Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas is located near Shivananda Arch in the sub-town known as Muni-ki-Reti, in Shivananda Nagar, in the district of Tehri-Garhwal, in the state of Uttarakhand, in Northern India. This ashram was founded by H.D. Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati who is popular as Sage, Mystic, a God-realized Saint, Writer and Philosopher. This particular ashram has all the necessary facilities, conditions, situations and circumstances in order to realization of God in daily life, rendering intensive selfless service and development of Bhakti. God-experience is the only aim of this Ashramites' activities.

Within the ashram, there are temples where pujas and Aarti are a regular routine. The spiritual activities are conducted at Omkarananda Dipeshwar Mandir, Shri Mahakala Bhairava Mandir and Omakarananda Kamakshi Devi Mandir. This arshram's Education and social activities of this ashram are confined with centers such as Omkarananda Ganga-Sadan, Omkarananda Ganga Mata Mandir, Omkarananda Gita Sadan, Omkarananda Saraswati Natya Kala Academy, Omkarananda Hill Schools, OSN preparatory School, Omkarananda Saraswati Nilayam, Omkarananda Institute of Management and technology. This ashram is known among the Indians and foreigners for its conducting of classes and courses for Yoga, meditation, Bhajans, Spiritual worshops and Yagnas.

Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas is near the bank of the holy river Ganga. It is very close to Rishikesh, the neighbouring Sivanandanagar and the popular Lakshman Jhula. Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas in a successful manner carries its multiple activities and functions through its two registered Charitable Trusts - Omkarananda Charitable Trust, and Omkarananda Dharma Samsthan, plus the Omkarananda Educational Society. With Shri Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati as the President, this Ashram is successfully managed by a group of Sannyasis.

Omkarananda Ganga Sadan - Yoga worshop

Omkarananda Ganga Sadan is located on the banks of Ganga at Rishikesh (Muni-ki-reti). It is a beautiful guest house offering accommodation. All the rooms in this guest house with halls are really nice and clean with an attractive and picturesque view of the holy River and its surrounding hills. The library with the guesthouse is stocked with books on Philosophy and Yoga is readily available. The prestigious Patanjala Yoga Kendra is housed within the Omkarananda Ganga Sadan with all the sophisticated props plus other equipment. This Kendra in this ashram plays a main role in the method of Iyengar Yoga. It is to be highly noted that Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar has more than 180 centres spread in 45 countries with approximately 12000 classes being held in a successful manner every week by nearly 3000 certified teachers. At Omkarananda Ganga Sadan Iyengar Yoga workshops are successfully conducted daily starting from Monday till finishing on Saturday.

The prestigious Patanjala Yoga Kendra, has been successfully established in Omkarananda Ganga Sadan with the wholehearted blessings of Gurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati, where Yoga is taught as per the methods of the world-famous Yogacharya B.K.S. Iyengar. It is a beautiful Yoga Centre. Yoga is taught here by the Resident Instructor Usha Devi. It is to be remembered that Iyengar Yoga is a form of Hatha Yoga proudly created by B.K.S. Iyengar. It is to be highly noted that Usha Devi, the Iyengar yoga teacher at the Omkarananda Ashram is the person who is officially recognized by the Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Yoga Institute (RIMYI) in order to teach Iyengar Yoga.

Daily classes successfully running from Monday to Saturday until the month of May, At this ashram, there are chance for group bookings and intensive courses readily available.

All types of additional information and details related to yoga classes, yoga courses and yoga workshop can be had from the reception desk at the Kendra located within the ashram.

Yoga at Omkarananda ashram is strongly believed to be more strenuous in all aspects. All the students are largely expected to have good practiced at least one year of normal yoga or Iyengar yoga before booking at this yoga center. The students are highly advised have dietary restrictions. On the other hand, they are strongly encouraged to consume only Sattvic (pure) food. They are advised to abstain from any caffeine, cigarettes, drugs, alcohol, etc.

Iyengar Yoga at Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas

Iyengar Yoga is founded B. K. S. Iyengar who established it in 1970s. The derivative forms of this system are Anusara Yoga and Forrest Yoga. In this system, practice emphases largely great attention to information, detail and precise directly focus on body alignment to a great extent often with the use of some useful props with a lot of perfection. The related schools of Iyengar Yoga are Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga. The Yoga physiology deals with three bodies, five sheats, Chakra and Nadi. In Hinduism, the three Yogas are Bhagavad Gita, Karma yoga, Bhakti yoga and Jnana yoga. On the other hand, Raja yoga purely deals with Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, Eight Limbs, Yama, Niyama, Asana, Pranayama, Pratyahara, Dharana, Dhyana, Samadhi. The Mantra Yoga system comprises of Pranava yoga and Nada yoga. It also deals advanced asanas, basic asanas and Suryanamaskar plus Pranayama, types of pranayama. Mudras and Bandhas, Shatkarmas or kriyas and Yoga nadis. In the category of Tantra, it deals with Yogi, Siddhi, Shaiva, Siddhanta, Kundalini and Chakra Subtle body. It also deals with Advanced asanas, basic asanas and Suryanamaskar plus Pranayama, types of pranayama. Mudras and Bandhas, Shatkarmas or kriyas and Yoga nadis.

It is to be noted that Hatha yoga deals with many aspects such as Hatha Yoga Pradipika, Gherand Samhita and Shiva Samhita Yoga as alternative medicine or exercise. Chair Yoga, Anti-gravity yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Bihar School of Yoga, Mudras, List of asanas and List of styles. On the other hand, Contemporary yoga styles and schools perfectly deals with Ananda Marga Yoga, Ananda Yoga, Anusara Yoga, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, Bihar School of Yoga, Bikram Yoga, Forrest Yoga, Hot yoga, Iyengar Yoga, Jivamukti Yoga, Kripalu Yoga, Kriya Yoga, Kundalini Yoga, Power Yoga, Satyananda Yoga, Sivananda Yoga and Viniyoga Vinyasa Isha Yoga.

Under the categorty of Buddhism related yoga come Theravada, Samatha Samadhi (Buddhism), Visuddhimagga, Mahayana, Yogacara, Zazen, Vajrayana, Indian Buddhist Tantra, Anuttarayoga, Tantra, Tibetan Buddhism deals with Trul khor Six Yogas of Naropa Tummo Dream yoga Osel (yoga), China deals with Tangmi, Japan deals with Shingon Buddhism Tendai and Indonesia deals with Kebatinan Subud.

A Word to Students and Seekers

Among the all the said Yoga system, Iyengar Yoga comes with lot of benefits that are related to emotional, mental and physical. This particular yoga system looks really difficult in the initial stage for most of the beginners, intermediate and advanced yoga practitioners. With regular practice session and active participation with hard work that is blended with dedication and commitment, things can be achieved in a successful manner with a lot of perfection to a great extent. A participant can really feel the difference in his or her emotional aspects, mental aspects and physical aspects.

Iyengar Yoga is a new way of life that takes the personal and professional lifestyle to a satisfactory and prosperous manner in life. A beginner who completes the course can go for the intermediate course and then for the advanced course in a step by step process and procedure. There are haste rules and regulations in this particular system. Iyengar Yoga is a systematic yoga that is simple and easy to understand even by common men. Once the benefit is known then they wholeheartedly indulge in the process of learning it and indulging in the regular practice for reaping the extra benefit of this particular system.