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 principles and practices of Ayurveda, Sanskrit, AyurYoga, and Anatomy and Physiology.

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

The school year begins October 6, 2008 with Orientation Week (required). Classes end May 29, 2009, with oral exams over the following two weeks and graduation on Friday, June 12, 2009.

This program is limited to 45 full-time students.

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

Students earn 665 hours total of classroom time.

Students spend 21-25 hours per week in class (as compared to 16 hours per week for a full university class load).

Each week, a student can expect to spend a minimum of 1 hour on outside assignments and homework for each hour of class time. Anticipate spending 45-50 hours per week focused on school, including class time and outside homework. This is a somewhat conservative estimate. 

Students may choose to participate in the Ayurvedic Studies Program Level 1 with one of two options:

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.

Students interested in applying for the Ayurvedic Studies Level 2 program, must successfully graduate from Level 1 and meet additional requirements. Applications are reviewed by faculty and administration. Students must demonstrate a high level of participation, commitment and understanding in the classroom, and interaction with clients which is indicative of an Ayurvedic clinical professional.

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 weeklong seminars.

Students are required to attend the Orientation Week beginning Monday, October 6, 2008. Students will attend daytime and evening sessions, and will have occasional free time during the day and weekend to settle into their new homes in Albuquerque.
 

This course is the foundation for the educational programs offered at the Ayurvedic Institute and provides a thorough understanding of the 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 practicums. Material is presented from Dr. Lad’s knowledge and minimal printed material is available in quarters two and three. Students will need to depend upon their personal notes. Most of the practical application of this course's material occurs in the other courses.

Basic Principles of Ayurvedic Physiology, Health and Imbalance
The Ayurvedic understanding of and inter-relationship of the body, mind and spirit.
Structure andfunction of the body: five elements, three doshas, nadis, srotamsi, vayus, etc.
Mind: antakaran (the inner equipment of mind), prana (vital air), manas (sensory mind), chitta (mind), buddhi (intellect), dhruti (retention), smruti (memory) andahamkara (ego).
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.
Prakruti and vikruti.
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:

Determine prakruti.
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.
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.

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 begins with educating and preparing students to develop and practice their own unique Ayurvedic lifestyle plan. This includes daily routine, self-massage, diet, cooking and eating practices, meditation, yamas and niyamas (spiritual restraints and intentional practices) to mention only a few.

This course consists of progressive group work, interactive exercises, projects, presentations and client consultations building on and integrating the knowledge and skill sets acquired in the other courses. Prior to receiving permission to work with community clients, each student is individually evaluated and approved by faculty and the education administrator as being qualified. In order to work with clients, students are required to maintain passing grades in all other courses where they are monitored for understanding, participation and successful testing.

Students learn to read, write and chant the Sanskrit alphabet, Ayurvedic sutras, and related Ayurvedic vocabulary.

This course is not intended to teach Sanskrit as a second language and does not include extensive grammar.

AyurYoga applies the principles and understanding of Ayurveda to the practice of yoga. Through individual practice students gain a personally experiential understanding of the effect yoga has on the gunas, constitutional balance and how to restore and maintain that balance. Class participation is focused on understanding Ayurvedic applications and is not intended as a personal yoga routine.

Students are required and responsible for establishing personal yoga routines outside of the curriculum. Concepts taught are supportive of all Ayurvedic constitutions and students are required to learn and practice in the class sessions what is taught regardless of their prior or personal yoga preferences.

This course provides a basic introduction to anatomy and physiology that supports the ASP 1 program. The material is presented primarily from the Western point of view and will not necessarily be associated with an Ayurvedic perspective.

All Ayurvedic Studies Program students who are working toward a certificate are required to know the material presented.  However, any student who has a working knowledge of Anatomy and Physiology may request to be examined for exemption from attendance of class. There will be a $50 fee for this examination. In addition to passing the exam, this student will need to provide official written proof of: 1) current professional work in a medical discipline actively using knowledge of A&P and 2) a college level course of a minimum of 60 class hours in A&P taken within the last two years.

Requests for examination must be received during the first two weeks of Quarter 1. All requests must be accompanied by the official documentation of your previous education and training in Anatomy and Physiology. If approved, an exemption will waive your attendance and course requirements.