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See Available Ayurvedic Practitioner Schools
Holistic healing and education is one
of the fastest growing fields in the United States.
Relatively new to the US, but practiced for thousands
of years, is Ayurveda, the Indian system of healing.
Ayurveda relies on the principle that mind, body, and
spirit are all intimately connected. If one or two of
these are separated from the others, then the body becomes
imbalanced and results in illness. There are three forces,
or doshas, which govern the body: Vata (motion), Pitta
(metabolism) and Kapha (cohesiveness). Each person is
made up of different amounts of each force, which determines
their personality, makeup, likes and dislikes, etc.
As such, Ayurveda is not so much the healing of a disease
as of a person.
There are five treatments used in Ayurvedic
medicine, referred to as "sense therapies."
These include diet and herbalism, aromatherapy, color
therapy, sound therapy, and touch therapy (massage).
Ayurveda counsels how to use the senses to interact
with the environment in order to achieve or maintain
balance. These are based on a person’s constitution
(the amounts of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha in their makeup),
their current health imbalances, and the time of year.
An Ayurvedic practitioner may choose to
have a private practice or to join other health care
practitioners at a wellness center, teach public education
classes on Ayurvedic principles, supervise a pancha
karma center, teach at an Ayurvedic college, and conduct
workshops, seminars and retreats. There is a bright
future ahead for dedicated and competent Ayurvedic practitioners,
both as this type of healing increases in popularity,
and personally and financially. As with other holistic
health practices, the amount of money an Ayurvedic practitioner
can expect to make varies with location and their client
base, as well as how they apply their practice.
Ayurvedic practitioners are not licensed
in the United States, and its practice is not regulated
by state or federal agencies. Individual schools that
have received state approval have their own competency
requirements and qualifications. Ayurvedic practitioners
in the United States are taught how to practice legally
so they are not considered to be practicing medicine
without a license. In 1998 a group of practitioners,
mostly representatives of American Ayurvedic schools,
began meeting to discuss the creation of state and national
professional associations. These associations will focus
on licensing and certification issues and educating
people on Ayurveda and its practice. As of this writing,
there remain no standards or regulations in effect.
California Schools
Academy
of Professional Careers* (Boise, San Diego) - Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technician, Holistic Health Practitioner,
Massage Therapy, Optical Technician, Administrative Medical/Dental Assistant
Golden
State College - (Bakersfield)* - Holistic Health Practitioner
Maric
College (Vista)*
- Holistic Health Practitioner
National
Holistic Institute (SF
Bay Area) - Massage Therapist and Health Educator
Silicon
Valley College* (Emeryville, Fremont, San
Jose , Walnut
Creek ) - Holistic Health Practitioner, Massage Therapy
Idaho Schools
Academy
of Professional Careers (Boise)
- Administrative Medical/Dental Assistant, Dental Assisting, Holistic Health
Practitioner, Massage Therapy, Medical Assisting, Pharmacy Technician
Oregon Schools
Ashmead
College (Tigard)
- Massage Therapy, Spa & Aromatherapy
Washington Schools
Ashmead
College* (Seattle, Fife, Vancouver , Everett)
- Fitness Trainer, Massage Therapy, Spa and Aromatherapy
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