I spent 2 months in Dharamshala and the main purposes of this trip were self-improvement, practising yoga and internal reflection.
Bhagsu Nag or Dharamkot should be your preferred choice of location if you are looking to practice daily or enrolling into a TTC program in Dharamshala.
Schools regularly teach different forms such as Yin, Ashtanga, Iyengar, Hatha, Vinyasa and Acro yoga for all levels of yogis.
Here is the map and below is the list of schools that I recommend.
Chinmay Yoga
Located in Upper Bhagsu, this was by far my favourite of the lot. I could be biased as they conducted free drop-in lessons every single day of the week.
Besides the free lessons, they also provided bread, peanut butter and green tea.
They taught 4 styles namely Vinyasa, Ashtanga, Yin and Acro yoga and the classes were intense (I am still a beginner) and I got a lot of value out of them.
Their TTC batches started every 3rd day of the month and were priced at USD 800 including food and stay. This was by far the cheapest school I had come across.
Yoga with Raj
Another well-known school in Upper Bhagsu, Yoga with Raj, conducted daily drop-ins for Rs. 300 per class. You can buy prepaid packages of 4, 6 or 10 classes for a discount.
Although my experience with the school was good, the location of the school made it difficult to concentrate due to the daily hustle-bustle and on occasion honking.
It was the only school that conducted Ariel drop-in classes but needed a minimum of 4 enrolments.
The students were full of praise for their TTC programs.
The school had partnered with Swami Ashok Samdarshi who taught meditation. His drop-ins cost Rs. 300 and he too offered a week-long meditation course for USD 600.
Aranya Yoga school
Run by a Naga baba called Krishna, this school was located in Lower Bhagsu and had one of the most beautiful setups.
Since it was located slightly remotely, the views on offer were breathtaking. Maybe the best on offer in Bhagsu.
Like others, they conducted weekly free drop-ins to advertise and bring in permanent students.
Their 200 hour TTC was USD 1500 per month, excluding stay. Making it one of the more expensive schools.
I did end up experiencing one Yin class and a sound healing session. They were both amazing.
Himalayan Iyengar school
Possibly the only school to offer the Iyengar style of Yoga in the region, it is located in Dharamkot and is a tad remote from everything else.
In case you like this style or want to experience it, they also offer week-long (5 day) programs starting Wednesday every week.
I do not remember seeing drop-ins which would anyway be difficult to attend due to its remote location.
Even though their TTC’s weren’t exorbitant they weren’t the cheapest either. I did hear some great reviews about this school though.
Lotus Yoga
Located on the main strip in Dharamkot, this was one of the most popular schools in the area. Their students raved about the teachers conducting daily drop-ins.
Even their set up looked beautiful and they had something or the other going on quite regularly.
I would recommend checking them out.
Trimurti Yoga
This was more of an accidental discovery.
Their set up was incredibly beautiful and approximately 20 students from all across the world were eating together like a community.
They had a cafe, lots of green and open spaces to practise yoga within the campus and since they were remote, they were right in the lap of nature.
Om studio
Not really a yoga school but rather a studio, this place had the best view in Dharamkot. The studio located on the terrace of a 3 story building was drop-dead gorgeous.
Since it was a studio, there were workshops like yoga drop-ins, music, art and dance conducted every day.
If you are just looking to have some fun, then do check these guys out.
Your turn
What has your experience been while trying to look for yoga schools in a particular region? Do you think that you can take a trip that is dedicated entirely to Yoga or self-improvement?
If you are looking for more information on Dharamshala, then check out this guide and food lovers go here.
