of the International Yoga Festival, bringing practitioners from around the world for yoga and pilgrimage. As a centre for yoga, the famous ghats and banks of the Ganges river are lined with yoga ashrams, eco-retreats, and wellness centres that offer wellness retreats, Ayurvedic healing. 2. Kerala By the greeneries of Munnar, yoga becomes a rejuvenating experience.(Shutterstock) Kerala has marketed itself as the Ayurveda capital of India with superb backwaters, lush greenery, and a climate conducive to effective healing. Kerala quickly became a prime destination for wellness seekers. From several coastal villages offering authentic Panchakarma therapies to a few from traditional healing homes placed just under coconut groves. to a few from traditional healing homes placed just under coconut groves. Kerala offers physical and mental balance through authentic older traditions of Ayurveda. 3. Dharamshala Dharamshala's monasteries provide calming spaces.(Shutterstock) The Kangra Valley provides a unique combination of yogic traditions from India and Tibetan Buddhist practices . . With quiet forest monasteries, Dharamshala provides a meditative means for meditation retreats, silent course meditation classes, and emotional detox. 4. Mysuru Mysuru is the home of contemporary Ashtanga yoga and draws a rigorous crowd of practitioners and aspirants from all around the globe. and draws a rigorous crowd of practitioners and aspirants from all around the globe. Mysuru is the home of classical yoga schools and long-term teacher-training programs.
Hindustan Times
21-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Karnal: CM Saini, Ramdev among 1 lakh to be part of state-level Yoga Day celebrations
Atleast 1 lakh yoga practitioners along with Haryana chief minister Nayab Saini and Baba Ramdev and are likely to turn up at the state-level programme for International Yoga Festival in Kurukshetra on minister of state Subhash Sudha said that the event, which will be held on the banks of Brahmasarovar, will create a new world record under the leadership of CM Saini. SP Nitish Aggarwal said that atleast 2,000 cops from neighbouring districts have been deployed on duty . (HT photo for representation) Addressing a press conference, Sudha said that all preparations have been made for the event, where more than 1 lakh participants from Patanjali Yogpeeth, Haryana Yoga Aayog and various institutions of the district will take part in this yoga DC Neha Singh said that for the programme, the Brahmasarovar complex has been divided into 64 sectors and the fairground into 37 sectors, 1,000 participants will do yoga in each sector. 'A yoga instructor, Patanjali member, policeman, administrative nodal officer, volunteer will be present in each sector, while 31 LED screens have been installed to connect all the participants with the yoga programme, out of which 20 have been installed in the Brahmasarovar complex and 11 in the fairground. 37,000 school students, staff and family members will participate in the yoga program, 40,000 participants will come from Patanjali Yogpeeth and Haryana Yoga Commission and apart from this, about 25,000 people will come from various institutions of the city,' she said. The DC further said that a temporary arrangement of 100 mobile toilets has been made at the event venue and apart from this, more than 20 permanent toilets are also located around various ghats in the Brahmasarovar complex. 'Live telecast arrangements have been made to broadcast the programme live and to connect with the programme of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photography-videography will be done with drone cameras at the yoga event venue. Media center has been set up in the auditorium of the KDB office located at Brahmasarovar. Parking arrangements have been made near Kurukshetra University,' she added. SP Nitish Aggarwal said that atleast 2,000 cops from neighbouring districts have been deployed on duty and several CCTV cameras have also been installed.
Time of India
11-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati marks 25 years of monastic life
Rishikesh: Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, international director of Parmarth Niketan and president of the Divine Shakti Foundation, celebrated the silver jubilee of her 'sanyas diksha' (her formal initiation into monastic life) on Wednesday. The event was held at Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh and was attended by her guru and initiator, Swami Chidanand Saraswati, along with Patanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev, Swami Rajendra Dasji, Swami Ravindra Puriji, Swami Harichetnanandji, Sant Shri Murlidharji, Acharya Balkrishanji and Dr Chinmaya Pandya. Raised in Los Angeles, Sadhvi experienced spiritual awakening during her visit to India in 1996. A Stanford University graduate, she was pursuing a PhD in psychology and had accompanied her husband Jim on the trip. Her experience led her to renounce worldly life and embrace monasticism. She has since lived in India for over two decades. Her other roles include secretary-general of the Global Interfaith WASH Alliance, co-chair of the UN's Multifaith Advisory Council, and director of the International Yoga Festival. To mark the occasion, a free, multi-specialty medical camp was organised in collaboration with Medanta Hospital, providing healthcare services to hundreds of pilgrims, sadhus, and local residents. Baba Ramdev described her as an "embodiment of the divine Mother," while Swami Chidanand Saraswati hailed her as "a lighthouse of wisdom." Swami Rajendra Dasji remarked on the spiritual significance of the day, which also coincided with Jyeshtha Purnima, Kabir Jayanti and Saryu Jayanti. Reflecting on her journey, Sadhvi said, "I truly don't feel that I live in Bharat, but that Bharat lives in me... It is not the external sadhan, but the sadhana that truly matters."
