Packing for a month of yoga in India is mostly an exercise in restraint. You will wear the same few practice clothes every day, wash them by hand or through a local laundry, and spend most of your waking hours in the shala or the lecture hall. What matters is getting the handful of essentials right, especially if you are training in the mountains, where mornings are cold and the nearest large shop may be hours away.
Documents and money
- Passport with at least six months' validity, plus your visa or e-Visa approval. Check the current conditions on the official Indian visa website before you apply.
- Travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation. Keep the policy number and emergency phone line with you.
- Copies of your passport, visa and insurance, on paper and on your phone.
- Your booking confirmation and the school's contact number and address, written down in case your phone battery dies on the way.
- Some cash in rupees. Cards are widely accepted in cities, but small mountain towns often run on cash.
Clothes
Pack for comfort and modesty. Yoga schools in India are often places of worship as well as study, and in small towns loose, covering clothes are the norm.
- Practice clothes: four or five sets that you can move freely in and that dry quickly.
- Everyday clothes: loose trousers or long skirts and tops that cover the shoulders, for lectures, temple visits and walks into town.
- Warm layers: essential in the Himalaya. Even in spring and autumn, early mornings and evenings in Uttarkashi are cool, and in winter they approach freezing. A fleece, a warm shawl or blanket for meditation, thick socks and a light down jacket are worth their weight.
- Rain jacket if you are coming close to the monsoon.
- Footwear: sandals that slip off easily (you will remove your shoes many times a day) and a pair of walking shoes for days off.
Practice and study
- A yoga mat and props: ask your school what it provides. Many people like to bring a light travel mat they know.
- A notebook and pens. Philosophy and anatomy lectures move quickly, and handwritten notes stick.
- A refillable water bottle. Drink filtered water only.
- A small torch or headlamp for early starts and the occasional power cut.
- A neti pot, if your course teaches jala neti and you prefer your own.
Health and toiletries
- Any prescription medicines you take, enough for the whole stay, with the prescription.
- A small first-aid kit: plasters, blister care, oral rehydration salts, something for an upset stomach and a pain reliever you know.
- Sunscreen, lip balm and sunglasses. The mountain sun is strong even when the air is cool.
- Insect repellent, particularly in the warmer months.
- Biodegradable toiletries are kinder to the rivers.
Electronics
India uses 230-volt power with type C, D and M sockets, so bring a universal adapter. A power bank helps on long road journeys. Many schools ask students to keep phones out of the shala and to limit screen time during the course, so this is a good moment to leave the laptop at home if you can.
What to leave behind
Expensive jewellery, tight or revealing clothes, more than one pair of jeans, and the urge to pack for every possible situation. Almost anything you forget can be bought in Rishikesh or Dehradun on the way up.
For the journey itself, our Uttarkashi travel guide covers the journey and the seasons, and the 200 Hour YTTC page lists exactly what the course includes.
