Ravinder Yoga School
Rishikesh, India
A Message About Our Founder, Guruji Ravinder Padiyar
Our founder, Guruji Ravinder Padiyar, has devoted his life to the path of yoga since the remarkably young age of five. Born and raised in the foothills of the Himalayas, where yoga is not merely practised but woven into the fabric of daily life, he grew up immersed in an environment rich with spiritual wisdom, natural beauty, and ancient traditions.
As a child, he was deeply inspired by the presence of sages and monks who lived in harmony with nature. Surrounded by mountains, forests, and sacred rivers, he developed an early appreciation for the profound relationship between the body, the mind, and the deeper dimensions of human experience. These formative years nurtured a lifelong understanding that true wellbeing arises when we learn to cultivate balance within ourselves, regardless of the demands and distractions of modern life.
His search for inner peace led him to explore both physical and spiritual disciplines. Alongside his studies of meditation and traditional yogic philosophy, he developed a keen interest in sport. Like many sincere practitioners, his journey into yoga began with a fascination for the body’s potential. Yet over time, that fascination matured into a deeper inquiry: how movement, breath, and awareness can transform not only the body, but one’s entire way of being.
Driven by this curiosity, Guruji devoted countless hours to understanding the intricate relationship between physical practice and mental clarity. He discovered that yoga offers far more than flexibility or strength; it provides a pathway towards self-mastery, resilience, and inner freedom. During his younger years, he was also an accomplished sportsman, participating in cricket, football, and rugby, and proudly represented the Punjab Chandigarh rugby team as a fly-half in the early 2000s.
In 2003, Guruji completed his postgraduate degree in Yoga from a respected university, further deepening his knowledge of both the practical and philosophical aspects of the tradition. Following his graduation, he began teaching at some of Rishikesh’s most respected international yoga schools, including World Peace Yoga School and Yoga Vidya Mandiram.
Over the years, he has become renowned for his clear, authentic, and deeply insightful approach to teaching. His expertise in Classical Hatha Yoga and the Mysore tradition of Ashtanga Vinyasa has guided students from all corners of the world, many of whom have gone on to become accomplished yoga teachers themselves. Above all, Guruji remains a humble student of yoga—one who continues to share its timeless wisdom with warmth, sincerity, and a genuine desire to help others live more balanced, meaningful, and joyful lives.
Asanas by our Guruji
