Authentic Ayurvedic Training

OUR TRAINING: What sets us apart?

 

1. Gurukula system:

Durgadas, teacher and Director of the Academy of Traditional Ayurveda comes from a long line of Vedic teachings in his own family and has been taught special techniques in these systems as well as learning Ayurveda, Jyotish and other Vedic sciences formally, as well as his own in-depth study and research. He emphasises the need for Agni-Hotra, the ancient Hindu fire ceremonies and rituals for all Ayurvedic Practitioners for ensuring good health and well-being and purifying one's surroundings. He also emphasises the original Vedic Yoga, free from the distortions of what 'Yoga' has come to mean in the modern mind.

Durgadas is a Registered Ayurvedic Practitioner and also a Certified Yoga and Ayurveda Teacher and student of Dr. David Frawley. He has also learnt certified in Clinical Ayurveda from a traditional Ayurvedic Hospital in India as well as extensive study in Ayurvedic Panchakarma, Pharmacy, Jyotisha and other facets. He has also authored over twenty books on Ayurveda and Vedic sciences which are read by Ayurvedic Practitioners worldwide.

The inspiration for our Traditional values comes from the message of Durgadas's family Guru, Maharishi Dayananda Saraswati, whose message as "Back to the Vedas", looking at the original teachings of the Vedic era, as well as the oldest Ayurvedic classical texts and their teachings, which Durgadas looked into and applied this also, along with his extensive Traditional Ayurvedic study in India, which relied heavily on classical texts and tradition. Maharishi Dayananda's message was also 'krinvanto vishwam aryam', or "Make the world noble", which also refers to spreading the Vedic knowledge. Sri Aurobindo also brought out the Vedic Yoga in another form as an Integral Yoga, for which was also the background for Durgadas's application of this to Ayurveda and bringing out a Purna Ayurveda or Integral Ayurveda also, as seen in the ancient Classical Ayurveda texts of India.

 

As such, our Basic Courses incorporate a complete Integral system of Ayurveda rather than an allopathic or westernised or pasteurised approach, looking also at Yoga, Jyotish and the concerns of the mind and astral bodies as also Self-awareness in addition to deeper Ayurvedic Panchakarma, Herbology, Diagnosis etc.

Our Advanced Courses are also conducted in such a manner as to accept only devoted students who will be sincere to the path and teachings they will receive, which requires much self-study and examination in the traditional manner along with their formal studies.

 

As all of our Courses have a traditional focus however, they are demanding and require the student follow and practice sadhanas (spiritual practices) and practical disciplines and observations during their training as also the study of classical texts, in order to study as the ancient Rishis, the Seers of India also did.

 

Traditonally, students were chosen and trained specially according to their own abilities and received training in all aspects of Ayurveda and Vedic Sciences.

 

As such, we aim to do the same.

 

In keeping with these traditional guidelines, apart from our basic courses, for our Advanced Courses, students are requested to submit a donation as part of the traditional Guru Dakshina or Gift to the Guru system of a minimum nominated basic amount (to cover the time and costs of training prrograms) and in addition are free to give whatever they feel they can.

 

The monies that we receive from our programs goes back into our Courses, Programs and Books so that we can continue researching and bringing out the Traditional Ayurveda for the world in all aspects as not only an Integral System (combining Yoga, Ayurveda, Astrology, Spirituality and Sacred Practices and Teachings of the Sanskrit texts and Vedic traditions and rituals), but also in the sense of the Guru-disciple tradition and keeping it alive by modern methods!

 

2. Personal One to One Instruction:

Instruction is given to students according to the areas they first require focus on and then expanding the training systems according to their knowledge and also spiritual aptitude. That is why we require a background of the potential student and their birth-chart details before accepting them into the Advanced Courses, where instruction on sadhanas, mantras and such specific for them will be given also in the traditional Guru-shishya system, not a mass instruction.

 

Various assignments according to the student are hence given to test and develop their knowledge, understanding and also training during these Advanced Courses, especially Purna Ayurveda, Purna Astrology and Vaidik Para-Yoga Programs, developed by Durgadas - products of almost 20 years of research, study, practice and meditation!

 

3. Traditional Hindu Focus:

As we follow a traditional approach, students are also taught how to work with deities and how to approach them and gradually advanced in various sadhanas to understand their personalities and also to aid in their understanding.

Students are also taught how to observe the forces of planets and nature as our ancient Rishis did, so that they too can access the deeper awareness and insights that also lie beyond any teaching or instruction so that they too can develop the level of insights as the Rishis such as Agastya. Vasishtha, Krishna, Patanjali Agnivesha, Dhanvantari, Sushruta, Charaka and others did for themselves directly.

The Integral System brings in all aspects of Jyotish, Yoga and Ayurveda in a traditional model and how they fit together as also how they have been part of India's history since the time of the Rig Veda onwards, which they will also be required to study and understand the deeper mystic secrets of!

 

While the spiritual approach is important, we also have numerous books that describe that more rational and scientific approach to ancient Ayurveda and Vedic Sciences, such as Durgadas' books Agni Rahasya, Arya Nyaya Rahasya and The Complexity of Charaka's Traditional Ayurveda.

4 . Traditional Approach:

 

Traditional Ayurveda has numerous points of difference to what is seen as the pseudo-classical and allopathic, as well as New-Age approaches in the west. At Academy of Traditional Ayurveda, Durgadas has sought to bring back the point of the classics and traditional Ayurvedic knowledge and disciplines, as per the ancient shastras or classical texts, as his family Guru did with the Vedas.

 

Traditional Testing:

Traditionally, students were tested on their knowledge and were given various assignments to do, as with ancient universities of Nalanda and Takshashila in ancient India. Some of this was about practical reflection on what they'd learnt and others were about research. Here, we combine these techniques, and also make sure students are able to exercise their knowledge more practically through various assignments, which require creative and original thinking and putting into practice what they've learnt during the course.

 

Study questions are also provided for their own reference to go over and memorise the textbook information, such as was traditionally required in Brahmin families in ancient India. This often required going over the material several times. When written down practically, one is also able to absorb this information and think for one's self, based upon the knowledge. This is what is called 'Ayurvedic thinking'.

Honouring the Role of Women in Traditional Ayurveda:

Traditional Ayurveda saw women as the reflection of the soma principle, of lunar and watery aspects of nurturing and hence were given the role of therapists, nurses, assistant-practitioners, midwives and care-givers, not exposed to harsh practices as surgery.
 

Surgeons were traditionally male, for specific reasons, that were practical, in harmony with nature and not sexist:

 

1. Females, like children and the elderly, were seen to be fragile and to be nurtured and protected against harsh things. These involve elements as surgery and other harsh aspects involving the medical profession. Even here, often Brahmins or priests wouldn’t perform surgery themselves, as this was more the domain of the kshatriya vaidyas who dealt with harsh and aggressive (rajasika) actions.  It relates to the Ayurvedic idea that women, as mothers, shouldn’t be exposed to anything gruesome, harsh or unpleasant, as such can affect their biology and also that of the baby and its psychology.

 

This also comes into yoga. While there were yoginis, this cult often still employed men in their rituals and didn’t use the physical Hatha-Yoga system, that was a kshatra-vyayama or militant exercise regime for male warriors, such as the gurkhas, who derive their name from the ancient saint, Gorakshanatha. Men were deployed here as yogi-warriors to defeat the Muslim invaders that threatened the delicate nature of women, children and the elderly, as also priests. Specific yoga practices are thus important for men and women.

 

2. Due to the more somatically lunar and fierier hormonal nature of females, often the best ‘critical’ advice couldn’t be given to patients by females, who would be too nurturing and mothering for some types. The hormonal side of females is seen in the mythological tale of Goddess Kali, who has power and destroys the demon Raktabija, but due to her hormonal emotionalism, loses control of her senses and starts destroying everything. Shiva then has to come and restore her back to consciousness and reality. This relates also to the transformative nature of women.

 

3. Females were often the teachers, therapists, nurses/midwives and wetnurses – professions that weren’t suitable for men, owing to man’s fiery nature. This is the nurturing aspect of the Goddess. Counselling, therapies, spiritual guidance and such are very suitable for females.

 

This allows the natural flow of the lunar Soma and feminine grace (pushti).

What this means is that facets such as Ayurvedic Lifestyle Counselling, Spiritual Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Therapies are very suitable for women, who can give people nourishment and be emotionally sensitive. For this reason, our courses are very suitable.

Meats in Ayurveda:

 

While some more Brahmanical facets of Ayurveda promoted a more vegetarian model in southern Indiia, this wasn't true for the whole of India or the world, as per Ayurveda.

 

Meats were also used in traditional Ayurveda, and often of very exotic kinds when required. Traditional Ayurveda, unlike the modern western variety also didn’t recommend vegetarian diets for all Indian communities, let alone those of the western Meditteranean and Chinese world historically, whose diets were even more in-line with the Indic, than the Nordic and British world. Adopting such diets as a means of virtue-signalling again is a result of modern socialism that has adopted the logic of faux samaritanism, as opposed to actually embracing a culture and principle.

5. Accessibility:

With several students in the world today, we incorporate teaching through Skype with direct instruction as also email and other modalities as well as practical physical training in person if one is able to do so.

We also have interactive course options, which means students can connect more directly and also receive Ayurvedic Consultations.

This allows students from anywhere in the world to have direct guidance from the teacher not only through books and study-guides and programs, but through direct chat access to allow the training to be imparted in a traditional manner, while also not losing focus of the Practical approach which is given through sadhanas and practices to the student; physical instruction and mantras given to the student by voice and direct sight over the internet so that there are now flaws in their pronunciation and can address concerns directly on their mind.

6. Affiliation and Accreditation:

The Academy of Traditional Ayurveda has an International Alliance with AAPNA (Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America), one of the world's largest bodies of Ayurvedic Professionals which sets the standards for Ayurvedic Practice in order to promote Traditional Ayurveda.

 

Note that our accreditation and certifications are given by this institute alone and are not Govt. nor state-approved, as with many Ayurveda courses. It follows the Traditional Ayurveda model of the Gurukula system of ancient India.

Students are also encouraged to join the Vishwa Ayurveda Samaj, an Online Ayurvedic Association so that they can further their studies and networking as Student Members while studying and upon completion of this Course, can register as an Ayurvedic Ambassador with the Samaj and can further their Certifications according to various additional studies that they complete.

 

We are also affiliated with an accredited and well-known Ayurveda Hospital in Kerala that preserves the traditional Ayurveda also.