Master Natural Digestion & Nutrition - Master Advanced Gut Health with Diet, Lifestyle & Herbs |
Actual course hours including median non-contact hours is 530.6.
"As far as the course, it has been an eye opening experience for me, as a pediatric gastroenterologist...There is so much that I have been doing as an allopathic physician for the past 22 years and wished that I had stepped in to Ayurveda sooner. It's not too late however...As I grasp the Ayurvedic concept, understanding why, how and what should be done has become easier and I am enjoying that very much. Thank you!!"
Click here to apply for a partial scholarship. Financial aid is offered based on income. Scholarships may not be combined with other discounts.
For complete tuition & fee information, please see our course catalog. Application / registration fees are non-refundable unless your application is denied.
Through Magnolia Hill College, Joyful Belly has provided advanced clinical training for professionals since 2008. We are licensed to teach these by the state of North Carolina Board of Community Colleges (not an accrediting agency), and accredited through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). We partner with the American Association of Biocharacteristics Clinicians (AABC) to support our graduates' clinical success in Ayurveda (Why AABC?). We are a member college of the American Herbalists Guild (AHG). Joyful Belly is also recognized by the National Association of Ayurveda Schools and Colleges (NAASC), and the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America (AAPNA).
See why we are a leader in Ayurveda innovation.
Joyful Belly will issue you a 500 Hour Certificate of Completion as an Ayurvedic Nutrition & Digestive Health Coach. This certificate enables you to legally see clients as an Ayurvedic digestive health coach. Students are also eligible for certification through 1) AABC as a Ayurveda / Biocharacteristics Digestive Health Coach, 2) AADP as a health coach after passing their board level exam, and 3) AAPNA as an Ayurvedic Food & Nutrition Consultant (if you have an additional 500 hours of training in a health related field yoga, massage, nursing, etc.). You may be eligible for additional certifications depending on local laws.
* Laws vary by state and country. Ayurveda is an unlicensed profession in the United States, which means that Ayurveda is not regulated by any organization or agency. By the end of the program, you will be legally able to see clients in the United States. A certificate of completion is given to those graduates who successfully complete the program. This program does not give you a license to practice medicine. Please text John at 828-785-8213 if you have questions in this area.
This Ayurvedic course offers answers to seemingly baffling digestive disorders, such as IBS. Unlike other medical traditions, IBS offers a favorable prognosis in Ayurveda. The key to IBS is identifying the underlying imbalance, a skill you build each day in the program. You will learn how to penetrate through to the root of digestive tract disorders, from simple disorders such as constipation, to more complex problems such as how to restore appetite after chemotherapy.
As we explained above, when there is a problem with your intestines, it creates a problem in your whole body. Fortunately, your intestines are modified skin and just like skin, your gut has the capacity to heal quickly. However, even though healing digestion is theoretically easy, the reality can be tricky. Ayurveda has a 5,000 year old approach to navigate the tricky situations that arise in restoring gut health.
All live classes & discussions will be recorded for those who are unable to attend. You will also be invited to participate in an online Facebook discussion group, so that communication with the group and teachers is always at your fingertips.
"I can soon say I am a survivor of an online course. I was very skeptical! But the content was excellent. The basic format of weekly lecture and study group meetings was brilliant. I wish I could have done both study groups. The time to discuss with fellow students was great." - Cynthia Cox (Massage Therapist, Arkansas)
Expect to experience:
Student discounts are provided to encourage your learning & discovery from the moment you register.
John studied Ayurveda under Dr. Vasant Lad and is specialized in the advanced treatment of digestive tract pathology. He holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Harvard University. He first discovered Ayurveda while working on a public health project in Bangladesh. John's interest in Ayurveda and digestive tract pathology was inspired by a complex digestive disorder acquired from years of international travel.
After witnessing Ayurveda's compelling efficiency and practical ease in treatment of his own digestive disorder, John was convinced he could help others. He sought a way introduce Ayurveda to his Appalachian mountain home and the broader American public. This was the genesis of Joyful Belly. Using ingredients familiar from his childhood, John created Joyful Belly to recast Ayurveda in the context of our American food traditions. Joyful Belly proves Ayurveda is accessible and necessary for everyday health & wellness. His simple, practical and familiar approach has helped thousands on their journey to health.
John's love of life, his commitment to the health & dignity of the person, and his humanitarian pursuit of inexpensive health care comes from his Catholic roots and identity. His creativity in the kitchen, and absolute dedication to the epicurean delight of eating come from his Italian heritage. He is fluent in Bengali and French, and enjoys studying Sanskrit & Arabic. In addition to his passion for Ayurveda, John enjoys spending time with his family and studying scripture, two activities which he believes are essential to any health and wellness counselor.
Teaching has been a vocation for me since a very young age, and I have taught at various institutions from Harvard University to my home town. As a student of six languages, I am heavily invested in developing my communication and presentation skills, a core skill of any good teacher. Despite my ability to speak as an authority on the topic of Ayurveda & digestion, I approach the student teacher relationship as a colleague and facilitator, equal to my students, without any illusions of personal grandeur. My approach is not didactic, but inspirational and engaging. I enjoy asking questions as much as giving answers, and recognize that leadership often means giving you the space and freedom you need to draw your own conclusions, with guidance. As much as I love narrating a good story to an audience, I also strive learn from my students, and await full of suspense to hear your insights about Ayurveda!
On a more emotional level, I place a great deal of emphasis on empathy in every interaction I have with my students and my clients. The fundamental skill of empathy is the ability to walk in another's shoes. As a empathetic person, I always strive to appreciate and learn from your perspective and vantage point. I want to know you, and what makes you the person that you are.
Yet, the most important quality and teaching skill I possess is neither language nor empathy. Instead, it is my enthusiasm for Ayurveda, and for you. I am eager to give myself fully and passionately to the learning process. This enthusiasm is the true source of my confidence. Why am I so enthusiastic? Where does the boundless energy I offer for teaching come from? The bottomless well of energy I bring to our discussions springs from my great faith in each and every individual's capacity to learn and grow. Teaching is therefore a true celebration for me. This great hope I've invested in teaching is something I will never give up on, which means I will never give up on you!
"On a personal health level, my eating habits and beliefs about food changed drastically. I learned to better understand my unique needs. I also learned to separate the overwhelming amount of online health information for the general population and narrow it down to what I actually needed for my body. As a result, my weight is lower then ever. My digestion is the best I can recall it being in my life. I also see my husband and children benefiting now and in the future from all the knowledge I have gained."
"I am Thankful and Grateful for you and the creation of Joyful Belly and the MID program. You have a stellar group of teachers, yourself included and I feel truly blessed to have been lead down this path as part of my journey. I will share and have shared the information of Joyful Belly with others that may be seeking this path or any other classes or help in healing you have to offer."
"A quick note about this fun assignment of buddy consultation! I learned as much about my knowledge and delivery as I learned about my student buddy. It was powerful and we are going forward with another session in two weeks. It was powerful to see how her connect the dots and feel empowered to make some new shifts as a journey for feeling better."
"I never realized so much of what we struggle with all starts with digestion. Joyful Bellys program is beautifully designed. It takes you through the entire digestive tract, guiding you to a better understanding of its different components, while teaching and applying ayurvedic concepts as they apply to ailments that much of society struggles with."
"I just spent two hours on the Joyful Belly website, just looking around and LEARNING. Have you all seen what is offered to us, just free information given in easy to understand language??!! I have referred every one of my family, friends and clients to this site. I am overwhelmed with gratitude, John Joseph Immel. And I just cannot imagine having all this knowledge at my fingertips. Thank you!"
"I ate salads every day until I took this class. Thats when I totally stopped until now in summer and swtiched to soups which were literally HEAVEN for my mind and body. I really never connected the seasons with my eating. I thought seasonal eating was just a marketing catch phrase used by high end restuarants to charge more. Lol"
"I found the anatomy and physiology parts and the self-study about digestion to be absolutely invaluable!"
"HI! I miss you! I want you to know from the bottom of my heart how grateful and appreciative of all the knowledge, time, energy, and compassion you gave to me during the MID program. I'm honored to have been in this class. I have learned so much! My mind, body and spirit is still processing and slowly assimilating. I have decided to find my way by incorporating more in-depth digestion lessons of Ayurveda into the existing 5 sense programs/classes I offer, therapies etc. I will add this knowledge to my cooking classes, creating more balancing recipes and lectures on weight loss etc..
I'm compounding my herbal and essential oil blends for my patient's with new insight, along with tweaking some of my existing formularies. As a clinical aromatherapist I'll able to add so much more for my patient when formulating and to my aromatherapy teachings for my students this knowledge will give my students another lens to view all of the precious oils and carriers I discuss in lecture. I'm able to supercharge my nature walk/talks and outdoor lectures, and outdoor yoga classes with even more renewed- exuberance!
I'm using the Ayurvedic knowledge on dosha to create an even more personalized sound therapy session along with an even greater for detail for massotherapy, marma-tcm-accupressure point therapy, hypnosis, ect..
I will be FOREVER grateful!"
"Before I sleep tonight, I just want to share my gratitude for being a student at Joyful Belly. to be able to learn from you is an opportunity of a lifetime. I never knew one could feel so connected in an online course. Quite an amazing journey, and thank you to all the classmates for sharing each week, i'm sure I will be re listening to our lectures nostalgically in the future so I hope everyone knows how appreciated they are."
"The class, has brought a certain calm to me, I have experienced my mental warrior energy, where as before this ive only experienced my physical warrior energy. To absorb this information is a lot for a 24 year old to take in but the fact that I gave it my best, showed me what I am truly capable of and I am seeing the outcome of giving your all to something you dreamed about doing. I feel strengthened, and motivated to see the world and my part in it in through a more experienced lens. Ive learned how to balance, school, relationships, work, and play in a whole new way. I have a deeper respect for teachers, and think that we have been spoiled to have such knowledgeable and nurturing teachers to learn from, couldnt thank the Joyful belly team enough."
"I am so glad I finally bit the bullet and did the MID course. I have been wanting to deepen my understanding of Ayurveda for years but decided to do a 2-year course in Nutrition Science & Practice first. Boy that was a mistake! It was only after completing the MID course, that I feel truly confident that I can support any client in improving their health, even those with a very complex medical history, with the very simple yet highly effective Ayurvedic principles and practices I learned during this course."
"After listening to the Enzyme Deficiencies lecture I made up the banana, lime and coconut water smoothie for my elderly client who is always complaining about dry mouth. Her doctors have tried prescribing her everything under the sun. She reported today that she LOVES the smoothie and how much it's helping her mouth! THANK YOU John Joseph Immel for sharing your knowledge and this course! I cringe at the stuff they have her taking for her digestive issues and she's so frustrated because nothing is helping her."
"JoyFul Belly has been instrumental in choosing Ayurveda as a means to address my digestive issues."
"Ive been doing really well actually since MID.
I started doing some classes in m home on basic stuff like kitchari and transitioning to fall, the doshas, the importance of digestive health from an ayurbedic perspective etc.
People have really seemed to take an interest. Ive had over 50 people between my classes over the last 4 months alone.
Im also teaching an online course based on Yogahealers model and have 10peoe enrolled in that longer course.
Im loving my foundation I got at joyful belly and am very grateful for what you gave to me."
"I have so much more awareness of how different foods make me feel."
Ayurveda is still an unlicensed field in most U.S. states. Even those of who have practitioner status are still only educators in the eyes of the law. Only a qualified, licensed medical doctor can diagnose, prescribe or treat disease. Legally, you will be able listen to people's health concerns and educate them on the Ayurvedic perspective and approach to those concerns including diet, lifestyle and herbs. Please seek legal advice if you have questions about your scope of practice after graduating.
You will be bound by any existing licenses you have. For example, massage practitioners will not be able to offer Ayurvedic wellness tips during a massage session as this will violate their massage license. Instead, your client will have to sign up for a separate, Ayurvedic session. Please check with your certifying body and state on limitations of using your certification in your existing practice.
The thesis writing process is broken down into 5 phases so that your paper evolves step by step throughout the course. Initially you choose a topic, then you develop an outline, then you follow through by submitting your paper in stages. Each stage is a bite size chunk of the whole project so that your thesis develops organically - allbeit with hard work and focus.
While writing a thesis may sound daunting, but it's really an exercise of delving into what excites you most. It's an opportunity to personalize the course as well. You will be able to choose a topic relevant to your personal health, the health of a loved one, or your family. Writing a thesis helps you specialize in some aspect of digestive health, which makes your skills more marketable.
Some professional experience in a health and wellness related field is required. Your field could be massage therapy, yoga, herbalism, a medical degree, or perhaps you are an Ayurveda practitioner. If you do not have professional experience, you may still be accepted if you can demonstrate your commitment to earnest self study prior to enrollment. Although we welcome students who have demonstrated academic excellence, we also value body awareness, emotional intelligence, and sharp instincts along with book knowledge.
Currently, we are still accepting applications for this year's program. There is no deadline for application, however we expect the program will be filled to capacity, and applications are considered on a first come, first served basis.
Please text John at 828-785-8213 or e-mail us any questions/concerns by clicking the MAYBE button below.
Founder of Joyful Belly Ayurveda, John Immel, answers the question ‘What is Ayurveda?’
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Digestion is relevant to many, if not all, your clients' lives. Why? Digestion nourishes blood, the blood that feeds your body. You can't nourish your organs without healthy blood. You can't nourish blood without healthy digestion and a healthy diet. On the other hand, indigestion and poor food choices create fermentation & toxicity which weakens your entire body. Poor quality food choices lead to poor quality blood and organ health. That's why, for over 5,000 years, Ayurveda has believed that diet and digestion is the first step to health.
