Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor Certificate Program

 

 

The following description is a thorough introduction to this program, to be presented by DHARMA INC regularly, in whole or in parts, at various locations around the world. Currently, we are scheduled to run this course in Japan – January 2012; Brazil – March 2012; and in Thailand – July 2012. The Thailand training in July is offered separately as its own course, or for free as part of the 3 or 6 month Adi Yoga retreat.

 

Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor Certificate Program

 

This is a professional certificate program structured into 8 modules. The program is designed for those desiring to become Primal Ayurveda health care practitioners, and for health professionals who want to integrate Primal Ayurveda into their existing health care practice. But one need not be a health care professional to reap the lifelong benefits of this program. Completing the Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor program is a great way to attain radiant health through learning and applying Primal Ayurveda for your own self-care.

 

What is “Primal Ayurveda”?

 

Primal Ayurveda is the special term referring to the unique type of Ayurveda taught by DHARMA INC. Ayurveda has undergone many changes over its 5,000+ years of history. It was influenced by the different cultures that conquered India as well as by the many different religions that rose to prominence during these periods of conquest. In the beginning Ayurveda was very earthy and immanent in its philosophy and practice. It was concerned with understanding the greater cycles of Time and Energy and how human beings as manifestations of these cycles must remain in harmony with them in order to experience health, happiness, and contentment. Early Ayurveda did not impose religious morals onto what nature intended for human beings. Vegetarianism and sexual abstinence were not a part of early Ayurveda, nor were dietary restrictions that arose with new puritanical religious thinking such as mushrooms and garlic becoming banned substances.  Such restrictions were artificial concepts being over-laid on the natural design of humans by religious purists who thought of the world and humanity’s place in it as illusory and inherently painful. This is in great contrast to the intention of the early founders of Ayurveda, the Rishis and their later evolute the Tantrik Mahasiddhas, who advocated a life lived close to nature wherein one discovers the wisdom inherent in their natural appetites and rhythms instead of opposing them as impure desires to be controlled. To make a distinction between the more modern transcendentalist Ayurveda and the original immanent form of Ayurveda (often called Tantrik Ayurveda by academics), Dr. Dharma uses the term “Primal Ayurveda”. This term captures both the potency of the original tradition of Ayurveda as well as its decidedly celebratory orientation to life.

 

How is the program taught?

 

The program is taught in the style of “integrated accelerated learning” meaning that the student is immersed directly into aspects of examination, case history taking, diagnosis and treatment simultaneously with study of the necessary Primal Ayurveda theory of health and disease. This approach to learning gives the graduating practitioner a much greater degree of expertise and integration in a shorter period of time than can be achieved through conventional learning models that start by teaching dry theory only, followed by pathology, diagnosis, treatment plans, etc.

 

How do I become certified?

 

Full practitioner certification as a Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor is a two-step process. At the completion of the 8-module Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor program the students will be given a preliminary examination. The examination serves as a learning tool and as qualifying exam. Students who pass this preliminary exam will be given a Certificate of Completion qualifying them to begin their student-practice.

After 3 months or more of student-practice students are eligible to take the examination for full practitioner certification to practice as a Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor certified and authorized by DHARMA INC.

Students who successfully pass this examination will be awarded the Certificate of Professional Practice as a Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor. In order to remain in good standing as an Ayurveda Health Advisor the student must maintain the ethical standards set out by DHARMA INC and remain active in their practice of Primal Ayurveda. Those who do so will be listed on the DHARMA INC website by location in the Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor Directory pages. They will receive referrals from inquirers living in their locale who contact DHARMA INC seeking a consultation with a Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor.

 

Successful completion of the Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor Certificate Program also qualifies students for enrollment in the advanced curricula of Primal Ayurveda held in their local area and at Kailash Akhara, DHARMA INC’s international headquarters in Thailand.

 

Primal Ayurveda Advanced Certificate Courses

1. Ayurvedic Pulse Diagnosis – Parts One and Two
   1. Part One: Physical Diagnosis – constitution, dosha, dhatus, organs, etc.
   2. Part Two: Spiritual Diagnosis – mental constitution, innate spiritual virtues, enlightenment   pulse, etc.
2. Marma Point Therapy – Learning to use the 108 marma points for diagnosis and treatment of physical, mental and emotional imbalances. Using touch and Herbal oil extracts.
3. Mahasiddha Medicine – rasayana, vajikarana, metallic compounds & herbal formulas for support of internal alchemy practice.
4. Foundations of Tantrik Astrological Diagnosis (*note: a working knowledge in Jyotisa is a pre-requisite for participation
5. Foundations of Tantrik Hand-Markings Diagnosi
6. Tantrik Herbology I & II
7. Ahankara, Kundalini and Personal Nadi in dx and tx.
8. Extra-Physical Causes of Disease: The Influence-Possession Continuum – Parts One and Two.

 

The Instructor

Dr. Dharma is a lifelong practitioner of Yoga and Classical Tantra. He has been a student of the art and science of healing since in his teens. Dr. Dharma has a wide variety of training in health care, which includes a clinical doctorate degree in chiropractic, post-graduate certificates in spinal bio-physics and physical therapy, and undergraduate studies and clinical experience in psychology.

Dharma has also pursued studies in the alternative healing systems of Naturopathy with the renowned Dr. Zofcak, Chinese Herbology and Acupuncture, Chinese medicine for trauma, Daoist healing Qi-Gong from the Daoist T.K. Shih, Japanese acupuncture, and various native shamanic methods of healing from the Carpathian mountain people of Ukraine, an Amazonian Ayahuascero in Peru, Grandfather Thundercloud of the Carolina Cherokee, Grandmother Kittyhawk of the Lakota Sioux, Norse shamanism with Ivar Hafskjold and the Native Hawaiian Kahuna.

But not until he began the study of Ayurveda, Yoga-therapy and Tantrik healing in 1988 did everything he previously studied fall into place. His Tantrik guru’s system of Hatha Yoga was oriented towards healing within an Ayurvedic framework and he learned many methods to heal the body-mind complex and balance the doshas.

Dr. Dharma studied Ayurveda formally with Dr. Vasant Lad of the Ayurvedic Institute in the USA where he completed the basic course of study and the advanced program for doctors (called the “Guru Kulam” program). He was also part of the first group of students invited to train for one month with Dr. Lad in India at his city clinic in Pune and rural clinic outside of the city. During this time in India Dr. Dharma was fortunate to have many private sessions with Dr. Lad in which he learned many of the Tantrik secrets of Ayurveda passed on to Dr. Lad by his guru and by the Tantrik Yogin “Vimalananda” made famous in the “Aghora” book series authored by Dr. Robert Svoboda.

His knowledge of Ayurveda was rounded out by receiving pancakarma therapy numerous times over a 6-year period from a prestigious family lineage of Ayurveda doctors in Kerala. During this period he studied the main text of Ayurveda, the “Ashtanga Hridayam”, with 3 doctors of this tradition and gained tremendous insights into the original southern Indian branch of Ayurveda. He remains in close contact with one of the doctors of the tradition with whom he will create a traditional facility for the old style of Ayurveda treatment at the DHARMA INC center in Thailand.

Dr. Dharma lives with his family and a thriving community of students in the mountains of northern Thailand at Kailash Akhara, the international center for DHARMA INC.

He and his students who have trained as Dharma teachers travel extensively teaching Primal Ayurveda, Adi-Yoga, Meditation, Sauhu Therapy and Non-Dual Sakta-Saiva Dharma.

 

Primal Ayurveda Health Advisor Certificate Program’s 8 Modules:

 

Module 1 – Ayur-Basics: Part One

In this module students are introduced to Tongue diagnosis as an implementation of the “integrated accelerated learning” model. Tantrik Ayurveda is defined and made relevant, then contrasted with the more transcendental branch of Ayurveda that developed over time. Foundational cosmology is covered including the all-important theory and application of the 5 elements. Module 1 also gives clear explanations of dosha, 15 sub-doshas, and 20-guna theory, and the 7 physical and mental constitutional types. Students will begin exploring their relationship to their Ayurvedic constitution and its ramifications. The final topic of this module is the theory and application of the 4 types of karma, their relationship to health and disease (prajnaparadha), and how the karma of our daily conduct creates health and disease. Students will receive homework exercises at the end of each module that will help them learn to integrate what they are learning into their life and their health practice.

 

Module 2 – Ayur-Basics:  Part Two

Module two completes the Ayur-Basics and transitions the student into diagnostics based on what they have learned theoretically and experientially thus far. Specific topics covered are: the 7 dhatus or bodily tissues and how the doshas invade them to cause disease, the “6 tastes” how they balance doshas and their physical, mental and emotional effects in health and disease, introduction to 3 diagnostic methods – prasnanam (case history taking), sparsanam (tactile exam), darsanam (visual exam), extensive case history taking including taking case histories on fellow students observed by the instructor, 6-stage Ayurvedic pathogenesis/pathology (nidana pancaka) and its crucial role in diagnosis and treatment of physical and mental diseases and their prevention, diagnosis and examination of  the iris, bodily wastes, and fingernails. Homework: Record a number of case histories and examinations on friends and family to hone skills and gain experience in patients range of habits of behavior and symptomatology, also the students continue to record their own daily examination of tongue, bodily wastes, etc.

 

Module 3 – Nourishment – Part One: Digestion, Toxins, Food Combining, Cooking

The 37 fires of digestion (agni), agni’s role in longevity and health, agni manifesting as high, low, disturbed, normal and methods to increase, decrease and stabilize digestive fire including herbal and yogic methods. Dosha specific fasting regimes. The process of “lekhanam” or stripping of excess tissues and toxin accumulation. The qualitative energy, taste and physiological effects of 200 common foods and their “prabhava” or hidden effects. Proper combining of foods thus avoiding the creation of toxins, promoting longevity, preventing disease and gaining more enjoyment from eating and life. Examine the pro’s and con’s of vegetarian and non-vegetarian eating.. Components of a balanced Ayurvedic meal. The various methods of cooking and their energetic and physiological effects on the body-mind. Homework is for the student to begin working with their diet using principles of Ayurvedic dietetics and recording their meals. This is then coordinated with the information gained through tongue and bodily waste examination to see the effects of diet on the body’s doshas and overall well-being.

 

Module 4 – Nourishment   Part Two: Modern Nutrtion, Ahankara – organizer of health and disease

“Kitchen Pharmacy” – learning to heal with ordinary meals and culinary spices. Examining the merits of the “hunter-gatherer” or “anthro” diet movement (zero carbs, high protein) and its possible use in Ayurveda. Free radicals and anti-oxidants, the taste of sweet, sweetners and physiological effects, macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, use of health supplements in Ayurveda, concepts of satmya and asatmya (conditioned insensitivity and sensitivity), epigenomes and health and longevity, the 3 supreme foods – milk, ghee, honey, the pro’s and con’s of soy bean foods, the signs and symptoms of the doshas in each stage of pathology, vikruti approaching prakruti (possession by the disease process), the process and role of self-image formation (ahankara) in health, disease and longevity, self-possession & basic sanity’s powerful role in health. Homework: continue all examinations and information gathering as set out in previous modules (take 3 more case histories and exams, but this time from outside of the pool of family and friends) plus create 5 nutrition/diet programs for patients from whom you’ve taken case histories.

 

Module 5 – Yoga-Therapy, Prana – Tejas – Ojas – Soma, Mind and Emotion

In this module students will learn the specific Adi-Yoga methods of: the 3 dosha palliation series of asana (postures), pranayama (breath practices), bandha (psycho-physical locks), yoga nidra (recumbent meditation/relaxation), and trataka (mental concentration) and their effects on dosha, dhatu, organs, mind, etc.

Mental constitution (manas prakruti) and its consideration in health, disease, the creation of treatment programs and their expected outcomes. The important theory of Prana, Tejas, Ojas, and Soma, their role in disease, immunity, longevity, and happiness. This module will also contain a total review of all material learned with an in-depth question and answer period. Homework: Students will continue their case history taking and examination exercises and will create 5 yoga-therapy based programs for any of their volunteer clients that they wish to focus on for the remainder of the course.

 

Module 6 – Daily Routine, Developing Treatment Plans, Treatments

Daily Routine or “Dinacarya” is a major form of long-term treatment for the Ayurveda Health Advisor. In this module students will learn to create a cohesive daily routine for clients drawing on all the components learned thus far. They will also learn how the factor of “time” (age, season, daily periods, etc.) comes to bear on diagnosis and treatment. At this point in the student’s training it becomes important to gain the skill of developing a comprehensive treatment program and implementing it. This will allow ample time for students to refine their skill in this necessary area before graduation. New factors and their relevancy to Ayurvedic diagnosis and treatment will be considered in this module such as: sleep, rest, relationship structures, sexuality, work and home environments, recreation, exercise, etc.

Also, more treatment methods will be learned such as: nasya (the use of herbal nasal drops), karna basti (the use of herbal ear drops), basti (herbal nutrition for the large intestine), oiling the body known as “snehana” (self-massage/abhyanga, feeding herbal medicine through the skin), urine therapy, a brief introduction to marma point therapy, etc. Deeper study of vata, pitta and kapha in the “prakopa” stage (aggravation stage) of pathogenesis and how to prevent deeper progression into more serious pathology through methods of treatment learned. In this module students will also refine their sense of what is a realistic treatment goal and how to adjust their treatment programs based on results.

Homework is to continue to practice the methods of yoga-therapy in order to attain a level of expertise, work with the selected patients to refine their treatment programs and expected outcomes, and accurately identify the stage of pathogenesis the patient is in.

 

Module 7 – Rejuvenation: Subtle Energy Therapeutics, Rasayana & Vajikarana

In module 7 the student will be introduced to the diagnosis and treatment methods that make use of the mind and its subtle energies. Tantrik Ayurveda has many methods of diagnosis & healing that involve non-physical means. First will come a review of the internal alchemy of tissue production, prana, tejas, ojas and soma and the role of prana-vata, sadhaka-pitta, and tarpaka-kapha.  Students will also be instructed in the proper use of the subtle therapeutic methods of Tantrik Yoga including: meditation, kriya yoga, mantra, imbibing energies of nature such as sun, moon, forest, mountain, prayer, chanting, attending ceremonies, etc. After this the students will learn how, once the doshas are balanced and disease is eradicated, they can refine and improve upon the strength and longevity, or lack thereof, received from their ancestors. This optimizing of one’s genetic potential in Ayurveda is called “rasayana” and “vajikarana”. These sciences are a deep secret of Tantrik Ayurveda developed by the Mahasiddhas (Great Accomplished Yogins) of India. Success in rasayana and vajikarana grants vastly increased life-span and deeper self-realization of one’s essential nature.

 

Module 8 – Program Summary: Course Review, Further Refinement of Skills Obtained, Extensive Clarification Sessions, Preliminary Examination, Certificates of Completion awarded.

In this last module students will take the preliminary examination, successful completion of which qualifies them to begin student-practice. The class will grade the exam together using this time to discover our weak and strong areas of knowledge. We will review all of the material learned thus far and go deeper into any of the concepts in which students are interested in order to gain a wider and more profound appreciation of the art and science of Ayurveda and its ability to give one a life of happiness, contentment, health and longevity. At the end there will be a short ceremony in which students will receive their Certificate of Completion certifying that they have completed the program material. We will review the ethical standards and code of conduct for all Ayurveda Health Advisors and discuss the subjects and format of the examination for the Certificate of Professional Practice as an Ayurveda Health Advisor authorized by DHARMA INC International.

To register for the July 2012 offering of this course, click here.

Please contact us if you have any further inquiries. Thank you.