What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word that means the science of life. It is an age-old healing system that maintains the balance between the mind, body and spirit to prevent diseases. An Ayurvedic practitioner works on balancing the five elements of the universe within a person's body, which are earth, air, fire, water and space.
The combination of these five elements determines a person's dosha or energy constitution. One can be born either a Vata, Pitta or Kapha, depending on the arrangement of these three energies in their body. An imbalance of these energies could lead to an ailment or a life-threatening condition, so you must keep your doshas in check. Practising Ayurveda eliminates stress, bodily toxins, inflammation, and it strengthens the immune system to keep diseases at bay.
Why Study Ayurveda?
Studying Ayurveda will enable you to treat and prevent a variety of conditions using natural remedies like herbal medicine, yoga, diet and lifestyle changes, massage therapy and acupuncture, to name just a few. It's a healing modality like no other as it uses the person's body constitution to identify what it needs to reach the peak of health.
Obtaining a qualification in Ayurveda will kickstart if not expand your career in complementary medicine. You can pursue a career in different healthcare settings or work in private practice and enjoy the flexibility of managing your consultation schedule.
What Does It Take to Study Ayurveda or Become a Practitioner of It?
All you need to thrive in your Ayurvedic studies is the passion for healing. You must be willing to look beyond conventional treatment approaches and embrace the principles behind maintaining good health by looking at the mind, body and spirit as one. Your deep curiosity and enthusiasm to experience the inner workings of Ayurveda will, no doubt, lead to your success as a student and a certified practitioner of the modality.
Course and Study Options for Ayurveda
The road to becoming a qualified practitioner of Ayurveda can be short or long. Regardless of which path you choose, you'll surely enjoy your journey as it leads to a rewarding career. A diploma-level qualification takes one year to complete, and after which you can go on to work as an Ayurvedic lifestyle consultant who supports people in making lifestyle changes to achieve their health and wellness goals.
Taking an advanced diploma will deepen your knowledge about Ayurveda and allow you to pursue a career as a registered Ayurvedic practitioner. As one, you can diagnose and treat a wide range of conditions, helping your clients restore the natural ability of their bodies to heal and balance their doshas to prevent diseases.
Most schools that offer Ayurveda programs combine on-campus and online learning so that students can have the flexibility to fit their study time around their daily schedule. Not only does this allow you to plot the days for face-to-face training and online lectures and assessments, but it also leaves you with more leeway to manage your other day-to-day commitments.
How to Choose a School or Course in Ayurveda
Studying Ayurveda is an exciting activity in itself, but enrolling in a reputable school that boasts a highly qualified teaching staff is monumental. Whether you're planning to study the modality online or in the traditional way, which is typically inside the classroom, the wide selection of Ayurveda course providers at the top of this page will lead you to the ideal training program.
As you go through the list, take note of those institutions whose training modules, course fees and delivery methods align with your needs. You also want to go for a recognised training organisation (RTO) whose curriculum is approved by Australia's peak associations for registered Ayurvedic practitioners.
