13 May Intro to Ayurveda Series May 27- June 24 – Course Description

Introduction to ayurveda 5 week series

Learn about ayurveda – the sister science to yoga and an ancient holistic system of medicine from India. It is still used today because – it works!

This sequential series of classes will be taught with a combination of interactive lectures and experiential exercises.  No prior knowledge of ayurveda or yoga is required.

You will learn basic ayurveda principles geared toward diet and lifestyle and learn how to apply them to receive instant benefits. The classes will be fun and tailored to beginners. Upon completion of the series, participants will be able to:

1. Identify their constitution (or dosha) and how to bring balance through diet and lifestyle choices
2. Understand a time proven formula for better digestion, absorption and assimilation of food, resulting in better health
3. Understand how energetic imbalances can be potential precursors to disease if left unchecked
4. Apply their knowledge of ayurveda to help them with relationships, being healthier and achieving their life goals

Registration required: Click here to register for series

May 27, Unit 1 – Introduction to Ayurveda: The Key to a Happy Life (60 minutes)

We will explore the theory and philosophy behind the ancient holistic system of medicine called ayurveda. This first unit will focus on the “elements” as the building blocks for understanding the unique emotional and physical characteristics of each individual. Ayurveda encompasses eight main branches of medicine and is still practiced successfully today. We will contrast the ayurveda definition of health to the western definition to understand how the different approaches have different results – and perhaps explain the staying power of ayurveda after thousands of years!

June 3, Unit 2 – The 3 Doshas: How They Are Woven Seamlessly Into Our Life  (60 minutes)

We will explore how the elements combine into the categories called “tri-dosha”; Dosha can be defined as “that which becomes vitiated”. The dosha becomes disturbed before there is disruption to the organ, tissue or system; keeping the doshas balanced is important to maintaining health. In this unit, we will learn how the doshas can be related to the time of day, the seasons and time of life. We will learn how they manifest in an individual physically and emotionally in a balanced state (prakruti) and imbalanced state (vikruti). We will explore how to apply the dosha principles to improve interpersonal relationships. Participants will learn their prakruti and vikruti.

June 10, Unit 3 – The 6 tastes: Using Food to Bring Balance to You and Your Family  (60 minutes)

Ayurveda categorizes foods into six “tastes” with unique qualities. We will learn how to identify these qualities so as to use them to bring balance (avoid imbalance). We will learn how they relate to the process of digestion and how to translate the rules to apply to cooking for a family. An understanding of the six tastes is the basis of ayurveda herbal medicine.

June 17, Unit 4 – Agni & Ama – How to maximize digestion, absorption and assimilation for optimal health  (60 minutes)

Ayurveda teaches us that the key to health is a strong agni (digestive fire). Agni processes foods, thoughts, feelings and emotions into pure intelligence. We will learn about agni in relation to the process of digestion. What goes in, must come out! We will look at how to optimize our digestion, absorption and assimilation of foods while ensuring proper elimination. When food and emotions are not digested properly, “ama” can form. Ama is a Sanskrit word that means “toxic morbid waste product”. We will learn the causes, signs, symptoms and treatment of ama. We will explore the practice of “tongue diagnosis” and learn about foods/drinks for cleansing ama from the tissues.

June 24, Unit 5 – Identifying the Root Cause of Imbalance and Learning
How to Bring Balance (60 minutes)

Ayurveda is a preventative approach to wellness which is in direct contrast to the western “acute care” approach. One of the consequences of the “acute care” model is that medical tests will conclude that nothing is wrong, when the patient is experiencing real symptoms; symptoms which if left unchecked, could develop into disease. In this unit, we explore how to identify the root causes of imbalance and what doshas are predisposed to specific imbalances. We will learn about daily preventative maintenance using dinacarya  (Sanskrit for “daily routine”) custom-designed for the student.