Ultimate Guide To Choosing The Best Ayurveda School

Ayurveda students are often highly interested in the intuitive, esoteric, mystical or glamorous aspects of medicine. But they also need to develop analytical skills to accurately assess and diagnose imbalances.

Most clients simply want to know the treatments you offer are reliable and make sense. They care more about their quality of life, their ability to run after their grandchild, or how to soothe their joint pain, than the glamour of medicine.

When you look at the school's marketing materials, are they aimed at clinical precision? Does the school know how to help you succeed as a clinician?

Choose a school that positions Ayurveda as essential healthcare—not as an exclusive luxury or personal passion project. The right school promotes the true intention of Ayurveda texts: to provide wellness and health solutions accessible to everyone.

While most schools teach the core psychological aspects of disease, students should be aware that spiritual treatments are not covered extensively in the classical Ayurvedic texts. Although classical texts testify to the importance of spiritual well-being for health, they do not offer spiritual treatments on a disease by disease basis.

Instead, Ayurvedic texts recommend studying religious scriptures for spiritual knowledge.

Since colonial times, the West has romanticized Indian culture, making it appear exotic, fantastic or magical. To fill the lack of spiritual instruction in the ancient texts, and to satisfy student demand for a more exotic, mystical version of Ayurveda, many schools teach yoga spirituality and transcendental meditation techniques under the name of Ayurveda. This is repetitive for students of yoga who come to Ayurveda, and does not accurately represent Ayurveda itself.

Indian Ayurvedic practitioners see this shift towards romanticizing Ayurveda as cultural appropriation, and harmful to Ayurveda's reputation. To most South Asians, Ayurveda is simply what your grandma did when you were a kid to show you she loves you.

Ayurveda is remarkable because of its profound insights into the body and its effectiveness. It is great because it works, not because it is supernatural or magical. Students should be cautious about schools that take advantage of Western romanticization of India or rely heavily on mystical claims—even from teachers who come directly from India.

Spiritual counseling is a vast topic requiring in-depth knowledge of psychology and theology - an entire degree in itself, not a two week module tacked onto an Ayurveda degree. Classically, spiritual studies begin after the student has mastered the body.

Ayurveda's main medicinal technique, called dravyaguna shastra, follows natural law philosophy. It is this natural, common sense approach of Ayurveda that makes it so homey, nurturing, and beautiful.

From a spiritual perspective, one could say dravyaguna shastra is the opposite of yoga. Its nurturing manner is why many yogis (often subconsciously) are attracted to Ayurveda, seeking more stability and groundedness in their lives.

Read more about the historical origins of Ayurveda.

Because Ayurveda employers know that Ayurveda clubs have no authority with governing bodies and do not conduct audits, membership in these groups plays little to no role in their hiring decisions.

The most important measure of a school's level of organization is licensure by the State college board. See below.

Accrediting bodies frequently serve the interests of the schools that created them, rather than the clinicians (you). A quick check of a recent conference or speaking event will show whether the accrediting body promotes their school sponsors, instead of their member clinicians.

Does the school scare students by falsely claiming they have to join a particular group or take an exam to practice professionally? Or, do they clearly inform and disclose to students that the practice of Ayurveda is legal without accreditation or certification? Transparency in this area says a lot about the integrity and intention of the school.

Many schools avoid scrutiny by seeking exemption, typically by pretending to be a church or religious institution, or by moving to a state where licensure isn't required (Montana).

Schools that skirt licensing typically have low enrollment and generally aren't operating according to best practices for schools.

Schools that operate illegally may face criminal penalties and be shut down at any time - causing loss of student's entire tuition.

Courses shorter than 2 years at the counselor level, or 4 years at the practitioner level, can only give an overview of topics - and cannot give students insight into pathogenesis.

An exception to this are courses focused on a particular disease specialty or system of the body rather than all of Ayurveda.

Avoid schools that boost enrollment by eliminating depth. Frequently these students are unable to become successful clinicians.

Since schools calculate hours differently, the depth of education may be hard to assess. Here are some ways to assess level and quality of the education you will receive:

• Ask to see a sample class
• Check that school publications demonstrate mastery of the subject.
• Check for novel research that demonstrates the school's commitment to studying Ayurveda and improving self-knowledge. Good schools will study Ayurveda themselves.
• Look for publications demonstrating the school's competency in many specific, hard to treat diseases.
• Check the academic record and training of the school founder

Look for sign that the founder has:

• Clear thinking and good analytical skills
• A personal clinical practice in Ayurveda
• Many years of training / experience

Paradoxically, in-person schools may have less student client interaction than in online programs. Check the actual level of personal contact the student will have with clients in the in-person program. Sitting 5 rows back and 40 feet from the client, a student attending an in-person programs may barely see the client. Use of technology and multi-media brings clients closer - a magnified image of a tongue on a computer screen can reveal much more detail than possible even with the client in the room.

On the other hand, some online schools have very little teacher-student interaction. Self-paced programs typically offer the least interaction with teachers and peers. Check with the school to learn how often the class will meet live for discussion.

Ayurveda is an ancient approach to medicine that has been supporting health for thousands of years. As it moves into areas that are dominated by western medicine, Ayurveda can be brushed aside as outdated, woo-woo, and full of opaque terms. This can be hugely frustrating for practitioners who know the positive impact Ayurveda can have.

Scientific research is a powerful tool for undoing some of this false perception of the practice. Well-conducted studies carry weight and legitimacy among medical professionals. Research studies increase the confidence members of your community have in Ayurveda, particularly those who may be unfamiliar and untrusting of a seemingly exotic approach, like Ayurveda.

It is important for students of Ayurveda to be equipped with in-depth theory and modern research. This allows them to feel confident in their knowledge whether they are speaking with doctors, therapists, athletes or construction workers.

Many people come to Ayurveda seeking enrichment and support for their personal health - not to practice professionally. To boost revenues, schools frequently try to attract as many of these non-clinical students as they can, diverting the school's focus away from the training necessary for professional clinical practice.

A red flag that a school is focused on revenue over health is school marketing that projects a romantic image of Ayurveda.

If the school must present a romantic image of Ayurveda in order to get students, instead of a professional one, how well will they be able to help you practice professionally, or even heal yourself personally?

Does the school use language that can be easily understood by everyone? Or, does it use obscure terms and vocabulary to make themselves appear smart? Does the school publish articles, books and other content at all, demonstrating its ability to advance the profession?

As practitioners, we need to be able to present and explain Ayurveda to everyone in the community, including clients who don't do yoga, trendy spirituality, and those with limited knowledge of alternative medicine. Graduates from schools that are exclusive to these groups frequently produce graduates that are pigeon-holed into only reaching a small clientele.

Presenting your Ayurvedic services as approachable, understandable, and necessary supports awareness about Ayurveda. It also supports the legitimacy of the practice among those who may still be skeptical of complementary medicine.

Not too long ago, the medical industry was very skeptical of Chiropractors. Through focused, professional development, the public perspective of Chiropractors has changed. Now, 35 million Americans see a chiropractor each year. Chiropractic is a complementary medicine that was positioned as medically-adjacent and, so, gained legitimacy.

How comfortable will established health professionals, doctors, lawyers, policy makers, and other leaders, feel referring their clients to your future clinical practice, based on how the school presents themselves? Does the school make Ayurveda look reliable to these individuals, or other-worldly or exotic?

Consider the range of individuals in your town or community, with their similarities and differences. Does the school's marketing and imagery appeal to a broad range within your community, or just a small fraction only, eg: is it packaged for those who do yoga, practice yoga spirituality, or identify as alternative only? Would the school's marketing appeal to athletes, to accountants, to construction workers?

As a cultural tradition, Ayurveda becomes rigid, sentimental, and unchangeable. When approached this way, the focus is on Ayurveda, not the client. Patient-centered care focuses on the culture of the client, not the culture of the medicine.