An intensive 11-day program inside India's living traditions of Ayurveda and Yoga, for selected international students and professionals.
Ayurveda and Yoga are not ancient curiosities. They are living, evolving systems of knowledge, recognized by the World Health Organization, integrated into India's national healthcare policy, and studied by medical researchers across the world. India is their source, and remains their most complete expression.
This 11-day residential academic program is designed for international students and professionals in medicine, public health, nursing, psychology, nutrition, physical education, and wellness management. It is developed in partnership with three institutions of exceptional standing: the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, both under India's Ministry of AYUSH, and Himalayan Yog Ashram in Rishikesh.
This is not a spa retreat. It is a structured academic experience: daily workshops led by practicing Ayurvedic physicians and certified Yoga scholars, clinical observations at government-recognized institutions, and formal sessions on traditional Indian medicine as a contemporary healthcare system.
Participation is by application only. Each cohort is limited to 20 participants, selected through a review of academic background and statement of purpose.
Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old system of medicine practiced without interruption to the present day. No other country offers access to these disciplines in their original context, taught by practitioners who inherited them through unbroken lineages.
The WHO formally recognizes Ayurveda as a traditional medicine system. India's Ministry of AYUSH governs a national healthcare infrastructure of thousands of hospitals, colleges, and research institutions, found nowhere else.
Rishikesh is the city where the global Yoga movement began, where the International Yoga Festival draws practitioners from over 100 countries, and where the Ganges descends from the Himalayas. To study Yoga here is to study it where it remains fully intact.
The program moves through three deliberately sequenced environments. Delhi provides the institutional foundation. Agra offers a cultural interlude. Rishikesh delivers the experiential core, first in comfort on the banks of the Ganges, then in full ashram immersion for the closing days.
| Days | Focus | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrival, orientation, program briefing | Delhi |
| Day 2 | All India Institute of Ayurveda, workshop & clinical observation | Delhi |
| Day 3 | Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Yoga science | Delhi |
| Day 4 | University visits + Ayurvedic pharmacy & herb garden | Delhi |
| Day 5 | Travel to Agra, Taj Mahal + cultural evening | Agra |
| Day 6 | Travel to Rishikesh, Ganga Aarti ceremony | Rishikesh (Taj) |
| Day 7 | Yoga philosophy workshop + morning practice + therapeutic Ayurvedic massage | Rishikesh (Taj) |
| Day 8 | Transfer to ashram, orientation + workshop | Rishikesh (Ashram) |
| Day 9 | Meditation & pranayama intensive + Himalayan walk | Rishikesh (Ashram) |
| Day 10 | Integration workshop + certification ceremony | Rishikesh (Ashram) |
| Day 11 | Morning practice + travel to Delhi + departure | Delhi |
Detailed daily schedule provided upon enrollment confirmation.
Institutional access, workshops, and certification are identical across all three tiers. The closing ashram phase in particular stays the same in every tier, since the workshops and certification ceremony happen there. Only the comfort phase in Rishikesh, and the Delhi/Agra hotels, change.
Phase One, Taj Rishikesh Resort & Spa (3 nights). A MICHELIN-recognised luxury property on the banks of the Ganges in the Himalayan foothills. The resort offers Ganga views, an onsite yoga pavilion, evening Ganga Aarti on the riverbank, and a full wellness center.
Phase Two, Himalayan Yog Ashram (2 nights). Shared double rooms within the ashram, for the program's closing workshops and certification ceremony.
Delhi accommodation is at a 5-star hotel. One night in Agra is at a 5-star property near the Taj Mahal. Executive transport (private dedicated vehicle) throughout.
Phase One, a 4-star Rishikesh property (3 nights), in place of the Taj resort.
Phase Two, Himalayan Yog Ashram (2 nights). Unchanged, the workshops and certification ceremony happen here in every tier.
Delhi and Agra accommodation at 4-star hotels. Shared tourist van transport throughout.
Draft tier, confirm your 4-star Rishikesh/Delhi/Agra hotel partners before this goes live.
Phase One, university guesthouse or budget hotel in Rishikesh (3 nights), in place of the Taj resort.
Phase Two, Himalayan Yog Ashram (2 nights). Unchanged, the workshops and certification ceremony happen here in every tier.
Delhi and Agra accommodation at university guesthouses or dormitories where available. Shared tourist van transport throughout.
Draft tier, confirm dormitory/guesthouse partners in Rishikesh/Delhi/Agra before this goes live.
Every participant who completes the program receives two formal certificates.
Issued by the All India Institute of Ayurveda, the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, or Himalayan Yog Ashram, all recognized under India's Ministry of AYUSH. This carries governmental and academic legitimacy no private wellness school can provide.
Documenting the full program: cities visited, institutions accessed, workshops completed, and immersive engagements attended.
A note on AYUSH: India's Ministry of AYUSH is the world's only government ministry dedicated exclusively to traditional and alternative medicine. Certification connected to its institutions carries authority unique to India.
Complete program details, day-by-day schedule, and application information.
Participation is by application only. Each cohort is limited to 20 participants, selected through individual review.
Begin Application