SA | AYU Academy

The Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program prepares graduates to begin a career as a Svastha Āchārya, or Āyurvedic Health Trainer.

Students of the program learn the foundations of Āyurveda, avenues of practice, core principles, components of health, assessment of healthy individuals and health management using diet, lifestyle, targeted herbal protocols and therapeutic treatments.

Classes promote direct student and teacher interaction. Students are expected to ask questions, debate topics, discuss logical thought processes and explain real-world scenarios as their cumulative knowledge and understanding grows.

Skills and Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, graduates are able to identify appropriate clients for their level, assess and quantify health in 15 primary areas, identify potential causative factors, create a custom health improvement plan and follow-up with clients to maximize positive results.

Graduates may find employment as independent counselors, coaches or practitioners, in health and wellness centers, integrative health centers, spas, yoga studios or health and fitness studios.

Highlights

Instructor: Jessica Vellela, BAMS

Program length

510 hours total
255 hours live, online class
255 hours clinical externship (in-person and online)

Pre-requirements

Age 18 years or older on admission
Valid, government-issued photo ID
Valid email address
Completion of Āyurvedic Counselor and Educator (ACE) Certificate Program, or equivalent

Co-requisite study (must be completed by December 11, 2020)

College-level Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3.0 credits)
College-level Human Anatomy and Physiology II (3.0 credits)

Classes

All academic lecture classes are online.
Clinical orientation is a mandatory, one week, on-site training (April 26 to 30, 2021)
Fall and spring semesters include 9 hours of live class time per week
Clinical semester includes 4 hours of live clinical discuss per week (May 3 to June 25, 2021)

Costs and payment plan

One-time registration fee, $100
Total tuition, including clinical externship, $8,300
Textbooks, $966

Additional requirements

Personal computer and internet connection
Travel, stay and incidental expenses for one-week, onsite Clinical Orientation

Qualified candidates

All candidates for the Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program must meet the General Admission Criteria. Additionally, US or International candidates must meet their specific criteria.

General Admission Criteria

Age: at least 18 years of age on the first day of class
Identification: valid copy of government-issued photo ID
Email: valid email address and consent to receive all correspondence electronically

Criteria for US candidates only

Education: submit proof of completion of secondary education (high school diploma, GED certificate or the home-schooling equivalent) or higher
Interview: complete an online live interview with an Admissions Counselor
Pre-requisite: complete the Āyurvedic Counselor and Educator (ACE) Certificate Program, or equivalent, by August, 2020
Co-requisites*: complete college-level Human Anatomy and Physiology I (3.0 credits) and II (3.0 credits) by December 11, 2020

Criteria for International candidates only

Education: submit proof of completion for the home country's equivalent of secondary education
Interview: complete an online, live interview with an Admissions Counselor
English: demonstrated proficiency in English during Admissions Interview
Pre-requisites: complete the Āyurvedic Counselor and Educator (ACE) Certificate Program, or equivalent, by August, 2020
Pre-requisites*: submit any one or more of:
1. Post-secondary Anatomy and Physiology
2. Bachelor's degree, or equivalent
3. Active healthcare professional license

* All college-level (post-secondary) pre-requisites must have been completed within the preceding ten years. Otherwise, candidates must provide proof of clinical practice for at least five of the ten preceding years.

* Applicants holding a degree or license in a healthcare discipline are exempt from the A&P prerequisite requirements.

All international credentials in any language other than English must be translated with equivalency proof. Translations are accepted from any of the following Foreign Credential Evaluation Services:

https://tea.texas.gov/Texas_Educators/Certification/Out-of-State_Certification/Foreign_Credential_Evaluation_Services/

Pre-requisites and co-requisites

The pre-requisites for the Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program include successful completion of the Āyurvedic Counselor and Educator (ACE) Certificate Program, or equivalent. Candidates may enroll in the next program which runs from January through July, 2020, in order to complete the pre-requisite on time.

All US candidates must also have completed college-level Human Anatomy and Physiology I and II (without lab, for 3.0 credits each), or be able to complete both classes by December 11, 2020.

US candidates who hold an active license in a healthcare profession are exempt from meeting this requirement.

International candidates must provide proof of post-secondary Human Anatomy and Physiology, or a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) or an active, professional healthcare license.

Course descriptions

The Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program includes nine lecture courses and one clinical externship course.

[AYU-110] Professional Āyurveda for the SA

Online, 1.0 credits

15 hours, live class

Students complete a formal introduction to the practice and scope of American Āyurveda for the Svastha Āchārya. They review legal and ethical aspects of professional practice through academic study and example. Students examine various aspects of practice through examples, discussion and Q&A.

[AYU-111] Sanskrit for the SA

Online, 1.0 credit

15 hours, live class

Students apply basic knowledge of Sanskrit for practical application at this professional level. They review common terms, practice their pronunciation, word dissection and formation. Through repetition and example, students gain familiarity with common terms to prepare them for further study.

[AYU-120] Core principles of Āyurveda (Siddhānta)

Online, 2.0 credits

30 hours, live class

Students complete a thorough review of the study of key principles in classical Āyurveda
and correlate concepts to clinical applications. Students are exposed to the variety of classical opinions, perspectives and schools of thought through studying several classical references and pertinent commentaries. Students increase their reading and confidence of the classics through a stronger emphasis on direct reading.

[AYU-121] The human body in Āyurveda (Śārīra)

Online, 2.0 credits

30 hours, live class

Students complete a thorough review of the study of the human body in classical Āyurveda and correlate concepts to clinical applications. Students are exposed to the variety of classical opinions, perspectives and schools of thought through studying several classical references and pertinent commentaries. Students increase their reading and confidence of the classics through a stronger emphasis on direct reading.

[AYU-122] Healthy living in Āyurveda (Svastha vṛtta)

Online, 2.0 credits

30 hours, live class

Students complete a thorough review of the core principles of healthy living in classical Āyurveda and learn to correlate concepts to real-life applications. Students are exposed to the breadth and depth of core principles by reviewing major classical references and pertinent commentary explanations.

[AYU-130] Therapeutic management in Āyurveda (Nidāna & Cikitsā I)

Online, 2.0 credits

30 hours, live class

Students complete a thorough review of the foundations of therapeutic management in classical Āyurveda with a strong focus on identifying causative factors for disease. Students are exposed to the wide range of Āyurvedic management protocols through internal and external interventions, and their classical and current practices.

[AYU-131] Classical study I

Online, 2.0 credits

30 hours, live class

Students complete a comprehensive review of the major classical Āyurvedic medical
compendia. Students review key sections of the texts, read English translations, discuss topics and concepts, and engage in class discussions through question and answer sessions. They synthesize cumulative knowledge from the program through understanding classical presentations to enhance their skills in clinical applications.

[AYU-132] Classical study II

Online, 2.0 credits

30 hours, live class

Students complete a comprehensive review of the major classical Āyurvedic medical
compendia. Students review key sections of the texts, read English translations, discuss topics and concepts, and engage in class discussions through question and answer sessions. They synthesize cumulative knowledge from the program through understanding classical presentations to enhance their skills in clinical applications.

[AYU-133] Clinical Āyurveda for the SA

Online, 3.0 credits

45 hours, live class

Students integrate knowledge from the entire program for clinical application in both independent and collaborative practice settings. Students prepare for clinical practice through examples of simple and complex cases.

[AYU-150] SA Clinical Rotation

Online, 6.0 credits

255 hours, including 30 hours of lab and 225 hours of clinical practice

Externs begin Clinical experiences I, session I, with one week of onsite training (30 hours of lab) under observation to practice simulated case management. During session II (225 hours) externs elect onsite or telehealth clinical practice for 25 hours per week. They participate in clinical observation, supervised case management, independent case management, record-keeping and case review.

Additionally, externs attend bi-weekly Clinical Discussion classes online for case review. Each extern must complete a minimum of 50 case encounters with appropriate documentation and submit their results on a regular basis.

Clinical externship

Clinical externship includes two portions of training:

Clinical orientation with one week of onsite, clinical training from April 26 to April 30, 2021, of 6 hours per day for 30 hours total
Clinical practice with bi-weekly clinical discussion classes (Mondays and Thursdays) plus 25 hours per week of telehealth practice

Each extern must complete 50 case encounters with appropriate documentation and submit their results on a regular basis. Case encounters include observed cases, group study cases and those managed independently for initial or follow-up cases.

Personal costs associated with externship including travel, accommodation, food and other
expenses are the responsibility of the student.

Schedules

The Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program is taught in three segments.

Fall semester, August 31 to December 12, 2020
Spring semester, January 4 to April 23, 2021
Clinical semester, April 26 to June 25, 2021

Fall semester class schedules

August 31 to December 12, 2020

Morning track, Mon and Wed, 12:30 to 2pm (ET)
OR Evening track, Tues and Thurs, 5 to 7pm (ET)
And Saturdays, 10am to 3pm (ET)

No class for holidays from Wed, Nov 25 through Sat, Nov 28, 2020

Spring semester class schedules

January 4 to April 23, 2021

Morning track, Mon and Wed, 12:30 to 2pm (ET)
OR Evening track, Tues and Thurs, 5 to 7pm (ET)
And Saturdays, 10am to 3pm (ET)

No class for study holiday on Sat, Apr 17, 2021

Clinical externship schedules

April 26 to June 25, 2021

Session I, one week, onsite clinical orientation

Monday through Friday, 9am to 4pm (including 1 hour break)

Session II, eight weeks, online clinical practice via telehealth

Mondays, 7 to 9pm (ET)
Thursdays, 7 to 9pm (ET)
Weekly, 25 hours of clinical practice via telehealth

Clinical discussion class on Monday, May 31, 2021 will be held on Tuesday, June 1, 2021 due to Memorial Day holiday.

Costs and payment plan

The total cost of the Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program is $9,366 when the program is completed in the standard time frame of 10 months.

Standard costs

One-time registration fee: $100
Total tuition, including clinical externship: $8,300
Required books: $966

Additional costs may include

Multi-year fee: $900
Late payment fee: $100
Additional, personal costs (varies)

Students may opt to complete the program over multiple years. When they elect this option, the multi-year fee is due at the beginning of each subsequent year. All standard costs must be paid within the first year of enrollment.

All additional costs are the responsibility of the student. These may include a personal computer and equipment, financial transaction fees (currency conversion, wire transfer, etc) and externship.

Payment deadlines are by 5pm Eastern Time on the date listed. Late payments are subject to a $100 Late Payment Fee unless the student notifies the Academy in advance and receives approval.

Payment Plan

Tuition may be paid in full at the start of the program, or as interest-free installments.

First payment, $3,000, by August 15, 2020
Second payment, $3,000, by January 15, 2021
Third payment, $2,300, by May 15, 2021

The $650 enrollment deposit, paid at the time of admission to the program, is applied in full to the first payment.

Payment methods

All payments are accepted electronically, unless otherwise agreed upon.

Workshop fees, PayPal
Registration fees, PayPal
Tuition, ACH debit (electronic checking)
Books, ACH debit (electronic checking)

Books

Required textbooks for the Svastha Āchārya (Āyurvedic Health Trainer) Certificate Program total $966. These can be purchased through the Academy or any vendor of choice.

Books must only be purchased when the student is ready to begin the related portion of the program.

Fall Semester

SA Series, Volume 1, $60
SA Series, Volume 2, $100
SA Series, Volume 3, $80
Caraka Samhita (translated by RK Sharma and Bhagawan Dash)
Suśruta Saṃhitā (translated by GD Singhal)
Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya (translated by KR Srikantha Murthy)
Bhāva Prakāśa (translated by KR Srikantha Murthy)

Spring Semester

SA Series, Volume 4, $100
SA Series, Volume 5, $60
SA Series, Volume 6, $60

All prices include shipping and handling within the continental US.

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