Best Pranayama Courses in Rishikesh (2026): An Honest Guide

Written by Somashekar, founder and head teacher of Anantadrishti Yoga. Disclosure: this is our own school, and we're one of the schools on this list. We've tried to be fair, and every other entry is described only from that school's own published listing.

People ask us every week which pranayama course in Rishikesh they should take. The honest answer is that "best" depends on what you are coming for. Some people want to practise deeply for a week or a month. Some want to teach breathwork when they go home. Others simply want to live near the Ganga and join a class each morning. This guide sets out the main options we know of, says plainly what each one is, and ends with the questions we'd ask any school, including ours.

At a glance

What makes a pranayama course in Rishikesh worth doing?

A good pranayama course gives you daily guided practice, careful corrections and enough time for each technique to settle before the next one is added. Pranayama is learned in the body, not from a handout. A breath practice that looks simple on paper, such as Nadi Shodhana, changes a great deal once a teacher watches you and adjusts the rhythm, the posture and the effort. The same is true of the bandhas and of kumbhaka, breath retention, which should always be built up slowly.

Rishikesh helps. The town is quiet in the early morning, many schools are within walking distance of the river, and you can keep your days simple: practise, eat, rest, study, practise again.

Which pranayama courses in Rishikesh are worth considering?

These are the options we can describe fairly from each school's own published information. We list our own course first because it's the one we know best, and we've kept the others short and factual. Dates and prices change, so check each school directly before you book.

Anantadrishti Yoga: Advanced Pranayama & Yoga Philosophy Course

Our course is an in-person practitioner course at the shala in Lower Tapovan, a short walk from Laxman Jhula and the Ganga. You choose 7 days (US$149, ₹13,000), 15 days (US$229, ₹20,000) or 30 days (US$349, ₹30,000). Fees are tuition only; accommodation isn't included, but we help you find a room nearby.

All three lengths start together on the 1st of the month (Monday the 2nd when the 1st is a Sunday). Classes run Monday to Saturday in two sessions: 07:30–09:00 is pranayama practice, and 11:30–13:00 is corrections plus the science and philosophy of pranayama, drawing on classical texts such as Patanjali's Yoga Sutras and the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. That is about 3 guided hours per teaching day: roughly 18 hours over 7 days, 39 over 15 days and 75–78 over 30 days. Teaching is in English, in small groups, and Somashekar has more than 15 years of studying and teaching yoga, pranayama and Vedic chanting.

The first week covers kapalabhati, bhastrika, yogic breath, agnisara, ujjayi, the three bandhas, Nadi Shodhana with Chandra and Surya bhedana, and antar and bahya kumbhaka with the bandhas. The longer courses build on that, with Maha bandha, the nadi pranayamas and, in the 30-day course, the chakra pranayamas. It is not a yoga teacher training, and it doesn't lead to a teaching qualification. A 20% deposit can reserve your place.

Moola Yoga Rishikesh: 50-Hour Breathwork & Pranayama Teacher Training

Moola Yoga runs a 50-hour breathwork and pranayama training as a six-day intensive near Laxman Jhula. Its listing describes more than 15 pranayama and breathwork techniques, the bandhas and mudras, subtle anatomy such as the nadis and chakras, and the science of breath and the nervous system, with daily Hatha yoga, meditation and philosophy. It is listed at about €400 without accommodation, rising to about €600 with a private room (check current dates). It suits someone who wants a short course in a teaching format.

Parmarth Niketan

Parmarth Niketan is a large ashram on the Ganga. Its published programme lists daily yoga and meditation classes, satsang, kirtan and the evening Ganga Aarti. It's a way of living inside an ashram routine rather than a structured, progressive pranayama course, which is exactly what some visitors want.

Vinyasa Yogashala: online pranayama and guided meditation course

If you can't travel yet, Vinyasa Yogashala, a Rishikesh-based school, has a short online pranayama and guided meditation course in twelve lessons. Its listing covers Surya and Chandra bhedi, Nadi Shodhana (including with breath retention), kapalabhati, bhastrika, bhramari, sheetali and sheetkari, the bandhas in pranayama, and meditation. An online course can't give you hands-on corrections, but it can be a useful start.

Should you choose a practitioner course or a pranayama teacher training?

Choose a practitioner course if your goal is your own practice, and a teacher training only if you plan to teach. A practitioner course spends its hours on doing the practices and refining them. A training spends part of its hours on teaching methodology. Neither is better; they answer different needs.

If you'd like both, our 50-Hour Advanced Pranayama & Bhakti Yoga Meditation Teacher Training runs once this year, on 2–8 November 2026, at US$600 all-inclusive (tuition, accommodation and meals). It combines advanced pranayama, bija mantras and mudras, meditation, teaching methodology and Bhakti Yoga. Places are by enquiry.

How do you choose a pranayama course in Rishikesh?

The simplest way to choose is to ask every school the same questions and compare the answers. These are the ones we'd ask:

• How many hours a day are guided practice? Ask for the daily timetable, not just the total hours.
• How is kumbhaka taught? Breath retention should be introduced gradually, with short, comfortable holds, never forced.
• How big is the group? Corrections need a teacher who can see you.
• Who teaches, and for how long have they practised? Ask for the teacher's name and years of experience.
• Is accommodation included? If not, will the school help you find a room nearby?
• What are the refund and cancellation terms? Read them before you pay a deposit. Ours are on the refund and cancellation page.
• Who is the course not suitable for? A careful school will name health conditions that need a doctor's advice first.

For the weather, our guide to the best time to visit Rishikesh will help you pick a month, and the Tapovan guide covers where to stay.

Where should you start?

Start with the length of time you really have, then the format you need. If you have a week and want to practise, a 7-day practitioner course gives you the full foundation. If you have a month, a 30-day course lets each stage settle. If you want to teach, choose a training. Whatever you choose, pick a teacher you can talk to before you arrive.

If our course sounds right, the Advanced Pranayama & Yoga Philosophy Course page has the full curriculum, dates and an enquiry form, and you can read more about Somashekar before you write to us.