The Ayurvedic Studies Program Level 1 (ASP 1) is the foundation of the educational programs offered at the Ayurvedic Institute. Students acquire a thorough understanding of the theory, principles, and practices of Ayurveda.

The academic year is divided into three, 10 week quarters, each followed by a break.

The school year begins October 3, 2011 with a required Orientation Week. Classes end Friday, May 25, 2012, with oral exams from June 5 – 13 and graduation on Thursday, June 14, 2012.

This program is limited to 45 full-time students.
ASP 1 is an intensive time of study. It is essential that students come prepared to concentrate on their studies.

All of the ASP 1 programs include lectures, breakout sessions and an emphasis on practical exercises.

Students earn 735 hours total of classroom time.

Students spend 21.5 – 24.5 hours per week in class (as compared to 16 hours per week for a full university class load).

Students may choose to participate in the Ayurvedic Studies Program Level 1 with  four options: two are certificate status and two are audit status.

Certificate of Completion

Students develop knowledge and skill through individual and progressive group work, interactive exercises, projects, presentations and supervised practice with staff and students to develop clinical competencies. Each student is individually evaluated by faculty and the Education Administrator as being qualified prior to receiving permission to work with community clients.

Continued participation in all courses, requires that students meet all attendance requirements, successfully complete all mandatory homework and exams, pass the oral exam at the end of the academic year, be a student in good standing, and have paid all tuition in full. Successful completion of the program includes: full participation in all courses, evaluation by course instructors on the student’s ability to apply Ayurvedic principles clinically during all client consultations, approval to work with community clients, and to interact professionally with clients, their fellow students and faculty.

All program certificate students develop knowledge and skill through individual and progressive group work, interactive exercises, projects, presentations and supervised practice with staff and students to develop clinical competencies. In all courses, students must meet all attendance requirements, successfully complete all mandatory homework and exams, pass the oral exam at the end of the academic year, be a student in good standing, and have paid all tuition in full.

To our certificate students, we offer a distinction between those who study ASP 1 with a primary focus on client consultations and those for Ayurvedic education and self-healing without interest in working with community clients. Students in both programs are recognized for their successful completion.

Audit

The choice to audit is made every year by students who wish to learn Ayurveda for self-healing or for their own personal practice, yet have no desire to earn a certificate. Students who begin the year as certificate students may choose to change to audit status at any time with the exception of international students, who are required to participate on a certificate basis.

For details on applications and approvals, please refer to Admissions and Registration.

Most courses require textbooks or workbooks.

Additional books may be recommended but not required. These are available in our student library and may be used on our premises.
 

Work study jobs are available in limited numbers; however, they do not provide a substantial amount of earnings and cannot be counted upon to support the student’s endeavors to any great degree. Work study students earn credit toward future tuition for classes or special weekend and week-long seminars.

Students are required to attend the Orientation Week beginning Monday, October 3, 2011. Students will attend daytime and evening sessions, and will have occasional free time during the day and weekend to settle into their new homes.  

This course is the foundation for the educational programs offered at the Ayurvedic Institute and presents basic principles and practices of Ayurveda. It includes philosophy, theory, and assessment and management.

The first quarter includes a series of videotape lectures by Vasant Lad facilitated by our instructors. In the second and third quarters Vasant Lad personally teaches based on his extensive understanding of the ancient texts as well as his long years of experience as an Ayurvedic physician. This course is mostly lecture format with some exercises and practicum.

Basic Principles of Ayurvedic Physiology, Health and Imbalance
The Ayurvedic understanding of and inter-relationship of the body, mind and spirit.
Structure and function of the body: the five elements, three doshas, nadis, srotamsi, vayus, etc.
Spirit: jiva (soul), karma, samskaras, koshas (sheaths): anna (physical body), prana (vital air), mano (sensory mind), jnana (mind), vijnana (intellect), ananda (bliss sheath).
Chakra system and kundalini (vital energy).
The Ayurvedic concept of health and disease.
Dosha Prakruti and vikruti.
Mind: antakaran (the inner equipment of mind), prana (vital air), manas (sensory mind), chitta (mind), buddhi (intellect), dhruti (retention), smruti (memory) and ahamkara (ego).
Models of Disease, the concept of ama
Ayurvedic concept of digestion, assimilation and elimination.
Agni (jathara agni, bhuta agni, dhatu agni, cellular agni) and the clinical assessment of agni.
Rasa (taste), virya (energy), vipaka (post-digestive effect), and prabhava.
The relationship of taste to the elements and the effect of the gunas.
Time and organ function.
Nutrition and the functional relationship between srotas, dhatu, upadhatu, dhatu mala, agni, and ojas, tejas and prana (the subtle refined essences of the tissues).
Overview of Ayurvedic etiology and pathogenesis: Nidana-panchakam.
Nidana: an in-depth look at etiological factors of imbalance.
Purva-rupa (prodromal symptoms), rupa (cardinal signs and symptoms), upashaya (therapeutic trial).
Samprapti (pathogenesis) and dosha gati.
Clinical determination of the stage of samprapti.

Basic Principles of Ayurvedic Management

Using the rugna patrakam and the dosha assessment forms for prakruti / vikruti, and manas prakruti / vikruti.
Chikitsa: the Ayurvedic approach to management of imbalance and disease:

Listen to the client's goals and concerns.
Determine prakruti (constitution).
Determine vikruti (the present altered state of doshas in the body).
Determine the cause or causes of illness, such as diet, lifestyle, emotional patterns, quality of relationships, genetic predisposition.
As the first line of treatment: remove the cause.
Provide the proper regimen (diet, exercise, pranayama) according to the person's prakruti, vikruti, seasons, climate, age, and so on.
Provide a detoxification procedure: either shamana (palliation) or shodana (elimination), such as panchakarma.
Provide therapies that are (a) antagonistic to the provoked dosha or (b) antagonistic to the disease, based on the principle that opposite qualities balance.
Provide rasayana (rejuvenation) for the body in general, to increase immunity, to strengthen specific organs and tissues.

Dravyaguna / rasa shastra; pancha vidhya kashaya, anupan, aushadi sevan kala
Sapta shamanam (seven palliative measures).
Shodhana (cleansing measures): purvakarma, pradhanakarma (panchakarma), paschyatakarma, rasayana.
General management of vata, pitta, kapha (utilizing appropriate lifestyle practices).
Practicum and individual cases:

With special reference to lifestyle recommendations in order to maintain and restore constitutional balance.

This course provides a complete review of the content learned in the Ayurvedic Lectures Course. Students work with the information in ways that deepen their understanding by incorporating a variety of methods including interactive dialog, case based exercises,

Students apply to themselves the knowledge learned in the Ayurvedic Lectures Course along with additional content presented in this course. They develop and practice their own unique Ayurvedic lifestyle plan which helps them to experience the results of living a more Ayurvedic way of life. As the course progresses,

students learn more in-depth practical applications of Ayurvedic principles which continue to support their personal practices and prepare them for educating and consulting with others. It includes progressive group work, interactive exercises, projects, and case-based instruction.

This course builds on and integrates the knowledge and skill sets acquired in the other courses. Students learn and practice clinical skills (rapport, assessment, findings, and recommendations) in preparation for the 25 hours of supervised client consultations. Students learn to correctly apply Ayurvedic

principles clinically during client consultations, and to interact professionally with the client and their fellow students and faculty. Skill and competence is attained through practicums, experiential exercises, case-based training, and eventually, supervised client consultations.

AyurYoga applies the principles of Ayurveda to the practice of yoga. Through personal practice, students gain an experiential understanding of the effect yoga has on the gunas and doshas and how to restore and maintain healthy constitutional balance. Students establish health by incorporating Ayurvedic principles in the application of asana, pranayama, banda,

and mudra. Students may also work with some basic physical limitations, medical conditions, case studies and limited practice with live clients. Class participation is focused toward understanding Ayurvedic applications and is not intended as a personal yoga routine.