About Mahamukti Yoga Academy

Freedom Is Our Whole Purpose

Mahamukti is a Sanskrit word meaning freedom, or liberation — freedom from every kind of barrier, so the soul can rest in absolute peace.

Who We Are

What Mahamukti Means

The word freedom incorporates freedom from all kinds of barriers — political, economic, social or spiritual — that gives you absolute peace in your soul. Here, we are concerned with spiritual freedom. We believe that inner peace in mind and soul is more vital than anything else. Mahamukti, in its true sense, refers to the freedom and liberation of one’s mind from worldly, materialistic pleasure — without isolating oneself from the world.

Our original school is situated in the land of the magnificent Himalayas and the ever-flowing, mystical river Ganges — one of the finest yoga schools in Rishikesh, offering a perfect atmosphere of serenity, purity and sanctity. The calming ambience of our school soothes the mind and the soul. A second branch of our school is in Goa, one of India’s most vibrant and beautiful places, and a third in Bali, Indonesia. Our Yoga Teacher Training Courses give you liveliness and happiness from the inside out — with the objective of delivering the best yoga and meditation experience to people who wish to explore themselves through yoga and spiritual healing.

Our Locations

Three Homes, One Practice

Rishikesh, India

Our founding ashram, in the foothills of the Himalayas beside the Ganges — the original home of Mahamukti Yoga.

Mandrem, Goa, India

Our coastal branch, offering the same rigorous training in the calm of North Goa’s beaches.

Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Our newest home, in the spiritual heart of Bali, surrounded by rice terraces and jungle.

Our Purpose

Aim & Objective of Our School

Yogi Akhilesh Bodhi founded this yoga institute in 2012, to give yoga learners a space to learn, experience and explore the core principles of yoga. Students of all ages come to deepen their connection to yoga sadhana, and to carry that experience onward to share with others. Our training programmes are among the most comprehensive and academically rigorous yoga teacher training programmes in the world.

Goa and Rishikesh are two of the calmest, most beautiful places to learn yoga — an experience that stays with our students for a lifetime, especially through our 100 Hour and 200 Hour Yoga Teacher Training Courses. Our Yoga Retreats in Rishikesh and Goa invite a deeper dive into the spiritual journey.

Yoga is all about discovering yourself. At Mahamukti, we aim to add energy, strength and beauty to our students’ body and soul — helping them enhance their yoga sadhana and inner life, while holding to teaching ethics and principles. We offer 100 and 200 hour YTTCs across our locations, and we make every student part of the Mahamukti family — a place to learn, grow, and share your views and ideas with others on the same path.

All our courses are registered under Yoga Alliance USA, Yoga Alliance UK and Yoga Alliance International. We hold strictly to Yoga Alliance’s guidelines and standards across every programme we teach.

Our Founder

Yogi Akhilesh Bodhi

Akhilesh Bodhi, professional yoga instructor, Reiki master and spiritual mentor, is the founder of Mahamukti Yoga. His understanding of yoga spans decades, and he has developed his own inclusive method — blending traditional yoga with the modern approaches of B.K.S. Iyengar and K. Pattabhi Jois. This fusion of Ashtanga Vinyasa, Hatha Yoga and Raj Yoga offers a holistic technique suited to students worldwide. He has travelled the world teaching, conducting yoga retreats and workshops in Austria, Turkey, Bali and across Europe and the US. A committed follower of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, he studied Vedanta philosophy, trained at Sivananda Ashram in Kerala and the Iyengar Institute in Pune, and studied under Geeta Iyengar, Prashant Iyengar, and Ramananda Patel of San Francisco.

His Journey to Mahamukti

Akhilesh grew up in a large joint family, working alongside his brother to run the family restaurant. After completing his studies at Lucknow University, he joined Chinmaya Tapovan Ashram in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh, for two years — a period in which he stepped away entirely from his family. When his mother fell ill, he returned home briefly before family life pulled him in a different direction than the one he was already walking.

He set out on pilgrimage through the Himalayan regions of Uttarkashi, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath, wandering as a mendicant to understand how life sustains itself with nothing held onto. One night, lost in the foothills as darkness fell, he found shelter in a small forest home, where a mother and daughter — despite having very little themselves — shared their last piece of bread and gave him a blanket for the cold. Stepping outside that night, beneath pine trees and a sky full of stars, he felt something in him shift permanently — a new hunger for life itself. In the morning, he carried food back to that family as a note of gratitude.

He returned to India to start his school, and later travelled frequently to Switzerland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany and Austria to teach and lead workshops. He began his Yoga Teacher Training courses in 2009, and has since guided nearly twenty 200 and 300 hour trainings worldwide in collaboration with schools including Ashiyana Yoga Center, Mahi Power Yoga, Siddhi Yoga, Neo Yoga (Delft, Holland) and Be-Better Yoga (Germany). He has dedicated his life to sharing the science of yoga, in service of a more loving, peaceful world.

Our Faculty

Meet Our Teachers

Yogi Yogacharya Prakash Ji

Iyengar Yoga Teacher & Therapist

Born and raised in the Panchgani countryside, Prakash joined the world-renowned B.K.S. Iyengar Institute in Pune in 1991, training under Prashant and Geeta Iyengar. He has taught thousands worldwide, including many well-known names, and is recommended by Lonely Planet.

Yogi Shiv Pundir Ji

Ashtanga Yoga Teacher

A young, dynamic Ashtanga teacher inspired by K. Pattabhi Jois, trained under the Sivananda Ashram lineage in Rishikesh. Known for precise adjustment and alignment work. Teaches Ashtanga on our 200 and 300 Hour programmes.

Yogi Mahi Ji

Iyengar & Alignment Specialist

Introduced to yoga in a family that lived by yogic principles — his father a student of Sri Ramana Maharishi. Trained under Jois in Mysore before discovering Iyengar yoga, and now teaches a signature blend of Vedic knowledge, intuitive alignment and hands-on adjustment.

Yogi Nachatter Singh Ji

Ashtanga Yoga Assistant

Came to yoga to balance a background in traditional sport, and found a deep connection to Ashtanga practice at Guru Mahi’s training centre. Now assists at Mahamukti, known for his supportive adjustments and positive presence in class.

Yogini Jane Cradick Ji

Hatha & Vinyasa Teacher

Eight years of international training, teaching and study. Based in Cornwall, UK, teaching SUP yoga, kids’ yoga, and Hatha/Vinyasa classes blending philosophy, chakra work, meditation and dance. Runs Bhakti Yoga festivals under the ethos “Yoga Gives Back.”

Yogini Paria Ji

Hatha & Vinyasa Flow Teacher

A yoga and fitness professional teaching Vinyasa Flow that integrates alignment, core work and breath with creative sequencing. Leads workshops worldwide focused on headstands, hip opening, arm balances and fearless living.

Yogini Akanksha Ji

Anatomy · Yin & Restorative Teacher

Formerly a practising advocate, Akanksha turned to yoga after her own experience of stress and burnout, completing 500 hours of training at Mahamukti. She now teaches anatomy and philosophy on our YTTCs, and leads deeply rejuvenating Yin and restorative classes.

Swami Turya Chaitanya Ji

Vedanta & Sanskrit Teacher

A disciple of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, teaching Vedanta and Sanskrit for over 25 years in and around Kochi, Kerala, and author of several books. Holds a Master’s in Sociology; his simple, accessible teaching style has opened the door to spiritual thinking for hundreds of students.

On Retreat

What Our Retreats Offer You

The word “retreat” means to move back, or retire — but a retreat is not a retirement. When you retire from work, you leave behind its responsibilities. A retreat carries a deeper significance: it is a way of connecting with your own mind, spirit and body through meditation, breath and philosophy — retrieving yourself from worldly activity to look inward.

Our retreats help you step back from a hectic life and spend time connecting with your inner world — the most direct path to which is through the body itself. Yoga and meditation make that connection possible, offering awareness across the different levels of human existence. Mahamukti creates an environment of stillness that invites genuine withdrawal from worldly noise; our infrastructure and instructors take care of food, shelter and every practical need, so you’re free simply to look within, rejuvenate your senses, and return home with a more holistic view of the world.

Continue Your Journey