Yoga meets travel: Places that are home to different styles of yoga

It has been a tough year in more ways than one and many have turned to yoga which is one of the best forms of physical, mental and spiritual practice. After being locked at home for several months many might choose holidays that bring a sense of calm and rejuvenation to their souls. To celebrate International Day of Yoga, Booking.com has curated a list of Indian destinations where different yoga practices originated or were popularised. As it becomes safe to travel once again, one can visit these destinations to truly experience this practice right at the heart of its existence. No matter what form of yoga you are interested in learning, you’ll find a place to do so in India.
Mysuru, Karnataka (Hatha Yoga)
Mysuru is particularly known to be the birthplace of Hatha Yoga. ‘Hattha’ is a derivative from Sanskrit, where “ha” stands for the sun, “ta” stands for the moon. Hatha yoga is a general term that includes all types of yoga that teach physical postures or asanas along with breathing exercises or pranayama. The first school of Hatha yoga was established in Mysuru in 1924 by Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, a teacher. Today, the beautiful, lush city of Mysore hosts many such yoga sessions and is home to many yoga centres. The destination is blessed with greenery, and good air quality, perfect for establishing a calm, serene environment to start your exercises. A popular center among locals is Ashtanga yoga center.
Munger, Bihar (Yoga Nidra)
Yoga as a form of therapeutic relaxation is taken to the next level in Munger, Bihar with the popular form of ‘Yoga Nidra’. The term translates to psychic sleep or a state of consciousness between sleeping and being awake, as you are deep in meditation. This form of yoga therapy was introduced by Swami Satyananda Saraswati, the founder of Bihar School of Yoga. The Bihar School Of Yoga at Munger continues to be a place where people from all over the globe come to have a relaxing and soothing experience.

Dabhoi, Gujarat (Kundalini Yoga)
Dabhoi, a town in the Vadodara district is the birthplace of Kripalvananda, a renowned master of Kundalini yoga who further popularised the practice. This form of yoga involves heavy chanting, breathing and related exercises, singing that is meant to activate your kundalini shakti or energy. What makes Kundalini yoga different is that the purpose of the practice is to awaken the energy at the base of a person's spine and draw it through the seven chakras. There are various yoga institutes near Dabhoi today, where one can visit to practice this form of yoga, when it is safe to travel. Once in Dabhoi, one can also visit the Dabhoi fort or the Wadhwana lake.

Pattamadai, Tamil Nadu (Sivananda Yoga)
Another popular form of yoga practiced is Sivananda Yoga. This is a form of yoga made popular in Pattamadai through Sivananda Saraswati who was a yogic and spiritual instructor. This form of yoga involves a spiritual system that includes the use of asanas (yoga postures) and stretches the body out. Sivananda yoga involves some positions that require skilled posture, so exploring this may require prior knowledge and experience to be able to complete a full workout. Paatamadai is a small town, filled with greenery in Tamil Nadu with an array of yoga and spiritual centers owing to the cultural heritage of yoga that was propelled by Sivananda Saraswati.

Swami Vishnudevananda teaching Sivananda Yoga