Our Founders — The Vision Behind Rishikesh Yogpeeth
Two friends, two seekers on a shared lifelong journey to understand human psychology, behaviour and suffering — Digamber Nautiyal (Digamber Ji) and Roshan Singh Kukreti (Roshan Ji) founded Rishikesh Yogpeeth in 2005. Their Sankalp (determination in sankrit) was to build a yoga school in Rishikesh where yoga was lived, not lectured. A school where students would not simply memorise asana, but learn to unlearn, sit with their own minds, and walk away with a framework for navigating life itself.
Digamber Ji and Roshan Ji grew up in Rishikesh, where they had the fortune of meeting many spiritual gurus and sadhaks (practitioners) for years. They witnessed Rishikesh's rise as the Yoga capital of the World, with the Beatles' visit in the 1960s, and further boosted by movies like Eat Pray Love. However, they also saw seekers arriving from every corner of the world, often leaving with a Yoga Alliance certificate but rarely with a transformation. This backdrop gave them deep inspiration and sankalp to create a yoga ashram in Rishikesh in the Himalayan foothills, far from the commercial noise of the city, where every teaching and every retreat would be rooted in authentic gurukul tradition.
Two decades later, that founding intent still shapes every conversation in every classroom. Digamber Ji visits the ashram every week and all yoga students who visit us have the opportunity to have a 1 to 1 Yoga Philosophy consultation with him, if they find the calling. Our student Marti Doke-Bell from Denver, Colorado, USA puts it in a TripAdvisor review:
"Yoga is lived here at Rishikesh Yogpeeth, it shows in everyday behaviour of staff. This is demonstrated by the Founder himself, Digamber Ji being available to our batch for group or individual interaction day after day."
Our Timeline — Two Decades as a Yoga School in Rishikesh (2005–2026)
Starting from our humble beginnings in Rishikesh City area with our first Yoga school in Rishikesh ‘Krishna cottage’ started receiving students in 2005. We have come a long way over last 2 Decades:
Rishikesh Yogpeeth’s initial Yoga school was in Rishikesh City area in Swargashram – an area of Rishikesh frequently visited by Gurus, Saints and wise mahtamas. Starting in 2005 till 2017, the ashram operated from a few places in Rishikesh City area. The land for creating Yoga Village at Abhayaranya yoga ashram was completed in 2015; it took 3 years to create initial facilities to start hosting Yoga Teacher Training programs. The COVID disrupted the construction, and so the current facilities were complete in 2025. The ashram that you see today has been hard work over 10 years, and some construction is still going on.
Rishikesh Yogpeeth Today — Services, Statistics & Recognition
Twenty-one years since Digamber Ji and Roshan Ji opened the doors of a small yoga school in Rishikesh, over 10,000 certified yoga teachers from more than 120 countries have walked the path of Rishikesh Yogpeeth. Today the school operates the flagship Abhayaranya ashram in the Himalayan foothills above Patna village, and is building another ashram in Goa that will open in 2027. Rishikesh Yogpeeth is accredited at every level by Yoga Alliance as RYS 200, RYS 300, and RYS 500. The Government of India also recognises our Certificate Course in Yoga in association with HNBGU (Hemvati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University).
What has not changed in two decades is the founding standard: 6 to 7 dedicated instructors per batch, an in-house Ayurvedic doctor, and a curriculum that gives equal weight to all eight limbs of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra. The services offered by Rishikesh Yogpeeth today span the full breadth of yogic practice:
200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Our initial 200 Hour program suitable for beginners for self-practice
Explore programs300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training
Our 300 Hour program suitable for advanced teaching practice
View retreatsAyurveda Detox Retreat
Our deep-detox Ayurveda retreats is meant for ultimate rejuvenation
Learn moreWhat our graduates write about us has not changed in two decades either. Across Rishikesh Yogpeeth reviews on Google, TripAdvisor, and Yoga Alliance, the same themes recur year after year — the depth of the teachers, the personal attention enabled by a low student-to-teacher ratio, the warmth of the staff, and the profound personal transformation students carry home. As Tamara Pavelić put it in her review, our teachers"are not just instructors, but people who truly live what they share."
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, becoming a yoga instructor can be tough. You should follow the following steps to achieve your goal easily.
- You have to be willing to put in the time and effort.
- You need to be able to communicate effectively.
- You need to be patient and kind.
- You need to be flexible.
- You need to be disciplined.
A registered yoga school with Yoga Alliance offers yoga courses & programs. It provides the RYT 200 & RYT 500 Yoga Alliance certifications that are internationally recognized.
It takes a minimum of 3 weeks to complete 200 hour yoga teacher training.
It depends upon the individual requirement to choose which course is suitable for them. The 200 hour yoga teacher training is the minimum requirement to be registered with Yoga Alliance as RYT 200.
The 200 hour yoga teacher training is the best yoga certificate as it can be completed within 1 month. And after completing the certification one can register with Yoga Alliance as RYT 200 and can teach yoga internationally.
Yoga Teacher Training & Retreats
300 Hour Yoga Teacher Training 500 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Yoga Retreats India