Quick answer: which yoga schools in Rishikesh are women-led?
A women-led yoga school is one where a woman founded it or heads the teaching, not just one with some female teachers. In Rishikesh, Swaastik Yog School in Tapovan was founded in 2015 and is headed by Mayuri Shewale (E-RYT 500), who leads every 200, 300 and 500-hour batch. Its 200-hour course costs $440 to $1,100 all-inclusive. Veda Yogshala (co-founded by Yogacharya Pushpa Ji) and Mimamsa Yoga (which lists a female lead teacher) also describe themselves as women-led.
- Women-led means a woman holds the top role: founder, director or head teacher.
- Women-friendly means good policies (women-only rooms, female staff), whoever runs the school.
- Check both. The best choice for many solo women has both.
Disclosure: Swaastik Yog School wrote this guide and is one of the schools listed.
Every month, women write to us with the same question in different words. "Is the head teacher a woman?" "Will there be other women in my batch?" "Who will be adjusting me?" These are fair questions. Rishikesh has hundreds of yoga schools, and many are founded and run by men. Plenty of them are excellent. But for a lot of women, especially those travelling alone for the first time, knowing that a woman is in charge makes a real difference.
I founded Swaastik Yog School in 2015 and still lead every teacher training batch, so I have a clear bias. This guide explains what "women-led" really means, what to check at any school, and which Rishikesh schools I could verify as having a woman at the top. I checked other schools on their own websites in October 2026. Please check again before you book.
What does "women-led" actually mean for a yoga school?
A women-led yoga school is one where a woman is the founder, the director or the head teacher who runs the training. That is a different thing from a school that simply employs one or two female teachers.
The words get mixed up online. A school can be "women-friendly" with women-only rooms and still be run entirely by men. A school can have a female founder who no longer teaches. And a school can be led by a woman while still having male teachers on the faculty. Ours is one of those.
| Term | What it means | What to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Women-led | A woman founded the school, directs it, or is the head teacher. | "Who founded the school, and who leads my batch day to day?" |
| Female head teacher | The person in charge of the course content and the batch is a woman. | "Will she teach my batch herself, or only appear on the website?" |
| Female teachers on the faculty | Some classes are taught by women. Leadership may be male. | "Which subjects do the women teach, and for how many hours?" |
| Women-friendly | Policies that help women feel safe: women-only rooms, female staff, a code of conduct. | "Can you send me your code of conduct and room options in writing?" |
| All-female / women-only | Only women teach, or only women can join. This is rare in Rishikesh. | "Are men on the faculty or in the batch?" |
None of these labels is "better" on its own. What matters is that the school is honest about which one it is.
Why does a female head teacher matter to many students?
A female head teacher matters because she sets the tone for how the whole course runs, from how adjustments are given to how a complaint is handled.
In a teacher training you spend four weeks in a close group. You are touched during adjustments. You talk about your body, your breath, sometimes your cycle and your emotions. Many women tell us they find it easier to speak openly when the person in charge is a woman who has lived the same things.
It also matters when something goes wrong. If a student feels uncomfortable with anyone, she needs a person she trusts to go to. When that person heads the school, the problem gets dealt with quickly.
Some women also want guidance on practice during menstruation, after pregnancy or through menopause from another woman. That is a valid choice.
Finally, it matters for solo travellers. If you are coming to India alone, it helps to know that the person making the rules on campus thinks about your safety the way you do. Our guide on whether Rishikesh is safe for solo female travellers covers the town itself. This guide is about the school.
Which Rishikesh yoga schools have a female founder or head teacher?
We could verify three Rishikesh schools that say, on their own websites, that a woman founded or leads them: Swaastik Yog School, Veda Yogshala and Mimamsa Yoga.
There may be others. We only list schools whose own site makes the claim. If yours should be here, write to us and we will check it.
Women-led yoga schools in Rishikesh at a glance
| School | Who leads it (from its own site) | Area | 200-hour price | Women-specific features listed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swaastik Yog School | Founded 2015 and headed by Mayuri Shewale, E-RYT 500, who leads every 200/300/500-hour batch. Co-founder Rahul Badoni (a man) teaches philosophy. | Tapovan | $440 dorm / $880 shared / $1,100 private, 22 days, all-inclusive | Gender-separate dorms, female staff on campus, written code of conduct, aerial taught by women |
| Veda Yogshala | Founded in 2015 by Yogacharya Pushpa Ji (founder and director) with her brother Yogi Jay Ji (co-founder and lead teacher) | Laxman Jhula | Approx. $999 to $1,499 (early-bird rates shown in Oct 2026), 25 days; approx., confirm with the school | Female-only 4-share room option; calls itself women-led and family-run |
| Mimamsa Yoga | Calls itself women-led and "led by female yoga gurus"; lists Yogini Shakti under lead teachers. Founder not named on the pages we read. | Upper Tapovan | Not shown on the pages we read; confirm with the school | Safe accommodation for women and solo female travellers; women-focused courses |
1. Swaastik Yog School (Tapovan)
Swaastik Yog School is a Yoga Alliance RYS 200, RYS 300 and RYS 500 school in Tapovan, founded in 2015 and headed by Mayuri Shewale. I have practised and taught for more than 15 years, and I personally lead every 200, 300 and 500-hour batch. You can read more on my teacher profile or on our women-led yoga school in Rishikesh page.
Strengths: batches of 15 to 20, so I know every student by name. Gender-separate dorms, female staff on campus and a written code of conduct. Adjustments are offered with care and consent, and you can always say no. Our aerial yoga is taught by women, through our specialist aerial brand on the same campus. Prices are all-inclusive: training, accommodation, sattvic vegetarian meals, materials and certificate. From November to February the halls are heated and every room has a heated blanket.
Considerations: we are not an all-female school. My co-founder, Rahul Badoni (E-RYT 500), is a man, and he teaches philosophy. Batches are mixed, with men and women. Teaching is in English only. If you want a women-only batch, we are not the right fit.
2. Veda Yogshala (Laxman Jhula)
Veda Yogshala was founded in 2015 by Yogacharya Pushpa Ji and her younger brother, Yogi Jay Ji, according to the school's own website. Pushpa Ji is listed as founder and director, and the site says the school is "founded and run successfully by a lady."
Strengths: a family-run school with a woman as founder and director. Its 200-hour course page lists a female-only 4-share room. The course runs 25 days, with meals and accommodation included. It is close to the river in the Laxman Jhula area.
Considerations: the course page lists Yogi Jay Ji as the lead teacher for the multi-style practice, and the pages we read did not say exactly which sessions Pushpa Ji teaches herself. If having a woman teach most of your hours matters to you, ask. Prices shown in October 2026 were early-bird rates (approx. $999 to $1,499), so confirm the current price with the school.
3. Mimamsa Yoga (Upper Tapovan)
Mimamsa Yoga, at mimamsayoga.com, describes itself as "a women-led, Yoga Alliance certified yoga school" in Upper Tapovan. Its teachers page lists Yogini Shakti under "Our Lead Teachers," and Yogini Kalini teaches philosophy and meditation.
Strengths: a clear focus on women, with courses aimed at women and accommodation pitched at solo female travellers. Two women are named on the faculty, one as a lead teacher.
Considerations: the pages we read did not name a founder, give a founding year or show 200-hour prices. Ask who founded and owns the school, and check its Yoga Alliance listing yourself.
A note on similar names
Mimamsa Yoga is a different school from Mimamsa Yogshala (mimamsayogshala.com) in Ramjhula. Mimamsa Yogshala's own site says it was founded in 2015 by Yogi Manoj, who still leads it, so we have not listed it as women-led. It does offer women-only shared rooms on its 200-hour course, a good example of women-friendly without being women-led. Check the web address before you book.
