Mysore was the home of the father of modern yoga, Krishnamacharya; he taught at Mysore Palace until his shala was closed in 1950 after India gained independence. It was because of Sri Krishnamacharya that Mysore became renowned as a mecca for yoga.

Mysore has also known with a sobriquet as the ‘City of Yoga’. The main style of yoga taught in Mysore is “ashtanga” and Mysore has come to be known as the country’s Ashtanga Yoga capital. Ashtanga Yoga is also famous as Mysore style yoga. This Mysore style Yoga is a traditional style where postures in a fixed order using a special movement-breathing technique called vinyasa that links the postures together in the dance of the breath. Late Sri K Pattabhi Jois has been teaching Ashtanga Yoga since 1930.

Mysore city has been an abode for well-known yoga teachers such as Late Sri Krishna Pattabhi Jois who has rock star Sting and Madonna as disciples, Venkatesh who teaches Atma Vikas and V. Sheshadri who teaches the Astanga Vinyasa brand of yoga. Many Mysore Ashtanga yoga instructors draw international students for extended yoga programs.

Also, scores of yoga schools have come up in the city to cater to the growing number of yoga enthusiasts, including foreigners. Every year, thousands of people flock to study Yoga in Mysore. The city has become one of the most popular yoga destinations in India and over the years has achieved world-wide recognition as a centre for yoga. The tourists from all over the world are making their Yoga tour to Mysore for restoring balance into their lives and to resolve the inner conflicts etc.