Melkote Yoga Immersion

Join us for a deep dive into the heart of Krishnamacharya’s yoga lineage! This is more than just a retreat—it is an opportunity to connect with the deep spiritual and historical roots of yoga in an authentic and sacred setting. Melkote is a magical temple village near Mysore.

Each day, we will practice yoga in Kalyani Temple, built over a thousand years ago by the sage Ramanuja, surrounded by a tradition of devotion. Andrew Eppler will teach asana and pranayama each day. Our guide will be Dr. M. A. Alwar, or Alwar Swami, a highly respected Acharya of the Nathamuni Sampradaya—the same lineage of the legendary Sri Krishnamacharya. Having grown up within this living tradition, Alwar Swami has been immersed in its ancient wisdom since childhood.

With his guidance, we will gain rare access to the temples and holy sites of Melkote (also spelled Melukote), a place rich with history, mythology, and yogic insight. Through his teachings, we will explore the philosophical depth of this tradition, not as outsiders looking in, but as honored guests invited to learn from a lineage that has preserved its knowledge for centuries.

This is a unique opportunity to deepen your practice, expand your understanding, and experience yoga in a sacred place that feels like ancient India.

• Start each day chanting mantras to the rising sun at the Yoga Narasimhan Temple.

• Practice Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga in the stunningly beautiful Kalyani Temple. Mysore Style is always an option. All levels of experience and practice are welcome!

• Practice Mudra, Bandha, Pranayama and classical Hatha techniques in the tradition of Sri Krishnamacharya.

• Each day there will be a historical tour with full access to ancient temples and holy places that are normally not known about or available to tourists.

• Learn about the History, Philosophy and worldview of Sri Krishnamacharya’s yoga lineage, Nathamuni Sampradaya.

• Learn from the renowned Alwar Swami who is an Acharya in the Nathamuni Sampradaya, the head of Samskriti Foundation and one of the foremost experts in the world on Vishishtadvaita Philosophy.

• Experience Samskriti Foundation, one of India’s most respected institutions, where we will learn about the preservation of ancient Indian palm leaf manuscripts. We will have an opportunity to hold some of these manuscripts in our hands and have them read to us by highly trained scholars.

• Stay in clean, comfortable rooms at S V Comforts Hotel in Melkote.

• We will provide two delicious meals each day. Our food will be prasadam (food offered to the divine) prepared by Sri Ramapriya and Sri Rangapriya who are pujaris (priests) from the Cheluva Narayana temple. Their family arrived in Melkote in the 12th century with the sage Ramanuja. This will be Satvic food prepared with great care, using the freshest locally sourced ingredients. Each meal is an exquisite culinary experience!

Melkote is an ancient village located an hour and twenty minutes from Mysore India. Melkote is a centre for yogic knowledge in South India and has a very close connection with the Yoga Tradition of Mysore. Melkote is the epicenter of the yogic tradition that Sri Krishnamacharya came from and it has been patronized by the Royal Family of Mysore for the last 400 years, since the beginning of the Wadiyar Dynasty. Learn about the ancient roots of the yoga parampara which gave the world Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga! We will be practicing yoga in thousand year old temples, visiting the holy sites and learning about the rich history of the yoga we love to practice. This will be an immersion in Indian culture and a profound educational experience.

When we trace the history of yoga postures that were taught and practiced in Mysore we get a somewhat limited idea about the overall background of yoga in Mysore. When we explore the spiritual tradition that Sri Krishnamacharya came from we get a much more complete understanding of the rich and beautiful tradition that the yoga we practice today has come from. To learn more about the history of Nathamuni Sampradaya have a look at our tribute page to our late acharya SRI LAKSHMITHATHACHARYA SWAMI.

For yoga practitioners that would like to explore the spiritual tradition behind Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga, this will be an absolutely unforgettable experience!