It’s the yoga capital of India: how Mysore has become a magnet for aspiring yogis

Mysore has become the place to go in India for aspiring yogis, who are drawn by the southern city’s history of, and expertise in, yoga

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A yoga session in the grounds of Mysore Palace, Mysore. The southern Indian city has become a magnet for aspiring yogis from across the planet. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:15am, 15 Jun 2024Updated: 4:45pm, 21 Jun 2024

Cairo Murillo, a 37-year-old yoga teacher and surfer from Brazil, arrived in the southern Indian city of Mysore on a rain-soaked day in July last year.

India’s wettest month, July sees the southwest monsoon pour over the peninsula, painting forests, farms, gardens and the sides of pavements in wild shades of green.

Murillo arrived intending to visit several yoga schools, locally known as yogashalas, during a six-week stay. But Mysore changed his plans.

He remained for nearly three months, practising yoga with his guru; attending Vedanta (Indian philosophy) classes; befriending a community of practitioners from faraway countries; joining them on two-wheeler rides to historic sites around town; and eating his way through the city’s vast vegetarian menu.

Cairo Murillo (second from left) with friends he made in the city. Photo: Cairo Murillo

“My first impression of Mysore was that of a friendly city – organised, affordable and gorgeous,” says Murillo. “Here I was in a culturally vibrant and historically rich city, strengthening my practice of yoga with senior gurus.

“I felt healed in many ways after Mysore, with its strong learning environment, history of yoga and Vedanta.