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Finding a good yoga experience can be tricky. Many yoga teachers in India do not have the same teaching style that Western yogis are accustomed and some may not be professionally trained.

Some of the people I’ve met who are studying yoga here are studying with Americans who are living here. One piece of advice I was given was to only study with Western teachers, but I’ve had good Indian teachers as well.

Sorting out the good from the bad is not easy. Finding a place to stay while studying is another difficult task.

I started this site to build a community of people traveling for yoga and allow discussions on these places. While the site is growing however, there’s some keen advice to be had.

1. Always ask your yoga teacher if they had someone they studied with. If you like their teaching style it’s probable you’ll like who they learned from.

2. TripAdvisor.in Yes it’s the go-to site for hotels. In India it’s a must because frequently what’s advertised is not reality. The site also includes ashrams and other yoga spas and resorts among its reviewed.

3. Facebook Several ashrams have Facebook pages and it can be a good place to find people who have stayed there. Granted if they liked it on Facebook they will probably give it a positive review, but you can find someone who can give the real scoop on if towels are provided and how strict a place is.

4. Twitter Not always trending but during the massive floods this year in Rishikesh that’s where I got the first news that the giant Shiva statue was floating down the Ganges and confirmed my decision to wait a couple weeks before heading there. It’s worth searching to find people who have been there for more brains to pick.

5. YogaJournal.com A good mass of stories where you can search their site on such words as “ashrams” “India” or even “Rishikesh.”

Most importantly: Be patient. If the first teacher or location isn’t a good fit – move on.

And for a little update from my travels.

I left Goa and headed south to the port city of Fort Cochin. European and laid back, I toured around on a bicycle and ate fruit and cinnamon bread. It rarely felt like India and has made me crave a long list from waffles to goat cheese.

I saw a few signs posted for yoga, including one at the Killian’s Hotel across from the Chinese fishing nets but I couldn’t make it at the times offered.

Wanting to see the roots of all this tea I’ve been drinking I headed into the mountains. Clouds wrapped around the towering hills coated with tea bushes.

Calm and serene, I spent a few days wandering around and tracking an elephant in a nearby wildlife sanctuary. I never found that elephant but I did spot mother and her kin on the riverbank today.

Tomorrow, I am doing a jungle safari in a preserve south of the tea plantations in a region known for its spices. They sell cardamom by the kilo. I may be going back to the post office.