About Rishikesh Yogkulam

Dhirendra Ji

Hatha Yoga & Ashtanga Vinyasa

Born in the lap of the Holy Ganga, at the feet of the Bhootnath Shiva Temple, amidst the forests of the Himalayas, Dhirendra reveals himself as a nature lover and spiritual seeker. Having started his schooling at the tender age of 5, from one of the oldest, most iconic and traditional schools of Rishikesh, Dhirendra believes he was drawn to Yoga by a mystical force as he practiced asanas during the physical education lessons in school. He began to live the yogic way of life from that early age and embraced spirituality as his routines began with worshipping Lord Shiva and the Holy Ganga and continued with practising asanas, eating satvik food and attending music lessons. It was under the able guidance of his Guru Narender Gusain that he was able to leave all his vices and practice Yoga religiously. His dedication was such that there were times that he would practice till his body was sore, and it was around this time that he realized that the external appreciation and praise were pointless and the true meaning of Yoga was the alignment of the body, mind and soul, being able to appreciate himself from within. The next part of his training came under Guru Nalin Sharma, under whom he learned Yogic Philosophy and spiritual growth and finally under Guru Roshan Singh, Dhirendra underwent lessons on personal growth. When his three Gurus thought he was ready, Dhirendra started the Yoga school with one goal - helping other seekers on their yogic journey to explore their full potential.

Amit Ji

Anatomy & Physiology

Amit Payal, the founder of Rishikesh Yogkulam, is an E-RYT 500-Hour Yoga instructor with a Master's degree in Yoga Science. He is a well-known, appreciated and celebrated Yoga master in Rishikesh, India. With several specialisations like Alignment, Adjustment, Hatha and Ashtanga Yoga, Yoga philosophy, Anatomy and Pranayama, Amit ensures that his pupils , whether teachers or students, push their limits, test their boundaries and achieve their goals. As warm as he is passionate about Yoga, he makes sure each and every person that comes through his school leaves there, confident about their capabilities and with a feeling of oneness and family. He has been conducting teacher training courses regularly for more than five years and has taught more than 100 YTTC's to seekers from across the globe. His experience, skill and warmth help all his students journey into their minds and bodies as he adeptly schools them in breath control and movement - the pillars of a Yoga practice. Amit believes it vital that his teachings convey the profound, authentic and ancient knowledge of Yoga and it's millennia-old traditions.

Ella Ji

Yin Yoga & Meditation

Ella is an ex marketing manager who has always been very curios about the human mind and the holistic approaches, which led her to study Neuro Linguistic Programming and Aromatherapy. Her journey into yoga begun in a period were she was experiencing a deep depression and she couldn't find a purpose to live. Moved by an inner call, she decided to go to India and enroll in a yoga course and that's when her life had a turn point. After short, she healed completely from depression, and inspired by the incredible change yoga brought into her life she decided to continue to deepen her studies by taking teacher training courses, retreats and workshop specializing herself in Yin Yoga, meditation techniques (especially Buddhist, Osho, yoga nidra), Pranayama, and Reiki. For her Yin Yoga practice she takes inspiration from Sarah Powers, with whom she did a course in London; and Paul Grilley. Her classes are focused to release the blockages from the body, both mental and physical. In her cueing, you can find many anatomical as psychological and spiritual aspects. She always puts great emphasis on breathing techniques during the class and meditation, both before and after the practice. Since her passion for music and naturopathy, she also likes to add mantra chanting, sound healing and aromatherapy in her classes. Her favourite motto is "Change is hardest at the beginning, messiest in the middle and best at the end."

Pankaj Ji

Alignment & Adjustment

Pankaj Sharma was born and brought up in the foothills of Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh. After the completion of B.A in Sanskrit, he moved to Rishikesh and spent 8 years of his life in an ashram, learning yoga in the age-old Gurukul style leading a disciplined and yogic life. To Satiate his urge for knowledge Pankaj went on to pursue a Masters's degree in Yoga simultaneously teaching in various ashrams and Yoga schools. Due to his early induction to ashram life, Pankaj at a very young age has carved a niche for himself in yoga with his teaching skills and knowledge in Vedas, Upanishads, and philosophy.

Jitender Ji

Ashtanga Vinyasa

A distinguished and time-honoured individual, Jitu ji embodies traditionalism. He completed his Bachelor's in Sanskrit from Parmarth Niketan Ashram here in Rishikesh itself and went on to pursue his Master's in Yoga from the prestigious Uttarakhand Sanskrit University. He has spent over 10 years of his life in various ashrams like Bhagirathi Dham Ashram and Anand Dham Ashram. While he teaches Ashtanga Vinyasa at our school, his classical method of teaching brings students in, leaving them with a sense of gratitude and fulfilment.

Deepa Ji

Yog Nidra & Meditation

As a teacher, Deepa Negi Mira focuses largely on Meditation, Yoga Nidra, Mantra Chanting, and Laughing Yoga. She has fondly been teaching 200 hours and 300 hours of Yoga teacher training courses at various prestigious yoga schools for more than 12 years. For many, spirituality may have a definition differentiating from one another, but for Deepa  ‘spirituality’ is all about peace of mind, being consistent within striking a perfect balance with yourself. After having gained tremendous support and respect from all those who value her deep inside, she thinks that spirituality is something that can be found in nature. Other than imparting various aspects of yoga, Deepa Ji is fond of capturing shots and taking a pleasant walk in nature. Traveling is something that has always fascinated her and she does not think twice when it comes to giving a touch of discovery.

Ritu Ji

Pranayama & Shatkarma

Ritu is a professionally qualified and experienced teacher who has completed a BSC. in yoga therapy from Svyasa University and 500 hours TTC from yoga alliance and 300 hours of Yoga Instructor course from a well-reputed Bangalore university. Believe in sharing knowledge clearly and concisely with real-life examples and stories.

Mandeep Ji

Mantra Chanting

Mandeepji came to Rishikesh in 2002 and wrapped himself in the practise of Yoga by the banks of the holy river Ganga for years. Having completed his early education from the renowned Parmarth Niketan Ashram, he has been expounding his knowledge of Mantra Chanting, Yoga Philosophy and Meditation unto other seekers for more than 10 years now. Besides this, he is a learned astrologer and has been practising the same for more than 9 years. Not stopping there, Mandeepji also possesses a deep interest in music and is also a sound healing expert. Indeed a maestro in his field, Mandeepji, with a staggering 18 years of experience in Yoga practice, goes above and beyond to motivate his students to explore and realize their full potential!

Sadhushri Ji

Yoga philosophy, Meditation

Sadhu Shri Ji has a deep knowledge in philosophy owing to his specialization in Indian Philosophy. He has studied Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Upanishads, and Buddhist literature in depth which has contributed immensely to his knowledge of philosophy and history. Now, for many years, the Yoga Guru has been sharing his valuable experience of philosophy with his students along with teaching his students on how to use the knowledge in day-to-day routine life with the help of practical approach backed by reasoning. He has been helping hundreds of students every year to explore the deeper layers of yoga and become proficient tutors. He began his journey of learning from the Divine Life Society, Sivananda Ashram, Rishikesh. Later on, he added several feathers to his caps.

Siddha Ji

Sound Healing, Reiki

Siddha Ji brings a wealth of knowledge from his diverse experience and background, he has been formally educated with a master of business administration in marketing management and a postgraduate in retail management and also has a degree in geography. He has experience in working with Multinational companies in Dubai and India. Teaching yoga classes quickly took over and he has begun to share his passion for it. His yoga classes blend his love of creative ways of sharing this traditional knowledge with a modern aspect that connects the students deeply. With his continuous studies of different breathing practices (Pranayama), Safe alignment, and yoga as a modality to heal. There is a major focus on mindfulness, body and breathing awareness, Yoga Nidra, and various techniques of meditation as well as dipping into the more subtle aspects of yoga. Both his versatile background and his studies on yoga opened up his intuition towards the unity in the universe, Jehir draws his inspiration from various areas of life and spread this creatively and inspires generously.