Quality of teaching, excursions and friendliness.

I was really impressed with everything with Om Shanti Om. The yoga was tough, but good, the food was better than expected and the outings were fun. Everyone at Om Shanti Om was lovely to deal with. Would highly recommend this school and would definitely go back.

The yoga instruction by Dinesh and others was second to none. The classes were very fun, informative, and helped us progress quickly. The food was incredible, and we went on some really fun excursions with one of the guys who works there. He doesn't speak English, but is so kind and bubbly, that we still had an amazing time. Also, the location is perfect.

I enjoyed learning about the Philosophy of Yoga, Ayurveda Medicine, Pranayama breathing, Mantra Chanting, Yoga Alignment, Excursions organised by the school, Networking with other students, Shopping in Rishikesh, the food was delicious and the Hotel Grand Galaxy location and room. More Spiritual training and less Physical training; so not for physically advanced persons who want a physical challenge.

Yoga lesson by master Dinesh is really good.

The atmosphere, teachers, food, people....It was an amazing experience. I deepen into my knowlegde in Yoga a lot and it has encouraged me to keep learning more than ever

The variety, the yoga and how friendly and inviting Dinesh and Priya were. Dinesh made yoga light hearted and fun.

I would highly recommend this yoga retreat. I really enjoyed the yoga classes and thought Dinesh the instruction was brilliant. Everyone who teaches/ works within the retreat are very friendly and cantnot do enough to make your stay a happy one. I thought that it was great value for money with lots of activities to keep you busy throughout the week. We even did white water rafting and was taken to a temple in the mountains to watch the sunrise. Laughing yoga was very fun and I really enjoyed dancing yoga with Swami. The accommodation was good, with comfy beds, hot shower and Good wifi. Make sure you take advantage of the 3 massages included as these are very relaxing.

This was absolutely the Yoga experience of a lifetime. The teachers, classes, and surrounding environment far exceeded my expectations. Yogi Dinesh was hilarious. I never imagined that there would be so much enjoyment and light-heartedness from this intense training.

- Dinesh is a good yoga teacher - encourages people and has classes that work for a range of abilities.

- Around Rishikesh there are nice places to go (eg walks to the waterfalls, calm ashrams, small temples and calm places by the river).

- Generally, the staff at Om Shanti Om are friendly and helpful.

- In Rishikesh there are lots of things to do - places to eat, shopping, activities (rafting, safari, trips to Himalayas).

- Unless you book the 'retreat', classes here are very affordable. All students were welcome to take part in other activities such as morning and evening pooja/prayers.

Dinesh and Priya take care of us all the time. I improve my yoga and knowledge about philosophy which serve me to change my life in the best way that could be. I am greatful for all the experience I lived with all the teachers and colleagues at the school.

Yogi Dinesh is friendly and accommodating which made it easy for someone like me who had never done Yoga before to take Yoga lessons for the first time.

Everything, it completely changed my life!!!

The teachers was excellent and very dedicated!

I was lucky whit my "hotel" room.

Really nice to practice of asana and nice to feel all the adjustments. I like teachers but I miss a bit of communication between them, that they know what we are doing with other teachers. Yoga Philosophy is really nice all the information we received much more organize and clear with Priya but nice experience with Guruji. Yoga Anatomy is really nice all the knowledge. He is teaching us and really nice teacher. Ayurveda is amazing!! Incredible everything we learned but have the feeling of short time. Is nice to dedicate more time to it. Nice to start to have the opportunity to ask everything that we are interested to know but I miss a little bit more talking with Priya. Is really interesting to listen to her too. Meditation is nice to have the opportunity to experiment different techniques of meditation. Gives the opportunity to know yourself. Good meals and good variation, the soups are amazing. Maybe the time before meditation is not the best time. The room was good.

Has been a really nice experience, the people we meet here a really nice and amazing family from Om Shanti Om. So many knowledge that I feels it very interesting. I plan to do this course to receive all this knowledge and I will practice it slowly. It would be better for all of us if the teachers coordinates better. Having a week meeting where they can communicate to each other about what they are going to be teaching, like this the knowledge can flow better. For example don’t teach twice the same things.

Also is important in my opinion to take care with the space available. Sometimes there was not enough space to be comfortable. I felt so much people in the classes beginning their experience and asking things that we already had talk about. With less amount of people we can have more attention to all of us. I also miss Priya in the ‘Satsang’ because she has a lot of knowledge and a really nice way of communicate it. This is just my opinion to collaborate.

Thank you very much for everything,

Noelia :)

My husband and I went to Om Shanti Om to for a 7 day-retreat from Finland. The retreat was my husband's birthday present for my 40th birthday, and the yoga school took the occasion very beautifully into account! The contact with Om Shanti Om was very easy and friendly starting from the moment we inquired about the retreat. It was our first time in India and we felt very safe receiving the needed information right from the beginning.

For most days we had daily program including yoga (mantras, asana, pranayama, meditation and philosophy). In addition, we had very nice excursions to temples, the sacred Ganga seremony, sunrise at Himalaya, waterfalls (one of the starting points of Ganga river). Even if our days were filled with programme, we experienced quite a lot of Rishikesh and around! The resting time after lunch gave us additional opportunities to wander on the streets, sit on the benches of Ganga and look at the numerous shops and cafes. Also we often went to get the massages that the retreat included, very relaxing!

The yoga practice was at the same time challenging and joyful! We practiced partly together with the yoga teacher trainees and partly on separate classes. I am a yoga teacher myself, but my husband had practiced yoga irregularly for a couple of years. We both loved Yogi Dinesh Chandler's spirit, ability to be fully present to his students, his profound knowledge of yoga and flexibility to take into account different student's needs, abilities and challenges. We especially cherished the way in which he managed to combine the seriousness of yoga practice to a great sense of humor and laughter. I even now smile recalling his classes :)! The first days I had pain in piriformis-muscle and could not do all the dynamic poses. He was very considerate always reminding students not to push too hard respecting their limitations.

We learned new, fruitful aspects of pranayama (the breathing excercises), yoga philosophy and the meditation (taught by Priya, the "mother" of the yoga school). We loved the morning mantras and rituals by Yogi Dinesh that are not so common in Europe. They really brought us to the roots and ancient spirituality of yoga. For us, it was very beautiful to experience yoga in Rishikesh where its roots are and where yoga is not about "feeling good" at the moment, but practicing good life long-term. It is sometimes laborous, but will give you the deep, inner experience calmness, contentment and smile accompanied with the energized body and mind.

Om Shanti Om is located very near the Ganga river, walking distance from many shops, restaurants and cafes. Our accommodation (included in the retreat) was about 5-minute walk away in a small hotel that was very suitable for our needs and on the way we would experience the richness of India that we loved (all kinds of people, animals, vehicles, foods, fabrics etc.). The food was served at a small organic restaurant called The Soul Kitchen that was right above the yoga school. The food was very clean and tasty vegetarian food! Although not in other places, at the Soul Kitchen we also ate the fresh fruits and vegetables without a slightest issue.

In all, the week at Om Shanti Om was transformative for both of us. Yogi Dinesh and Priya are a charming, soulful couple for whom yoga is not just a practice, but life. They run their school as a family business which adds personal warmth to the experience. Hemu and Kapil, the two men working at the school were wonderful guides for us in some of the excursions. The whole week we felt very well taken care of. Now a week after our departure, we talk about our experiences at Om Shanti Om every day and have taken some of the little rituals and practices as part of our life here in Finland. We will definitely go back, I think about it every day. This was the best trip we have ever done (and we travel quite a lot :)! We warmly recommend the retreat for anyone interesting in deepening their knowledge and practice in yoga. As a yoga teacher, I can fully recommend the quality and the spirit of training teachers. Yogi Dinesh is a great teacher.

Om Shanti Om was a truly amazing. Dinesh and Priya are lovely. The energy at the place is so welcoming and all of the participants are so nice. I would recommend this place to everyone. They really make you feel like family. Thank you!

The class and staff were top notch. The classes were professional, fun, and challenging. Yogi Dinesh has a fantastic reputation throughout Rishikesh and once you take one of his classes you will quickly find out why. He can teach beginners, intermediates, and advanced students in same class and everyone is kept busy and intrigued. Priya is incredibly helpful with bookings and making sure everything runs smoothly. The hotel is very nice, as well, and pricing is very good for the experience you get.

YOGA was excellent classes. It would have been nice to spend more time on yoga alignment. The teaching methodology well structured and thorough. Yoga Philosophy is excellent. Guruji taught us some of the most important lessons of the course and my life. The Pranayama very thorough. A lot of repetition and overlap. Some time could have been better spend on alignment. We shouls have not done kapalbhati directly after breakfast!! Constipation problem…

Ayurveda very good. I liked learning about how diet and the yogic lifestyle intersect. The mantra chanting is excellent. I loved how the classes because like satsang. Its good to know the mantras. Satsang very interesting, clear and miving conversations. A great way to learn the details of yoga philospphy. The meditation is an excellent variety of techniques, theory and practice opportunities. Generally good. A little unvaried. Perhaps needs more protein and fibre. Room was nice to have hot water, comfy bed, very luxurious. (Acoustics are terrible though – hotel is very noisy- not a complaint, I still slept like a baby! :)

Thank you Priya and DInesh for a memorable and immersive experience. It was truly joyful! Your energy and enthusiasm made the whole thing so special. The course is really well organized and administrated. The etachers are skilled and passionate. Let me know when you open that ‘ashram’ – I will be back! :) :)

My YTTC in Om Shanti Om Yoga school in Rishikesh was amazing from first day to the last! The place is very nice and has good energy. The teachers are all great very qualified speaking good English and take care so one can clearly understand everything! They take great care to teach you real yoga! Yogi Dinesh is an amazing person with very high yoga skills and I believe that everybody will be 100% satisfied with his teaching methods!

Food is amazing too! I love the chef in Soul Kitchen he is truly an amazing chef and prepare healthy and tasty meals.

I'm very thankful to be able to experience this amazing place!

I'm giving Om Shanti Om Yoga -0 from 10 stars without any doubts!

Dinesh is such a good teacher. Really enjoyed the variery of asana he shared. I don’t know how this would be possible but would have been great to get more practice teaching. Priya was an amazing teacher! I loved this class. Really interesting and tons of good information. In Meditation I felt asleep so it was good  The Yoga Anatomy was really helpful especially the two spine classes. Ayurveda is one of my other favorites! The doctor was so knowledgeable and learning things we can actually use in daily life is so beautiful. The Satsang was interesting but a lot of time I was confused about what Guruji was talking about. I think just a bit unorganized. I love Meditation in variety – and we got experience. Osho was my favorite.!! The food is incredible!! And Soul Kitchen staff is so sweet.. the room very comfortable and loved staying right above the school!

Thank you Dinesh and Priya, for an incredible teacher training. You made me feel so comfortable and safe through the whole process and it’s so inspiring. Here you guys really live yoga. I feel like I learned so much at Om Shanti Om and also leanred how much more there is to learn. I loved all the outings, you planned for uson Sundays and the special events like the concerts! I especially loved Philosophy class, Ayurveda Class and the meditations – especially Osho and Chakras. Thank you so much.

Much love,

Eryn