About

Surinder Singh is one of the best known and reputed yoga teachers in Rishikesh. Mechanical engineer by education, he was initiated into yoga by Sri Swami Dharmananda, the then guru of Ved Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh. Surinder's background in engineering helps him better teach asanas through the lens of mechanics of human body. He applies principles of bio mechanics into alignment and adjustment that help his students understand the workings of their bodies and approach their practice in a different way. 


Surinder is very compassionate and kind teacher. He makes everybody feel comfortable and welcome in his class, irrespective of the level of practice. His atmosphere of cordiality and csupport makes hundreds of his students come back to Rishikesh to continue practice with him. 

Surinder Singh's interview with TopYogis

 

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General impression
5
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5
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5
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“I am becoming better and better everyday in every way. My body is becoming healthier, my mind is becoming steadier, my soul is becoming more illuminated”.

This is the mantra that I learned in the class of Surinder Singh and it serves me until the present day. The mantra reveals the spirit of Surinder’s classes: they provide the space where you feel like developing and growing in all dimensions of human existence, and Surinder is there to assist you in a soft and supporting way.

Surinder is well-known and respected teacher in Rishikesh who teaches hatha yoga to both beginners and experienced practitioners. His classes usually have a similar routine: they start with the joint-opening warmups, then a few rounds of Surya Namaskar series, a series of standing asanas, a series of asanas in seated or prone/supine positions, shavasana in the end. Very often, some pranayamas will be included somewhere in the sequence.

Surinder teaches asanas in a quite static way, you can expect to hold each pose for 8-10 breaths or more. Even poses of Surya Namaskar sequence are held for at least 3-4 breaths. Initially, he does not give very detailed instructions on alignment for each pose, but he goes around the class and adjusts virtually every person, so his instructions on how to perform the pose will be very individualized. Sometimes, the class is too big and Surinder will not adjust you in every pose, but he still tries to make sure to give personal attention to everyone. When some pose needs more attention and clarification, he can stop the flow of the class to give illustration on somebody, or perform the pose himself and explain principles of alignment. Sometimes alignment principles are similar to Iyengar’s, sometimes he explains them in completely unique way, linking to the laws of mechanics and biomechanics. Very often he explains asanas not just in the sense of physical alignment, but in the sense of attitude and mental state that one is expected to cultivate in one’s mind while performing the pose. For example, while performing the Tree pose, one should feel like a tree, stable and calm but always giving, just like a tree gives shelter from a sun. Warrior pose provides opportunity to develop virtues of warrior - courage, protection, discipline.

My first class with Surinder Singh was about 9 years ago. I remember, my first impression of the class was that it’s nice, but not too intense. That’s because Surinder starts with simple asanas and most of his sequences include classic yoga poses. But as I attended more classes, I understood that this approach is far more demanding than dynamic classes that I had in Ukraine, as it makes you go deep into each pose, hold it for longer time, strengthen your attention, work on your patience and persistence, and understand the way your mind works. In my first year in Rishikesh, I was visiting Surinder Singh’s classes twice a day for about 3 months, and I made tremendous progress in my practice.

That was not just a progress with asanas. Surinder stresses that the asanas are just an initial stage of yogic process, and with enough practice, we start to work on our mind more than our bodies, developing attitudes of patience, appreciation, attention to others, acceptance, kindness and understanding. These lessons from Surinder’s classes are still with me until the present day. I was going back to India for years with the specific aim to attend his classes. Now, I study with other teachers also and practice on my own, but coming to Surinder’s class always feels like coming home.

So, few practical recommendations:
1. Surinder’s classes are good for people with difficulties, physical challenges and disabilities, because he will attend to you personally and adjust the pose to suit your needs.

2. Some students used to more dynamic styles may find Surinder’s classes not so challenging, yet I think they can be quite useful for such practitioners, as they present a completely different perspective on yogic practice: not so athleticism-oriented by rather introverted, directed towards developing of mental stability, mindfulness and positive attitude.
General impression
5
Teaching ability
5
Attitude to students
5
Safety level:
5
It is a real pleasure to participate in Surinder Singh's yoga class. It is one of those experiences when you think: this is what a good energy yoga class should feel like. It has all the components that we want and need to work on: physical, mental and spiritual. The class mood is relaxed but focused. The attention is paid to students individually and a group as a whole. Perhaps people who need very strenuous technical practice would feel they could use a bit more "pressure", but for most, it is exactly what we need.
Surinder is a very charismatic teacher who addresses different aspects of yoga practice.
For most practitioners, I would say: you're in good hands!
General impression
5
Teaching ability
5
Attitude to students
5
Safety level:
5
It looked to me like he really saw all bodies and just gently pressed on right button of physical body to align all of them. It Felt magic!)) with huge respect and love to Surinder!
General impression
5
Teaching ability
5
Attitude to students
5
Safety level:
5
Энергетика Суриндера зашкаливает! Один из тех? Человеков,за которых БЛАГОДАРЮ ЖИЗНЬ?
General impression
5
Teaching ability
5
Attitude to students
5
Safety level:
5
its beautiful and loving moments to start a class with Surinder so peaceful and the way he adjust your body alignment class is full of wisdom and sea prosperity amazing , thankful for wisdom he share HATHA YOGA class is full of happiness so relaxing class it effects like you do yin yoga .
thanks you
General impression
5
Teaching ability
5
Attitude to students
5
Safety level:
5
Surinder for me is an amazing yogi and amazing teacher of life, like the small tales and the small stories he told us. I think he is so authentic, so noble, so loving, such a professional that every morning you step inside the room, you feel this energy that he brings inside. I love him.
He has taught me about yoga, but not only the physical. Yoga is not just a physical activity. It of course involves physical activity, but physical aspect is not the main component. This is one of the reasons of why I chose to study with him, because physical activities we can do everywhere, but he’s really bringing his character, his way of being into the class.

I highly recommend this teacher, even just to come and do one class with him, because this is the person that you need to meet if you are interested in yoga. And I want to say that I tried a lot of teachers over here, most of them, how I felt, have lost their authentic way of being, and when I came to Surinder, he was for me the first Indian guy who is really authentic who teaches you how yoga is reflected in your personal life. Surinder teaches by his own example, he is an example of everything. When I do yoga with Surinder, I immediately feel the effect by feeling that I love myself more and that I love the world more, so I think that yoga is a great tool to understand physical, astral, mental body and work with it so we give it a good ground to grow and to succeed in life.