Famous Yoga Teachers in India

Are you a yoga lover? Do you want to know about renowned yoga teachers in India? If yes, this article is for you. It provides details about famous yoga teachers in India. The article also provides information about famous female yoga teachers in India and popular yoga instructors in the country.

Yoga is an ancient Indian healthcare practice that allows individuals to bring harmony between their mind and body, enhance consciousness, and detach themselves from their sufferings. Since time immemorial, people have been practicing yoga in India. But the Indian yoga gurus in the early 19th century and in modern times introduced yoga to the entire world. In this article, we will learn about these famous Indian yoga teachers who introduced the world to ancient and modern yoga practices. We will also discuss the famous yoga teachers in India who contributed to the development of these practices. Moreover, this article will also introduce you to some of the most famous female yoga teachers in India and renowned yoga instructors in the country. They are famous yoga instructors in India with knowledge of both traditional and modern yoga practices.

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Famous Yoga Teachers in India

In this section, we will talk about Indian yoga gurus who preached yoga philosophies and taught yoga to the world. Some of these gurus are the pioneers in preaching yoga teachings. However, some of them are prominent yoga gurus of the modern era who are still active in the field of yoga.

Patanjali (Sage Maharshi Patanjali)

Gonardiya, or Gonikaputra, also known as Patanjali, was a Hindu scholar, author, philosopher, and yoga guru. He is called the “Father of Moder Yoga” because he standardised and organised yogic principles that existed during his time.

It is believed that Patanjali lived between the 2nd and 4th centuries BCE, based on the yogic texts written and compiled by him. He wrote the book “”Patanjali Yoga Sutras” by compiling all the yogic knowledge contained in ancient Indian scriptures and his own yoga knowledge.

Patanjali’s work is mainly dedicated to the practice of Ashtanga Yoga

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Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

Tirumalai Krishamacharya (1888–1989) was an Indian yoga guru and scholar of Ayurveda. He is also called the “Father of Modern Yoga” because he promoted other forms of modern yoga, including postural yoga and hatha yoga.

Krishnamacharya is responsible for the hatha yoga. Under the patronage of the King of Mysore, Krishna Raja Wadiyar IV, he travelled across India and taught yogic principles and practices to people in different regions of the country.

Also Read: What is Hatha Yoga? Know History, Poses, Benefits, & Courses

Swami Sivananda

Sivananda Saraswati, a.k.a. Swami Sivananda (1887–1963) was a prominent yoga teacher in India who was born in Tamil Nadu and worked as a physician in British Malaya (an island in Singapore) during his young adulthood. Later, he learned yoga, achieved mastery in it, and became a yoga teacher.

Swami Sivananda founded the Divine Life Society (1936) and the Vedanta Forest Academy (148). These organisations have many branches in India and western countries that teach yoga asanas and meditations. He also wrote more than 200 books about yoga and spirituality, which are leaving a significant impact on people about the importance of yoga and spirituality.

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B. K. S. Iyengar

Bellur Krishnamachar Sundaraja Iyengar, a.k.a. B. K. S. Iyengar (1918–2014), was an Indian yoga teacher and author who promoted yoga as a physical exercise. Guru Iyengar emphasised the importance of precision, alignment, and details related to yoga asanas or yoga postures. The methods he describes are called “Iyengar Yoga.”

B. K. S. wrote many books about yoga, including “Light on Yoga,” “The Tree of Yoga,” “Light on Pranayama” and many others, which inspired people of western nations to learn Iyengar yoga. The first Iyengar yoga institute in India, Ramamani Iyengar Memorial Institute, Pune, was founded by Guru Iyengar in 1975. Later on, Iyengar yoga institutes were also founded by his disciples in western countries, such as the United States, Canada, Australia, Argentina, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Poland, and many others.

Also Read: What is Iyengar Yoga? Poses, History, Courses

K. Pattabhi Jois

Kowshika Pattabhi Jois, or K. Pattabhi, was also a famous Indian yoga guru. He was contemporary to B. K. S. Iyengar and founded the Ashtanga Vinyasa form of yoga. Guru Pattabhi played a vital role in promoting Indian yogic practice in the United States of America.

Also Read: What is Kundalini Yoga? Poses, Courses, History

R. Sharath Jois

Sharath Jois, born on September 29, 1971, stands as one of the most renowned yoga teachers in India today. As the grandson of the esteemed K. Pattabhi Jois, Sharath has devoted his life to upholding the Ashtanga Yoga tradition established by his grandfather. He began his yoga journey under K. Pattabhi Jois’s guidance from a young age, and after years of dedicated practice and study, Sharath began teaching at the Ashtanga Yoga Institute alongside his grandfather. With Pattabhi Jois's declining health, Sharath took on a more prominent role and became the director of the institute in 2007. His leadership extended further when, in 2019, his mother, Saraswathi Rangaswamy, relocated her yoga school to the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAYI), rebranding it as the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Shala. Sharath also inaugurated his own establishment, the Sharath Yoga Centre (S.Y.C.). As the current guru of the Ashtanga Yoga lineage, Sharath Jois emphasizes daily practice, discipline, and the integration of the eight limbs of Ashtanga Yoga. His teachings continue to draw practitioners from around the globe to Mysore, seeking authentic instruction from the source of Ashtanga Yoga.

Paramahansa Yogendra

Mukunda Lal Ghosh, a.k.a. Paramahansa Yogendra (1893–1952), was one of the most influential Indian yoga gurus. He played a vital role in reviving “Kriya Yoga,” which is a yogic practice consisting of pranayamas, mudras (gestures), and mantras (sacred utterances). This yogic practice aims to help individuals spiritually develop and provides peace of mind.

Kriya Yoga was first mentioned in Paramahansa Yogendra’s book, “Autobiography of a Yogi.” Paramahansa Yogendra was the first Indian yoga guru who introduced the western world to yoga. He founded two organisations, the Yogendra Satsanga Society of India (1970) and the Seld-Realization Fellowship (1920), in Los Angeles, United States, to teach yoga to eastern and western people.

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Swami Vivekananda

Narendranath Datta, a.k.a. Swami Vivekananda, was an Indian scholar, philosopher, and Hindu monk who is one of the most renowned personalities in the world because of his incredible knowledge about various subjects. Swami Vivekananda travelled to different parts of India and other nations and supported different social reforms. He also taught “Raja Yoga” to people across the world, which is a yogic practice that helps individuals become the best version of themselves.

Baba Ramdev

Ramkrishna Yadav, a.k.a. Baba Ramdev is the most famous Indian yoga teacher of modern times. He teaches yoga asanas and yoga pranayamas through his yoga school, Patanjali Yogapeeth, which has many branches in India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Nepal, and Mauritius.

Baba Ramdev played a vital role in the revival of yoga and Ayurveda in India.

Sadhguru

Jagdish Vasudev, also known as Sadhguru, is also a modern Indian yoga teacher and spiritual leader. He promotes yoga worldwide through his organisation, the Isha Foundation, which was founded in 1992. He has been teaching yoga since 1982. His famous work based on yoga is his book, “Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Destiny.” Sadhguru’s yoga courses are available online and offline in different yoga centres of the Isha Foundation worldwide.

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Famous female yoga teachers in India

India also has many expert female teachers. Some of them have been mentioned below:

Dr. Hansa Yogendra

Dr. Hansaji Yogendra is an Indian yoga guru who is also the Director of “The Yoga Institute, Mumbai.” She started her career as a yoga instructor by appearing in a television show in 1980.

Dr. Hansaji conducted multiple yoga seminars in India, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Europe, Australia, and the United States. At present, she is also working for a YouTube channel, The Yoga Institute, through which she shares her knowledge about yoga.

Mata Amritanandamayi

Sudhamani Idamannel, who is often addressed as Mata Amritanandamayi or Amma (mother), is an Indian yoga guru. She is also involved in humanitarian work. She promotes Karma Yoga, which focuses on using meditation to purify the mind, which further motivates individuals to contribute to others wellbeing through selfless actions.

Ananta Ripa Ajmera

Ananta Ripa Ajmera is the founder and CEO of “The Ancient Way” and a podcaster. Through her work, she encourages people to achieve holistic wellbeing by adopting spirituality, yoga, and clean, fresh food. She aims to rekindle the knowledge contained in the ancient Indian scriptures.

Famous yoga instructors in India

We have also enlisted the names of famous yoga instructors in India at present. Check out their names below:

Guru	Yoga School / Organisation
Baba Ramdev	Patanjali Yogapeeth
R. Sharath Jois	Sharath Yoga Centre
Sri Sri Ravi Shanker	Art of Living Foundation
Brahma Kumari Shivani (BK Shivani)	Brahma Kumari Centre (Rajyog Meditation Brahma Kumaris)
Mohammed Yusuf	Tapovan, Rishikesh
Ananth Jethuri	Ekattva Yogshala

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Famous Yoga Teachers in India: Famous Yoga Gurus and Modern Yoga Instructors

Famous Yoga Teachers in India

Patanjali (Sage Maharshi Patanjali)

Tirumalai Krishnamacharya

Swami Sivananda

B. K. S. Iyengar

K. Pattabhi Jois

R. Sharath Jois

Paramahansa Yogendra

Swami Vivekananda

Baba Ramdev

Sadhguru

Famous female yoga teachers in India

Dr. Hansa Yogendra

Mata Amritanandamayi

Ananta Ripa Ajmera

Famous yoga instructors in India