By: Rita Williamz
Submitted: 2010-06-17 14:03:46 | Word Count: 662
There are different reasons why people embark into an Indian vacation, some for a romantic getaway, others for a cultural and heritage visit, while others for a spiritual journey through a yoga tour. Yoga is a physical and mental practice which originated in India three thousand years ago. In Sanskrit, it would mean “union” which would refer to the unity of the spiritual and the supreme which would create a balance and useful life.
In the United States alone, there are about 12 to 20 million Americans who are practicing yoga. Global numbers are even bigger. What is it about yoga that numbers of people practicing it are increasing worldwide?
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Aside from developing spirituality, yoga also has health and fitness benefits. Those who practice yoga would testify better flexibility, lubrication of joints, ligaments and tendons, detoxifying effects, muscle toning, and improvement in balance. Yoga also uses meditative practices which would bring calmness, positive outlook and enlightenment.
Yoga tours are yoga retreats, but other than that it improves how yogis and a person would be able to relate to the inner-self and the supreme entity. In a yoga tour, there would be activities, workshops, expeditions and different kinds of entertainment which would enrich your experience with yoga and its benefits.
Some yoga enthusiasts would find that it is a great opportunity to travel and experience a different culture while on a weight loss program. Yoga tours in India would allow you to enjoy food even if you are on a weight-loss trip. Those who participate on yoga tours would also be able to enhance their own and learn new techniques. There are yoga tours which would make certain that the experience remains to be personal or family oriented.
India would have popular spots for yoga tours. Aside from visiting, these places are alos venues where you could enrol for advanced yoga classes which usually last one month and more. They are the following:
• The Iyangar School located in Pune is a great place to visit. They would also offer month-long courses but would require a fee and at the same time would undergo a selection process. This school teaches advanced yoga and would teach students to adapt their exercises on the environment.
• Another school which offers classes would be the Ashtanga Yoga Research Institute in Mysore. The program can last for one to six months. The yoga practices used here would require fast paced movements and coordinated breathing. This institute is also known among foreigners who are seriously into yoga.
• The Krisknamacharya Yoga Mandiram in Chennai is another popular spot for those yoga practitioners who do the gentle yoga. Classes would usually last for two to four weeks and would also require a fee.
• Another yoga school which is situated in a near the woods and forests outside Kerala would be Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Dhanwantari Ashram. They would often offer yoga vacations which lasts for two weeks to a month. There are special fees that would also have to be paid to gain acceptance in the school.
• The institute in Parmarth Niketan in Rishikesh can be found near the Ganges river. There are many foreigners who are visiting this school to learn about yoga courses in English. The same with other schools there is a corresponding fee, but it would cover the room you’ll be staying in.
Indian vacation does not only have to be about getting the postcard-like photos, but it can also be spiritual and at the same time for the betterment of your inner-self.
