Become an Ayurvedic Doctor*
Ayurveda Bhishakgwara*
Four-year Advanced Experiential Program
- General Program Information
- Pre/Co-Requisites
- Textbooks and Materials
- Orientation and Weekend Workshops
- Curriculum at a Glance
- Download Curriculum PDF (Ayurvedic Doctor)
- Download Application Packet (Post Graduate)
- Course Descriptions
General Program Information
The program is limited to 8 full time students per year. Class sizes are small providing an opportunity for individual attention. Mixed levels maximize discussion, and increase learning potential. This is an intensive higher education program; come prepared to study, work hard, and learn a lot of great information. Students spend 16 hours in classes and 8 hours in clinic per week. Expect to spend 1-3 hours per class per week outside of school on assignments, homework or studying.
The academic year is divided into two 15 week semesters, typical academic breaks and holidays observed. Students will participate in classes on Wednesdays and Fridays and attend one clinic day per week (either Tuesday or Thursday, depending on which day is assigned. Attendance on clinic day is mandatory). The program also includes a class on Ayurvedic Cuisine held during lunch on class days – this is a required class that involves lunch, unique recipes each day, a recipe manual, and teaching points about the health benefits of foods used. In addition, during the first year of studies there are 3 required weekend workshops included in the schedule.
The curriculum is organized into Years A and B, with classes alternating each year. Year A is an academic year beginning with an even numbered year, and Year B is an academic year beginning with an odd numbered year. Depending on which year you enter the program, you will start with the classes that are being taught that year (see schedule below).
Note – individual courses may be audited on a continuing education basis for interested students – please contact the Dean at dean@alandiashram.org.
**This program is designed to prepare its graduates to meet NAMA's emerging requirements for the title of "Doctor of Ayurveda", which will include passing a national board exam. Alandi is one of the first schools in the United States to develop such a program. While nearing completion, currently (Feb. 2013) the requirements for this title are still being finalized at the national level; they are expected to be in place by 2016. Alandi's Gurukula Program is expecting its four year graduates to be among the first "Doctors of Ayurveda" formally qualified in the United States.
Individual state law will determine what title you can legally use, as well as any restrictions on scope of practice.
Pre/Co-Requisites
- Biology - College level or equivalent
- Anatomy and Physiology - College level or equivalent
While not currently required by NAMA, these subjects are integral for a health practitioner. Therefore, if you do not have a background in these subjects before you start the program, we strongly recommend studying these subjects before or during the program.
These courses can be taken for credit either online or at a local university/community college - or alternatively through a free online course or recordings, or auditing a college.
* Note - you will need to have an understanding of human anatomy for the advanced portion of the program (the 3rd and 4th year).
Textbooks and Materials
There are several required and recommended texts for the program listed below. One copy of each book is available in our school library for use while on the property. Please refer to the course descriptions of what is offered the year you will begin your studies (year A or B) to determine which books you will need to buy first. If you have questions or concerns about the book list please contact the Dean at dean@alandiashram.org
Please note: Additional costs may be required for certain classes (ex. Copy packets or materials fees) – check course descriptions to see what courses incur these fees. Specific copy packet fees will be given at or prior to the start of a course, and are due upon receipt of the packet.
Required Books
Additional may books may be added to the curriculum
- Copy Packets – please check course descriptions for which classes require packets
- The Textbook of Ayurveda: Fundamental Principles, Volume One - Vasant Lad
- The Textbook of Ayurveda: A Complete Guide to Clinical Assessment, Volume Two - Vasant Lad
- Secrets of the Pulse - Vasant Lad
- Loving-Kindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness - Sharon Salzberg
- Pilgrimage to the Mother - Alakananda Ma Devi
- The Rainbow Bridge - Alakananda Ma Devi
- The Upanishads Penguin Classics - tr. Valerie Roebuck
- Seven Systems of Philosophy - Ramanujan Tigunait
- Bhagavad Gita- tr. Eknath Easwaran
- The Experience of Insight - Joseph Goldstein, Shambhala
- Botany in a Day. The Patterns Method of Plant Identification - Thomas Elpel, 2005, 5th ed.
- Clinical Anatomy in Ayurveda – Suresh Chandra & Dinkar Govind Thatte
- Caraka Samhita. 4 vols. Sharma, Priyavrat V., editor-translator. Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series. (Available from Vedic Books or Nataraj Books)
- Astanga Hrdayam of Vagbhata: Text, English Translation, 3 vols. set.by Murthy, K.R. Srikanta. (Available from Vedic Books or Nataraj Books)
- Sushruta Samhita. 3 vols, Chaukambha Orientalia (Available from Vedic Books or Nataraj Books) Please note: the last 3 books listed above – while it is highly recommended to have all 3, due to cost students can choose to share these volumes, or elect to buy them over time (starting with purchasing caraka first).
Required Materials
- A Sphigmometer and pen light are required for clinical internship
Recommended Books
- Dorland's Pocket Medical Dictionary - Dorland
- The Merck Manual of Medical Information, Second Edition: The World's Most Widely Used Medical Reference - Now In Everyday Language by Mark H. Beers
- The Amethyst Heart - Alakananda Ma Devi
- Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing. 2nd ed. - Vasant and Usha Lad
- The Ayurvedic Cookbook – Amadea Morningstar
- Ayurvediya Kriya Sarira - A Text Book of Ayurvediya Physiology - Dr. Yogesh Chandra Mishra
- Marma Points of Ayurveda by Vasant Lad and Anisha Durve
- Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic and Laboratory Tests
Sources for Books from India
Nataraj Books
www.natarajbooks.com
Email: nataraj@erols.com
Phone: (703) 455-4996
Fax: (703) 912-9052
Vedic Books
http://www.vedicbooks.net/
Orientation and Weekend Workshops
On the weekend prior to the start of each year there is a required orientation day for all students. The weekend prior to the spring semester, there is a one-day weekend orientation for clinic.
During the first year of study, there are three required weekend workshops in the schedule.
Curriculum at a Glance
Click course title for detailed descriptions.
Year A - Fall (Academic year that begins in an even numbered year)
| Day | Time | First Year | Second Year | Third/Fourth Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 9 am - 1 pm | Madhava Nidan - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | 9 - 10 am | Meditation for Pulse Reading *begins at 9:30 am - Alakananda Ma | |
| 10 am - 1 pm | Nadi Pariksha (Pulse Diagnostics and Therapeutics) - Alakananda Ma | ||||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | ||||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Case Based Studies: Srotamsi - Alakananda Ma | Medical Terminology, EBM (first 10 weeks of semester) - Kourtney Nelson | |||
| Community Health (last 5 weeks of semester)- Kourtney Nelson | |||||
| Tuesday OR Thursday | 8:35 am - 5:30 pm | Clinical Internship | Clinical Internship | ||
| Friday | 9 - 10 am | Satsang - Alakananda Ma | Home Room (Group Study) | ||
| 10 am - 1 pm | Sing the Sutras - Renay Oshop | Case Based Studies: Stri Vignan Chikitsa - Alakananda Ma | |||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | ||||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Fundamentals of Ayurveda - Kourtney Nelson | Clinical Round Table - Alakananda Ma | |||
Year A - Spring (Academic year that begins in an even numbered year)
| Day | Time | First Year | Second Year | Third/Fourth Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 9 am - 1 pm | Madhava Nidan - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | 9 - 10 am | Meditation for Pulse Reading - Alakananda Ma | |
| 10 am - 1 pm | Nadi Pariksha (Pulse Diagnostics and Therapeutics) - Alakananda Ma | ||||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | ||||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Case Based Studies: Srotamsi - Alakananda Ma | Fertility, Pregnancy, and Postpartum (first 10 weeks of semester) - Terra Rafael | |||
| Gerontology (last 5 weeks of semester) - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | |||||
| Tuesday OR Thursday | 8:35 am - 5:30 pm | Clinical Internship | Clinical Internship | ||
| Friday | 9 - 10 am | Satsang - Alakananda Ma | Home Room (Group Study) | ||
| 10 am - 1 pm | Marma Points (first 5 weeks of the semester) - Annalise Ozols | Case Based Studies: Bala Chikitsa - Alakananda Ma | |||
| Basic Botany (last 10 weeks of the semester) - Jane Bunin | |||||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | ||||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Clinical Round Table - Alakananda Ma | ||||
Year B - Fall (Academic year that begins in an odd numbered year)
| Day | Time | First Year | Second Year | Third/Fourth Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 9 - 10 am | Meditation: Developing Compassion & Lovingkindness - Alakananda Ma & Sadananda | ||
| 10 am - 1 pm | Materia Medica & Ashtavidha Pariksha (Diagnostic Skills) - Alakananda Ma | Nighantu (Herbology) - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | ||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | |||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Case Based Studies: Srotamsi - Alakananda Ma | Biomedical Tests (first 10 weeks of semester) - Helgrid Randolf | Shalakya Tantra: Diseases of the Head (last 5 weeks of the semester) - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | |
| Tuesday OR Thursday | 8:35 am - 5:30 pm | Clinical Internship | Clinical Internship | |
| Friday | 9 - 10 am | Satsang - Alakananda Ma | Home Room (Group Study) | |
| 10 am - 1 pm | History of Ayurveda & Sutras - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | Case Based Studies: Jara Chikitsa - Alakananda Ma | ||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | |||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Fundamentals of Ayurveda - Kourtney Nelson | Clinical Round Table - Alakananda Ma | ||
Year B - Spring (Academic year that begins in an odd numbered year)
| Day | Time | First Year | Second Year | Third/Fourth Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 9 - 10 am | Meditation: Developing Compassion & Lovingkindness - Alakananda Ma & Sadananda | ||
| 10 am - 1 pm | Materia Medica & Ashtavidha Pariksha (Diagnostic Skills) - Alakananda Ma | Nighantu (Herbology) - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | ||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | |||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Case Based Studies: Srotamsi - Alakananda Ma | Ayurvedic Toxicology (Agadha Tantra) | ||
| Tuesday OR Thursday | 8:35 am - 5:30 pm | Clinical Internship | Clinical Internship | |
| Friday | 9 - 10 am | Satsang - Alakananda Ma | Home Room (Group Study) | |
| 10 am - 1 pm | Ethnopharmacology (first 5 weeks of the semester) - Dr. Bharat Vaidya | Case Based Studies: Manas Chikitsa - Dr. Alakananda Ma | ||
| Panchakarma Theory (last 10 weeks of the semester) - Heidi Norlund | ||||
| 1 - 2 pm | Ayurvedic Diet, Nutrition and Culinary Arts (Lunch) - Alakananda Ma | |||
| 2:30 - 5:30 pm | Clinical Round Table - Alakananda Ma | |||
Contact Us
dean@alandiashram.org
(303) 786-7437
Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula
2457 20th Street
Boulder, CO 80303