Our Yoga Teachers in Rishikesh

Sanjeev Semwal

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 500, RPYT®, YACEP®

Founder of Rishikesh YTTC

Yoga Educator, Meditation & Sadhana Practitioner

Born and raised in Rishikesh, the spiritual heartland of Yoga, Sanjeev Semwal has been walking the yogic path since the age of thirteen. His journey began under the guidance of his maternal grandfather, a respected Pandit and Acharya deeply experienced in Mantra Vidya, Yoga, meditation and spiritual practices.

In 2016, Sanjeev returned to Rishikesh and founded Rishikesh Yoga Teacher Training Center (Rishikesh YTTC). Since then, he has helped educate 13,000+ students from India and around the world, creating a space where traditional yogic knowledge can be experienced in a practical and authentic way.

Kalpendra Chauhan Ji

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 200

Yoga Philosophy

Pranayama, Meditation & Yoga Nidra

Kalpendra Chauhan Ji has been walking the path of Yoga and spirituality since the age of 19. Born and brought up in Rishikesh in a traditional North Indian spiritual family, he has been deeply connected with the spiritual traditions of Rishikesh from an early age. Since childhood, he has also been a follower and devotee of Baba Neem Karoli, whose teachings and simple approach to spiritual life have been an important influence on his journey.

He holds a Master's Degree in Yoga Science from Uttarakhand Sanskrit University, Haridwar (2008) and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Yoga and Holistic Health from HNB Garhwal University (2005). He is also registered with Yoga Alliance, USA as E-RYT 500, RPYT and YACEP. With more than 16 years of teaching experience, his main areas of expertise are Yoga Philosophy, Pranayama, Meditation, and Yoga Nidra.

Acharya Vinay

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 500, YACEP®

Yoga Philosophy

Astrology, Energy Healing & Pranayama

Acharya Vinay was born into a Brahmin family where yoga was a household virtue and his grandfather passed his legacy to his father in the form of traditional values of yoga, astrology and dharma. He started studying the scriptures on Veda, Upanishads, and Yoga under his father at the early age of 12. It is still a tradition in India that such disciplines are passed on from generation to generation. The seeds were sown very early, but like every seed, it took time to ripen. It ripened with the initiation by his Guru Yogi Rudranath of the Himalayas, and Acharya was inclined towards a spiritual outlook on life.

His core expertise includes bodywork, energy healing, pranayama, mind management, trauma healing, yoga nidra, mantra meditation, myofascial release, structural yoga therapy, craniosacral-pranic fusion, and astrology-based life coaching. He has also worked with renowned wellness brands including Ananda in the Himalayas and Six Senses, helping individuals realise their inner potential.

Anil Rayal

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 200

Yoga Teacher, Yoga Therapist

Pranayama & Meditation Instructor

中文 · Chinese-speaking teacher

Anil Rayal is a yoga teacher and yoga therapist from Rishikesh who has taught in India, China and Vietnam for more than a decade. On our 200 hour course he teaches Iyengar-based alignment, asana practice, pranayama and meditation, with a patient, step-by-step approach that helps students build a practice they can keep.

Where he has taught

• Jan 2025 to now: Rishikesh Yoga Teacher Training Center, Upper Tapovan
• Dec 2023 to May 2024: Tina's Yoga and Dance Studio, Hanoi, Vietnam
• Sep 2022 to Jul 2023: We Yoga Academy, Beijing, China
• Mar 2020 to Jul 2022: Jeevmoksha Yoga Gurukul, Rishikesh
• Oct 2017 to Dec 2019: Aditya International Yoga Studio, Beijing, China
• 2016: Redfort Indian Yogashala, Xi'an, China
• 2014 to 2016: Hari Om Yogashala, Tapovan, Rishikesh

What he teaches

• Iyengar-inspired yoga: alignment, stability, precision and the use of props.
• Pranayama: breath awareness, correct technique and gradual progression.
• Meditation: mindfulness practices for concentration and inner stillness.
• Yoga therapy: practices adapted to each student's needs and abilities.
• Flow yoga: mindful sequences that link movement with breath.

Teachers and influences

He learned from Acharya Vinay Ji, Guru Hari Om Sharma Ji and Guru Ram Gupta Ji, and is influenced by the writings of B. K. S. Iyengar, Swami Sivananda and Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

His approach: yoga is more than a physical practice. He teaches understanding rather than just performing postures, and encourages patience, consistency and respect for each body's limits, so students build a sustainable personal practice.

Sonu Ji

Hatha Yoga & Asana Alignment

Teaching Methodology & Asana Practice

Sonu Ji teaches traditional Hatha yoga, asana alignment, teaching methodology and asana practice on our 200 hour course. Yogi Sonu Ji is a traditional yoga teacher. He started doing yoga at the age of 10, and his personal practice and teaching career began in 2015.

His foundation is three years of intensive Hatha yoga practice at the Ved Niketan ashram in Rishikesh. He then continued to refine his practice and teaching methodology under renowned yogis in Rishikesh, bringing traditional insight together with a contemporary understanding of yoga.

Sonu Ji believes yoga and science are closely connected, and that transformation is open to everyone through a systematically organised practice. He specialises in simplifying complex poses and breathwork, so that even the more challenging parts of yoga can be brought into daily life with ease and confidence. He helps students understand the basic principles of yoga, so they can prepare the base for their journey towards awareness of the real self.

His aim is to help students explore their potential, find physical and mental well-being and grow personally through yoga, in an environment where every practitioner can thrive.

Training and experience

• Started yoga at the age of 10
• Personal practice and teaching since 2015
• Three years of intensive Hatha yoga practice at the Ved Niketan ashram
• Further training under renowned yogis in Rishikesh

Abhishek Rawat

B.Sc. Yoga Sciences, M.Sc. Yoga Sciences & Yoga Therapy

Ashtanga, Hatha, Alignment & Pranayama

Abhishek Rawat teaches Ashtanga Vinyasa yoga and asana practice at Rishikesh YTTC. He is a dedicated yoga instructor and therapist with 12 years of experience in yoga, deeply rooted in the spiritual heritage of Rishikesh, India. Growing up amidst the serene surroundings of Rishikesh, Abhishek developed a profound connection with yoga from an early age.

After completing his Bachelor's degree in Yoga Sciences, Abhishek pursued advanced studies, earning a Master's degree in Yoga Sciences and Yoga Therapy from Rishikesh University. This academic journey equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of yoga's therapeutic applications and holistic wellness.

With a passion for teaching, Abhishek has guided students from various backgrounds, sharing his expertise in Ashtanga, Hatha, Alignment, and Pranayama techniques. His teaching style blends traditional wisdom with modern understanding, creating a balanced and transformative experience for his students.

Abhishek's commitment to spreading the essence of yoga extends beyond the classroom. Through workshops, retreats, and personalized therapy sessions, he endeavours to empower individuals to embark on their journey of self-discovery.

Education and experience

• Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Yoga Sciences
• Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Yoga Sciences and Yoga Therapy
• 12 years of experience in yoga
• Expertise in Ashtanga, Hatha, Alignment, and Pranayama techniques
• Conducted classes, workshops, and therapy sessions globally
• 7 years’ experience of teaching in TTC courses

Ajay Nautiyal

Bachelor’s and Master’s in Yogic Science

Traditional Hatha Yoga, Alignment, Sanskrit & Mantra

Ajay Nautiyal, known as Yogi Ajay, teaches traditional Hatha yoga, asana alignment, mantra and yogic knowledge at Rishikesh YTTC. He holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Yogic Science, has practised yoga since 2014 and has about 10 to 12 years of experience in personal practice and teaching. He is based in Rishikesh.

Ajay was born in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, a Himalayan region known for its yogic heritage. At around 12 years old he entered a Gurukulam, where he studied Sanskrit for about eight years together with Vedic knowledge, Vedanta, meditation, yoga, Hindu rituals and spiritual traditions under his gurus. This traditional education became the foundation of his understanding of yoga as a complete discipline of body, breath, mind and spiritual awareness, not only a physical practice.

His teaching focuses on alignment, anatomy, biomechanics and the intelligent use of movement. He helps students understand not only how to perform an asana but how the body works within the practice. He also teaches mantra, bringing together his Sanskrit background and his practical experience of yoga.

Ajay loves travelling, exploring cultures and sharing yoga and spiritual knowledge around the world. He enjoys singing and chanting mantras and has recorded some of his own mantra practice. His aim is to keep travelling, learning and teaching, and to make traditional Himalayan wisdom, Sanskrit, yoga, anatomy and alignment accessible to people everywhere.

Education and experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Yogic Science
• Master’s degree in Yogic Science
• About eight years of Sanskrit and traditional studies in a Gurukulam, from around the age of 12
• Practising yoga since 2014; about 10 to 12 years of practice and teaching
• Traditional Hatha yoga, alignment, anatomy and biomechanics, mantra

Mandeep Bhatt

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 200

Kundalini Yoga & Mantra Chanting

Pranayama & Mantra Meditation

Mandeep Bhatt is an experienced Kundalini Yoga and Mantra Chanting teacher in Rishikesh, India, with over 20 years of dedicated study in Vedic philosophy and traditional yogic sciences. As a senior faculty member in Yoga Teacher Training Courses (200 Hour & 300 Hour YTTC) in Rishikesh, he guides aspiring teachers in the deeper dimensions of breath, sound vibration and energy awareness.

Specialising in Pranayama, Mantra Meditation and Kundalini Yoga, he integrates classical Vedic wisdom with practical yogic techniques. His sessions focus on conscious breathing, mantra recitation, chakra awareness and meditative discipline, helping students cultivate emotional balance, inner peace and spiritual clarity.

Having taught at several reputed yoga schools in Rishikesh, he is recognised for his authentic approach to traditional yoga education. His mantra chanting and meditation classes create a transformative atmosphere of devotion, harmony and heightened awareness.

At Tratak Yoga, Mandeep Bhatt continues to share authentic Vedic studies, Kundalini practices, and Pranayama techniques, empowering yoga teachers to deepen their sadhana and spiritual understanding.

Divya

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 200

Yoga Teacher

Pranayama & Sound Healing

Divya is a qualified yoga instructor with a Master's degree in Yogic Sciences from Uttarakhand Sanskrit University. She is adept in mantra chanting and healing meditations.

Her skills include prenatal and postnatal yoga, mantra chanting, bhajans, kirtans, and musical compositions that support yogic growth and development in students. She is a certified Pranayama teacher and a certified Sound Healer.

Her gentle methods, soulful voice, and calm presence make her teaching deep and soothing. She also supports the ashram kitchen and helps create a positive and nurturing environment for students. She has been part of the gurukul for the last 12 years and is passionate about sharing her knowledge with all.

Dr. Mahesh Bhatt

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 200

Yoga & Energy Practices

Doctorate in Yoga

Dr. Mahesh Bhatt holds a doctorate in yoga. At Rishikesh YTTC he teaches yoga philosophy and Kundalini yoga, and Ayurveda in our optional classes.

Dr. Mahesh was born and raised in a very spiritual family. He graduated from Garhwal University with a science background. His life changed after meeting his guru, who helped him realise and understand energy and how he is connected intimately to society and others through his own energy. His guru taught him to cultivate this energy through personal practice.

He developed his knowledge further and began sharing it with others, towards building a strong foundation for society. He continues to practise under his guru, furthering his education and learning how to teach others according to his guru's teachings.

Arpita

Yoga Alliance: E-RYT® 200

Mantra Chanting

• Arpita is an experienced Mantra Chanting teacher who seamlessly blends Naad Yog & Bhakti Yog in her sessions
• This inspires students to reconnect with the Inner Self & enjoy a blissful state!
• A devoted follower of Lord Shiva, she believes in the transformative power of Mantras to unite the Body-Mind-Spirit-Soul in oneness with the Supreme Consciousness.
• Teaching Indian Classical Music and Mantras on the harmonium for six years, she also co-creates sacred spaces through heartfelt Kirtans.
• A trained singer and lifelong meditator, Arpita brings deep knowledge of Sanskrit mantras - offering meaningful insights & English translations to enrich every chanting experience.
• Arpita has been chanting and meditating since age seven. She enjoys singing, chanting, dancing together - raising your overall vibrations & spreading peace, positivity throughout the universe!