my uttarakhand news Bureau
Rishikesh, 9 Mar: The annual International Yoga Festival 2026 (IYF) officially commenced today at Parmarth Niketan with enthusiasm. It will be welcoming more than 1,500 yoga practitioners and yoga lovers, including over 25 ambassadors and diplomats representing nearly 80 nations during this week.
From the early hours of dawn until late evening on the banks of the sacred Ganga, the first day of the festival unfolded with powerful yoga practices, wisdom talks, sacred ceremonies and uplifting music, setting the tone for a transformative week of spiritual exploration and global unity.
Over the years the festival has welcomed many distinguished dignitaries, including its inauguration via live video conferencing by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, in 2017 and the in-person inauguration by the former Vice President of India, M Venkaiah Naidu in 2018.
The first morning of the festival began at sunrise as participants gathered on the holy banks of Maa Ganga for Sacred Sunrise Chanting with Anandra George, filling the Himalayan air with powerful mantras and devotional music, tapping into the sacred energy of saints, sages and yogis that have graced and blessed this land.
Throughout the morning, sessions included Hatha, Pranayama and Japa with Dasa Das; an energising Hatha Vinyasa practice with traditional yoga teacher Aadhya; and The Power of Pranayama with renowned pranayama expert Sandhya Dixit of Kaivalyadhama Yoga Institute.
The morning concluded with a graceful T’ai Chi Flow session led by expert Sensei Sandeep Desai.
Following tea, participants joined the sacred Morning Fire Ceremony (Yagna/Havan) led by Swami Chidanand Saraswati and Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati.
A central highlight of the first day was the inspiring plenary session, titled “Embodied Action: From Mat to Mission – Living Karma Yoga as Sacred Life.”
Moderated by Eden Goldman, the panel brought together leading voices in yoga and spiritual leadership including Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati, an internationally respected spiritual teacher and Director of the International Yoga Festival; Ishan Tigunait, spiritual head and Executive Director of the Himalayan Institute; Shiva Rea, globally renowned yoga teacher and founder of Prana Vinyasa Yoga; Anand Mehrotra, founder of the Sattva Yoga Academy and teacher of Himalayan yogic wisdom; and Tommy Rosen, founder of Recovery 2.0 and a pioneer in bringing yoga and meditation into addiction recovery.
Speakers explored how yoga extends far beyond physical practice, encouraging participants to live yoga as a path of service, compassion, conscious action and transformation in everyday life.
Sadhvi Bhagawati shared, “Let your anger and despair about the current challenges of the world or any particular injustice be the knock on your heart, a reminder that something is awry or imbalanced. Then cultivate a practice that allows you to offer that anger or despair to the Divine or to Mother Nature and allow it to rise and transmute into an expansive state of love. That’s what we are called upon to do to become a channel of that powerful love. Find someone or something you love and let your love for them be the catalyst through which that conscious action flows.”
Tommy Rosen shared, “I used to worry that I couldn’t be like Mother Teresa, Swamiji or Sadhviji but I was told that if I did my yoga practice and I come to my heart centre – then it would be revealed to me how I could best serve the world in a way that’s appropriate for me and that would become my dharma. Everyone here at the International Yoga Festival has the opportunity to discover how we can serve ourselves, our families, our communities and our world.”
Shiva Rae started by offering a centering practice to offer gratitude for amazing centre of yogic wisdom that is the International Yoga Festival at Parmarth Niketan, Rishikesh.
“Dharma and Dharana comes from the root ‘to hold’.
Ishan Tigunait added, “The more clarity and self-awareness we have the more we are able to see our true selves. The law of physics reminds us that the object of perception is changed simply by the act of perception. But we need to be engaged in that act and do with it great force clarity, stability and humility – Tapah–Svādhyāya–Īśvara Praṇidhānāni Kriyā Yogah. When we do this than Karma is no longer something we are hiding from or seeking but it’s with us because it brought us here.
Anand Mehrotra stated, “The primary action is not a belief system it has to be internal, to go within, to transform the actor – the one who is perceiving or acting. Such that when the actor goes out into the world his or her natural state is of Kriya or evolutionary presence. From here we are able to live dharma fulfill the highest need of the hour spontaneously.
Throughout the day, festival participants experienced a wide range of teachings representing the rich diversity of yogic traditions and complementary healing arts. Sessions included Mantra Yoga with Indu Sharma; Chakra Balancing Vinyasa with Katie B Happyy; and a dynamic Vinyasa Practice with Jahnavi Claire Missingham.
Participants were also guided through deeply reflective and heart-centered sessions including Welcome Home to Your Heart with Sandra Barnes and Observing Yourself Living with veteran Kundalini teacher Jai Hari Singh.
The afternoon continued with vibrant experiential practices such as PULSE Rhythmic Vinyasa Yoga with Chenda Temple Drumming led by Shiva Rea; teachings on yogic philosophy including The Three Bodies and Turiya with Gayatri Yogacharya and Yinlightenment with Rohini Manohar.
Participants also explored the healing science of breath through a special session entitled Coming Home with Sandra Barnes, alongside traditional wisdom teachings including Ayurveda: Returning to Yourself with María Alejandra Avcharian.
A special component of the Festival is the Sacred Sound Experience, dedicated to the ancient yogic science of sound and vibration. This space brings together sound healers and practitioners of Nāda Yoga who guide participants through immersive experiences of mantra, chanting, music and vibrational healing. The day included a deeply restorative Gong Immersion led by Sanj Hall and friends, offering participants the opportunity to experience the profound healing potential of sacred sound, concluding the day’s practice sessions with Devotion in Motion Yoga led by Charlotte Holmes and Evening Kirtan Infinite Bliss Merging with Shiva with James Cassidy and Friends.
Following the sacred Ganga Aarti at Parmarth Niketan, participants experienced a powerful Mallakhamb session and cultural performance as part of the Festival’s opening evening, celebrating India’s indigenous yogic athletic traditions and honouring the authentic roots of yoga.
The evening of the Festival also celebrated India’s ancient yogic heritage through a dynamic Mallakhamb Workshop — India’s Ancient Athletic Yoga, led by Yogesh Malviya, recipient of India’s prestigious Dronacharya Award, alongside Yogi Komleshwar, a dedicated yoga practitioner and founder of the Komleshwar Yog Sadhanalaya Trust, known for offering free yoga education to underprivileged communities near Haridwar. The Parmarth Rishikumars led by Yogacharya Mayank Bhatt also offered their riveting and breath-taking performance.
As the sun set behind the Himalayas, participants gathered at the sacred ghat of Parmarth Niketan for the grand inauguration ceremony, which included prayers, sacred chanting and the world-famous Ganga Aarti.
The opening ceremony was filled with sacred chants, uplifting music, inspiring messages and powerful prayers for peace and harmony, marking the beginning of a deeply transformative week.
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