Every year I get the same question from students: “Why Sri Lanka?” Why not Bali, or India, or Thailand. Places with bigger reputations for yoga? The short answer: I built my yoga school here for a reason. The long answer? Here are ten. This is what makes Sri Lanka—not just scenic, but strategic—for your yoga teacher training.
1. Warm, Open-Air Practice Weather
We practice barefoot, sunrise to sunset, with no need for jackets or indoor heaters. Sri Lanka’s climate supports the way yoga was originally designed: outdoors, with skin breathing and muscles warm. At Lanka Yoga, our shala overlooks the water and stays naturally ventilated. Heat builds naturally from movement.
2. Nature on Your Mat’s Doorstep
During practice, you’ll see dogs cross the lawn. At lunch, monkeys chatter in the trees. The lake changes colour throughout the day: mirror-flat by morning, rippling gold at dusk. This isn’t just pretty. Being immersed in nature changes your nervous system. It grounds you, gently. And that translates into better learning and deeper practice.
3. Lower Cost, Higher Value
Sri Lanka offers the same depth of experience as Bali or India, but without the price inflation. You get a full training, purpose-built venue, plant-based meals, and private room for significantly less than Western equivalents. Translation: Your course fee stretches further, and a post-training surf trip won’t break the budget. You spend less energy managing logistics and more energy absorbing your training.
4. “India-Lite”: Spiritual, Without Sensory Overload
Sri Lanka shares roots with Indian philosophy and Buddhism—but offers a calmer entry point. It’s easier to settle into study when you’re not battling traffic chaos, pollution, or over-touristed hotspots. You’ll still hear temple bells. You’ll still sip chai. But you’ll also sleep well and think clearly.
5. It’s Not Bali (and That’s a Good Thing)
Bali is beautiful, but it’s also crowded. Yoga there can feel performative, transactional. In Sri Lanka, the vibe is slower, simpler, less saturated. Sri Lanka’s yoga and surf scene is growing, but beaches remain spacious, cafés remember your name, and sunset practice isn’t a photo shoot for a crowd of tourists.
6. Living Traditions Ground the Practice
From sunrise pujas to herbal steam baths, Sri Lanka lives its roots. You don’t just read about yogic and Ayurvedic philosophy here—you see it modelled, daily. It adds that extra layer to everything we teach in the YTT classroom.
7. Food That Supports Learning
Expect local vegetables, mild curries, fruit-heavy breakfasts, and digestive teas. Our kitchen team designs meals for energy—not bloating or burnout. It’s all plant-based, full of colour, and surprisingly simple. Exactly how yoga meals should be.
8. Wellness Culture, Minus the Hype
Sri Lanka isn’t a retreat bubble. It’s a country where surf, saunas, and ceremonies happen without wanting to go viral. Workshops are intimate. Teachers are accessible. Growth feels local, not franchised.
9. Easy Visas and Safe Solo Travel
Most visitors can secure an e-visa online in under 10 minutes. And Sri Lanka remains one of the safest places for solo travellers in South Asia. Lanka Yoga – the place I built and where all my Yoga Teacher Training are held – can arrange pickups, local sim cards, and everything else you need to settle in stress-free.
10. Why I Built Lanka Yoga on Koggala Lake
I wanted a space where students could study deeply without needing to escape the school just to breathe. Lanka Yoga has water on one side, jungle on the other, and the ocean 10 minutes away. The training is rooted in Yoga Synergy—my own blend of movement science and functional anatomy. Group sizes max at 20. There’s time to reflect, move, and ask better questions. If you’re still deciding where to do your training, ask yourself this:
- Do you want depth, not hype?
- Nature, not distraction?
- A method that respects your body and mind, long-term?
Sri Lanka might be exactly where you need to be. → Explore upcoming 200HR YTT dates here → Not ready to travel yet? Get a taste via the online Synergy course—the first module is free!
