Certification Levels

ACTA offers three types of certification:

• CAP - Certified Ayurveda Practitioner (16-weekend intensives)
• AYS - Ayurveda Yoga Specialist (6-weekend intensives)
• ATS - Ayurveda-Massage Specialist (6-weekend intensives.)

Ayurveda Practitioner Certification Program (CAP)

The curriculum for the Ayurveda Practitioner certification program offers a complete education in the history, philosophy, theory and practice of Ayurveda and clinical competency to assist clients with wellness, nutrition, healing and rejuvenation. The weekend intensives will combine lecture, discussion and practicum. Each weekend will include short tests to cover the pre-assigned reading and topical competency. Home study will consist pre-assigned reading plus assignments such as Sanskrit media, short essays and case-studies on a designated topic. There are additional requirements for anatomy and physiology course work, as well as extensive clinical apprenticeship hours, not listed below.

In the 16-session Ayurveda Practitioner training you will learn

• History of Ayurveda and Sankhya philosophy
• Theory of the tridosha
• Herbology of Ayurveda

Certified Ayurveda Practitioner Program

The curriculum for the Certified Ayurveda Practitioner (CAP) Program offers a complete education in the history, philosophy, theory and practice of Ayurveda and professional competency to assist clients with wellness, nutrition, healing and rejuvenation. The weekend intensives will combine lecture, discussion and practicum. Each weekend will include short tests to cover the pre-assigned reading and topical competency. Home study will consist of pre-assigned reading plus assignments such as Sanskrit media, short essays and case studies on a designated topic. There are additional requirements for Anatomy and Physiology course work, as well as extensive clinical apprenticeship hours, not listed below.

Upon completion of the 16-intensives of the Certified Ayurveda Practitioner training your competencies will be:

• History of Ayurveda and Sankhya philosophy
• Theory of the tridosha
• Herbology of Ayurveda
• Ayurveda theory of the causes of imbalances, wellness and disease
• Ayurveda teachings on the importance of food
• How to do in-depth client evaluations
• How to organize the professional practice of Ayurveda
• Techniques for mitigating many of today's chronic conditions
• How to cooperate with other health professionals
• How to design classes on Ayurveda and health for your clients and community

CAP Intensives: Please refer to the ACTA “Curriculum” fact sheet for a detailed description of each intensive session listed below:

• Immersions Retreat – Living Ayurveda
• Anatomy and Physiology for Ayurveda, Part I
• Anatomy and Physiology for Ayurveda, Part II
• Psychology for Ayurveda •  Yoga and Ayurveda – Fundamentals
• Therapeutics and Ayurveda –Fundamentals
• Doshas, Sub-Doshas and Gunas
• Digestion and Nutrition
• Dhatus (Tissues), Organs and Systems
• Srotas (Channels) and Nadis (Meridians)
• Samprapti (Disease/Wellness Continuum)
• Client Evaluation, Part I
• Client Evaluation, Part II
• Specialized Knowledge of Disorders
• Ayurveda Protocols and Herbology, Part I
• Ayurveda Protocols and Herbology, Part II
• Ayurveda Professional Practice

Ayurveda Yoga Specialist Program (AYS)

The curriculum of the Ayurveda-Yoga Specialist certification builds on previous knowledge of posture details acquired by yoga teachers in their yoga training and adds an understanding of the Ayurveda tridosha system of body-mind constitution. Weekend intensives will combine lecture, discussion and practicums. Each weekend will include short tests to cover the pre-assigned reading and topical competency. Home study will consist pre-assigned reading plus assignments such as Sanskrit media and case studies that require students to integrate their knowledge of Ayurveda and Yoga to design appropriate yoga sequences for clients. All who study yoga are welcomed! Only certified Yoga teachers are eligible for additional AYS certification.

Upon completion of the 6-intensives of the Ayurveda Yoga Specialist training your competencies will be:

• Customizing yoga classes for balancing the tridosha
• Teaching one-on-one yoga sessions designed for specific students
• How to use yoga, meditation, and pranayama to address imbalances
• Manomayakosha and the power of mind in yoga psychology
• Dinacharya, or daily practice routines, including yoga home practice, self-massage, nourishment, etc.
• Ritucharya, seasonal practice routines, including modifying yoga sequences appropriate to the season and modifying diet appropriate to dosha

AYS Intensives:
Please refer to the ACTA "Curriculum" fact sheet for a detailed description of each intensive session listed below.

• Foundations Retreat - Living Ayurveda
• Anatomy and Physiology for Ayurveda Part I
• Anatomy and Physiology for Ayurveda Part II
• Psychology for Ayurveda
• Yoga and Ayurveda – Fundamentals
• Yoga and Ayurveda – Advanced

Ayurveda Therapeutics Specialist Program (ATS)

The curriculum of the Ayurveda Therapeutics Specialist certification builds on previous knowledge of therapeutics from standard massage or therapeutics training, adding an understanding of the tridosha system as well as other concepts of Ayurveda. Weekend intensives will include theoretical and experiential work plus short tests to cover the pre-assigned reading and topical competency. Home study will consist of pre-assigned reading plus assignments such as group-projects and case studies that require students to integrate their knowledge of Ayurveda to design appropriate therapeutic sequences for different conditions and situations. All who study massage or therapeutics are welcomed! Only certified therapeutic touch professionals (e.g., massage therapist, physical therapist) are eligible for additional ATS certification.

Upon completion of the 6-intensives of the Ayurveda Therapeutics Specialist training your competencies will be:

• Customizing therapeutics for balancing the tridosha
• Learning the Ayurveda marma system for more effective therapeutic work
• How to use Ayurveda body-based therapies such as abyanga, marmachikitsa, shirodhara, nasya and others to address imbalances
• Dinacharya, or daily practice routines, including self-massage, nourishment, etc
• Ritucharya, seasonal practice routines, including modifying therapeutic sequences appropriate to the season.

ATS Intensives:
Please refer to the ACTA "Curriculum" fact sheet for a detailed description of each intensive session listed below.

• Foundations Retreat - Living Ayurveda
• Anatomy and Physiology for Ayurveda Part I
• Anatomy and Physiology for Ayurveda Part II
• Psychology for Ayurveda
• Therapeutics and Ayurveda - Fundamentals
• Therapeutics and Ayurveda - Advanced