FAQs

We recommend that you have at least one year of experience in practicing yoga regularly before applying for a yoga teacher training course. If you are unsure about whether your current level of experience is enough to start yoga teacher training, please email us with your questions.

If you are not very flexible then you will benefit from the course more than anyone else. Yoga is about so much more than just physical postures.

You should be fine as long as you can understand English very well and can speak a little bit. There are always some non-native English-speaking students in each group of students and our teachers take this into consideration as much as possible to ensure that the material being taught is understood by everyone.

Also, we will be using words from Sanskrit which have a universal meaning, easy for everyone in the course to understand.

If you miss any classes, you will be given assignments to make up the time. These will be determined by the teacher(s) and will ensure you meet the required hours of study to qualify. But exemptions are always there.

If you do not meet these standards then you will be awarded a certificate of attendance instead of completion. But rest assured that our teaching team will never let any of our students fail.

Upon successful completion of the course and exam, you will receive a certificate, and you’ll be eligible to register with the Yoga Alliance as a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT).

We provide the basic yoga props (blocks, straps and sitting cushions). If you need anything extra, please bring your own equipment.

The climate in Auroville is dry most time of the year. We get more rain from the NW monsoon from October to December, unlike the rest of India, which gets rain in SW monsoon from June to August. The weather is hot from April to June and more mild from January to March.

Due to the subtropical weather and the sea nearby, humidity is high for most of the year.

Some countries offer the convenience of E-visas, which can be applied for online. These are validated at the airport on the day of departure. Check here for more details: https://indianvisaonline.gov.in/evisa/tvoa.html

Visa rules change regularly, so please always check with your nearest Indian consulate / embassy / High Commission before planning your trip.

The easiest way to reach Bala Yoga School is to take a taxi from the airport. We can arrange a private taxi for you; the cost is approximately €40 one way.

If you feel adventurous and have been in India before, the cheapest way to reach Auroville is to take a public bus from Chennai to Pondicherry. From Chennai Airport, you’ll need to get yourself to the CMBT (Chennai Mofussil Bus Terminus) in Chennai via metro, local bus, tuk-tuk, Uber or taxi, and from CMBT you can catch a bus to Pondicherry. Take a bus that runs on the By-pass route and get off the bus at Moratandi Toll Gate, which is 7 kms before Pondicherry City. From there, a tuk-tuk or taxi will bring you to the shala.

If you are already in India and travelling by train, we have a train station in Pondicherry City (PDY) which has limited trains to major cities of India. Our nearest station that is well connected to rest of India is Villupuram (VM). It is situated 40 km from Auroville. Upon arriving there are public buses to Pondicherry. Take a taxi if needed, but avoid taking a tuk-tuk from Viluppuram to Auroville as it is too far.

There are a plenty of local shops within walking distance that stock all of your practical items and toiletries, as well as shops that sell clothes, jewellery, trinkets, spices, and incense. There are restaurants catering to most of the cuisines of the world.

There are few ATMs/cash points in Auroville bio region.  There are also plenty of travel agents and money exchange places in Pondicherry city where you can get the best exchange rates and find more ATMs .