Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula
An Intimate and Innovative School of Ayurveda
Training Master Ayurvedic Practitioners in Boulder, Colorado
Become a Master Ayurvedic Practitioner through our AAC recognized Four-Year program with 4,312 contact hours
Approved and Regulated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education,
Private Occupational School Board
Coming Soon! Our two year Ayurvedic Practitioner program starts up in August 2024. Apply now!
Part time options: Either program can be taken on a part time basis. After you have applied and been accepted, we will make an individualized plan.
Gurukula — "Family of The Teacher"
Welcome to Alandi, where Ayurveda comes to life in a nurturing spiritual context!
““My four-years at Alandi forever changed the trajectory of my life into deeper alignment with my true purpose here on planet Earth. As a graduate, I am deeply rooted in the solid ground of a timeless wisdom tradition while at the same time well-trained in the best practices of modern clinical counseling. Alandi is a one-of-a-kind place, a profound resource for spiritual guidance, Āyurveda training and personal evolution. Even six years after graduating, I still return to receive the nourishment of Ma and Sadananda’s presence and to bask in the sacred learning environment they’ve cultivated through decades of devoted practice. Any sincere wisdom seeker is well-advised to associate with the Alandi community in any way they can.””
This four-year, full time, onsite program offers the highest training currently available in Ayurveda in the US. Our student apprentices acquire the knowledge and tools needed to become Master Ayurvedic Practitioners and administer Ayurvedic healing techniques. This means rigorous intellectual and clinical training, as well as a deep immersion in the spiritual and Vedic context of Ayurveda.
Our new two year program offers excellent training as an Ayurvedic Practitioner.
Our multi-modal, experiential, whole-person learning journey is designed to support your practical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth, and each facet of the program contributes to your holistic development as a healer. Our unique apprenticeships consist of a combination of small-group education, experiential study, clinical practice, herbal medicine making and the daily guidance of the compassionate and experienced Alakananda Ma who will share her heart and wisdom with you.
Highlights
““Alandi Ashram is one of the best centers in America for learning Ayurveda in a spiritual and Vedic context, emphasizing Ayurveda as a yogic discipline for students to both live and practice. Its director, Alakananda, was one of the first western physicians to teach Ayurveda, starting in 1980, and brings her extensive medical background into the work as well.”
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Studying face reading. Photo Credit: The Daily Camera
Become an Ayurvedic Professional
Alandi Gurukula’s mission is to train the highest caliber of Ayurvedic professionals. By studying at Alandi, you will graduate from an AAC recognized program at the Ayurvedic Doctor level.
The Ayurvedic Accreditation Commission (AAC) provides oversight
over all recognized professional Ayurvedic educational programs. AAC recognition status indicates that programs administer an approved course of study, thus ensuring well-trained professionals, and provides greater transparency for consumers and the general public. Graduates of this program qualify to sit for NAMACB Certification Exams. (For more information on AAC program recognition, please visit: https://www.ayurvedicaccreditation.org/recognized-program).
Learn the Best of Modern and Ancient Medicine
We combine the best of new paradigm medical education with the best of the ancient gurukula contemplative pedagogy. Your teacher Alakananda Ma is a graduate of a top London medical school and has been practicing Ayurveda for over 30 years. You will be trained with both an overview knowledge of modern medicine and an in-depth knowledge of Ayurvedic Medicine, allowing you to skillfully interface with and combine the two paradigms in your practice.
Get Extensive Clinical Experience
Alandi’s program is designed to give you extensive clinical experience, so that you graduate ready to apply everything you’ve learned. From your first day, you start getting clinical experience by observing and assisting in Alakananda Ma’s clinic. In your second year, you then begin to see your own patients with the supervision and support of Alakananda Ma and senior student apprentices. Your clinic rubrics are designed to ensure you have gained experience in the various branches of Ayurveda, so that upon graduation you will have had enough one-on-one clinical encounters to feel confident in your ability to establish and run your own practice.
Be Part of a Small & Loving Community
The small, simple, and intimate environment of Alandi provides you with the benefits of small class learning. Classes are structured to allow for individual attention and encourage student apprentice-directed learning and peer mentoring. By sharing meals, taking walks together, and spending abundant time in clinic and pharmacy, you will experience community and camaraderie and enjoy close personal attention from our teacher Alakananda Ma. You’ll also have the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities such as chanting, vedic fire ceremonies, movie nights and organic gardening.
Make Your Own Herbal Formulations & Compounds
Start making traditional herbal medicines and remedies in your very first year! Throughout the course of the program, you will spend over 120 hours working in the herbal pharmacy, learning about and preparing herbal oils, ghees, tinctures, teas, and formulas. By the time you graduate you will know everything you need to know to make your own herbal preparations and run your own herbal pharmacy for your practice.
Take Your Ayurvedic Studies Further
The Alandi Master Ayurvedic Practitioner curriculum is modeled after Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) curriculums in India, to give you the most advanced and in-depth knowledge of Ayurveda outside of India. You will study each of the eight limbs of Ayurveda in-depth and know how to apply them to modern practice. You’ll read everything from the classics like Caraka Samhita to modern research papers and BAMS textbooks and be able to use them for your own reference and research.
For the two year Ayurvedic practitioner, you will study everything you need to begin your own Ayurveda practice.
Establish Yourself in Heart-Centered, Compassionate Service
At Alandi you will learn how to be a compassionate healer, able to connect to your patients on a deeper level and provide them with truly holistic support. Your own development and learning is supported through the cultivation of the seeds of stillness, altruism and compassionate service. You will get training in methods such as meditation and Non-Violent Communication to center your practice in the heart. Through the nurturing and rich atmosphere of a gurukula, you will blossom in your personal understandings, interpersonal skills and spiritual practice.
General Program Outline
“I couldn’t have imagined a more amazing place to study Ayurveda. At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, you truly become the family of the teacher. Alakananda Ma offers her whole heart, as well as all the skills and wisdom you need to share this ancient wisdom with the world. I feel profoundly equipped to be making a living through teaching and practicing Ayurveda, and for that I am incredibly grateful.””
The academic year is divided into two semesters, 15 weeks each, with typical holiday schedules observed. For the MAster Ayurvedic Practitioner porgram, you attend four days per week for an average of 24 credits per semester. These include two classroom days (16 hours) and two clinic days (16 hours). After the end of the spring semester, required clinic days continue until mid-June.
For the two-year Ayurvedic Practitioner program, you need only attend three days per week—Wednesday, Friday and either Tuesday or Thursday. You are still welcome to attend for days a week for double the clinical experience, at no extra cost.
The program is limited to 12 full time student apprentices. Class sizes are small, with mixed levels to maximize discussion, individual attention, and to increase learning potential. You’ll gain your clinic experience within a busy Ayurvedic general practice, seeing patients of all ages with every kind of condition.
After completing three semesters as an apprentice and lifestyle counselor, you’ll then spend 5 semesters seeing your own patients with supervision of clinical findings and treatment protocols (chikitsa).
For the Ayurvedic Practitioner program, you will spend your fourth and final semester seeing your own patients with supervision of clinical findings and treatment protocols (chikitsa).
Pulse Class. Photo Credit: The Daily Camera
Course Catalog
Please download a complete course catalog with course descriptions here.
Application
We welcome you to apply to join our gurukula! To begin, please learn more about our application policies and procedures here. Please mail all application materials to Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula, 2457 20th St, Boulder, CO 80304 or email digital copies to info@alandiashram.org
FAQs
What kind of certification will I earn when I graduate?
Upon graduating, you will earn a professional title as a Master Ayurvedic Practitioner. This title is recognized by NAMA (the National Ayurvedic Medical Association) at the Ayurvedic Doctor level and allows you to become a professional member at that level by sitting for the NAMA Certification Board's Ayurvedic Doctor exam.
Note that this title is NOT a doctoral degree. Regulations regarding your use of this title vary from state to state.
What kind of time commitment does this program require?
The program is a full-time commitment (32 hours per week). This is an intensive higher education program, so come prepared to study, work hard and learn a lot of great information. You should also expect to spend 1-2 hours per class per week outside of school on assignments, homework and studying.
Can I work while attending the program?
Since the program is a full-time commitment, it is not possible to work full-time while attending. Some of our student apprentices are able to work part-time schedules in addition to their classwork and clinical duties.
Can I attend the program-part time?
This program is designed to be completed in four years with full-time attendance (32 hours per week plus additional time for homework). It may be possible to attend part-time by taking longer than four years to complete the program. Please contact the main office to discuss your situation and see if this would be a good fit for you.
Can I attend the program online?
The program at Alandi is designed to be conducted entirely in-person, so generally online attendance is not permitted. During the COVID-19 pandemic we have made some accommodations for online attendance; please contact the main office for details.
Do you offer residential facilities?
Alandi does not offer residential facilities at this time.
Do you have a two-year practitioner program?
Yes, we have reinstated our two year practitioner progam by popular demand!
I am already an Ayurvedic Practitioner. May I transfer to the program to complete the Ayurvedic Doctor level?
Our curriculum is designed so that all of the knowledge that you need builds gradually and is spread out across the four years of study. As a practitioner, it may be possible to transfer on a part-time schedule for four years to complete the program requirements; please contact the main office to discuss your situation.
How can I contact the office if I have more questions?
Please call the office at 303-786-7437 or send an email to info@alandiashram.org and we will be happy to assist you!
“From the serene surroundings to the dedicated teachers and fellow students, every aspect of my time at the ashram contributed to my growth and learning in their 4-year Master Ayurvedic Practitioner program. The knowledge imparted to me during my studies has not only enriched my understanding of Ayurveda but has also touched my soul in ways I never imagined possible.
The practical experiences I gained honed my skills but also deepened my connection to the ancient healing traditions of Ayurveda. I left Alandi feeling equipped and inspired to share this sacred knowledge with others, knowing that I was part of a lineage that spans millennia.
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