ABOUT

We offer 3-6 week program for students. “Live and study with practicing physicians at an authentic treatment center surrounded by nature in Ayurveda’s homeland.”

Your venue

The Clinical Ayurveda Internship at Vaidyagrama Healing Village is an opportunity for advanced students of Ayurveda to immerse in a multi-faceted learning experience right in the heart of India’s village life. You will spend the time living, learning, and practicing Ayurveda supported by a team of dedicated physicians, therapists and practitioners devoted to the heart and science of this ancient healing system.

​We believe that Ayurveda is truly learned in the experiential mode. Hence at Vaidyagrama, our endeavor is to make learning a 24-hours-a-day relaxed learning experience rather than a limited classroom experience. You will become one of the family, engaged in every aspect of community life, learning from senior and junior physicians via classroom teaching, herb walks, medicine making, and service in the surrounding community.
The term “Gurukula” means clan or family of the teacher, and it implies a particular relationship between the student and teacher based on personal trust and faith in the learning process itself. Being in the presence of the teacher is primary, not reaching specific defined outcomes.
The tradition of Ayurveda is deeply rooted in this style of education, which can create new opportunities for growth and evolution for the student on multiple levels of being. For those accustomed to a more linear learning style, however, the unpredictable nature of learning this way can feel somewhat unsettling. It requires trust and reliance on the flow of the process.

Topics Of Study

Housed in a robust panchakarma treatment center attracting a diverse patient population, the Clinical Internship program offers the opportunity to deepen your knowledge of a wide variety of topics relevant to the science and art of Ayurveda. Our curriculum includes the following components:

• Linking Ancient Texts (selected content from the Ashtanga Hridayam) of Ayurveda to your modern clinic
• Patient Care: observation of senior physicians with residential panchakarma patients
• Herbology
• Medicine Making
• Basic Panchakarma Theory & Therapies
• Cooking for Health & Healing
• Organic Gardening & Permaculture
• Seva (Free Medical Camp, Village Meal Program, temple service, and other service opportunities)

Special rituals

Vaidyagrama is dedicated to the practice of spiritual and tantric rituals, periodically immersing in Vedic traditions. These rituals not only foster focus, inner peace, and serenity but also serve as a profound catalyst for self-discovery, exploration, and the acquisition of wisdom. The sacred ceremonies conducted within the sanctuary of Vaidyagrama form a bridge between ancient wisdom and contemporary seekers, offering a transformative journey towards holistic well-being and spiritual enlightenment.

Program Format

• Each day will include a variety of learning opportunities including discussion, lecture, experiential learning, demonstration, and personal practice. Students will have group classes as well as paired/individual teaching or clinical observation.
• Our classroom component will be anchored by an exploration of the ancient texts of Ayurveda, chiefly the Astanga Hrdayam. One of our senior physicians will guide the students through chosen chapters, providing interpretation and relevant clinical examples from personal experience.
• Students will also learn the basic theory behind panchakarma treatment, including the primary “karmas” or actions, and the rationale for the most common hands-on therapies conducted at Vaidyagrama hospital.

• In addition to classroom learning, students will rotate through several experiential learning components. Each student will be assigned to 2-4 patients and will be involved in their care throughout the patients’ admission. Students will visit the patients with their physicians on rounds, assist in making the medicine for those patients, study the herbs involved in those preparations, and learn the purpose and actions of their therapies.
• Outside of patient care, students will also learn aspects of organic gardening and permaculture as carried out in Vaidyagrama’s extensive herb and vegetable gardens. There will be cooking lessons focused on preparing sattvic, fresh, vegetarian meals.
• Students will also be encouraged and supported to develop their own dinacharya, or daily personal care routine, to integrate what they are learning into their own lived experience. This may include practicing Agni Hotra fire ceremony, Hatha yoga, pranayama and body care.
• Our emphasis is on experiential learning designed to expose students to the broad scope of Ayurveda and what is possible in Ayurveda treatment. This program does not equip students to perform panchakarma therapies, nor to prescribe herbal formulations, which require more extensive specific training than the breadth of this program allows.

Daily Schedule

• This program is intensive and immersive in nature. Each day will be filled with a variety of learning experiences, yet the precise content, curriculum and structure will depend partly on the patients who are in residence at that time and other variable influences.
• Classes will be held Monday through Friday and some Saturdays, with most Sundays free for rest, integration, and excursions to experience the surrounding areas.
• The sample class day outlined below provides a sense of the intensity and variety of a typical day in our program. It is just an example, and some days will vary considerably from this model.

​Sample Day

Vaidyagrama is a dynamic place, and engaging in learning here requires flexibility and a willingness to go with the flow. While the information provided here is intended to give you as clear a sense as possible of what you can expect, you must be ready to experience the unexpected!

1. 0500 Personal dinacharya practice. 
2. 0615 Group Chanting and Meditation. Selected days have Agni Hotra Fire Ceremony, 
3. 0800 Breakfast.
4. 0830 Rounding with doctors on patient visits
5. 1030 Case discussion with allocated Medical Officer.
6. 1130 Supervised Case Presentation and discussion among student clusters.
7. 1300 Lunch.
8. 1400 Classes on selected topics such as Tongue diagnosis, five elements constitution, Mind-Body medicine etc.
9. 1600 Plant walk with doctors in herb garden / Medicine: making for assigned patient.
10. 1700 Afternoon Tea.
11. 1815 Group Chanting, Agnihotra, Bhagavadseva
12. 1930 Dinner.
13. 2013 Question-Answer Session optional.

our team

Admission Criteria

The application process consists of the following 3 steps:

1. Submission of a written application including:
   • Application form
   • Academic letter of recommendation
   • Video statement of interest
   • $50 non-refundable application fee
2. Personal interview with a Vaidyagrama Coordinator via video-teleconference (after acceptance of written application)
3. Payment of a non-refundable deposit to hold your spot (after full acceptance into the program)

Written Application

• The written application allows us to gather relevant information about your background and intentions for participating in the program. Please take some time with the questions, as we are interested to know more about you to ensure a good fit with our unique immersive environment.
• You must also submit one letter of recommendation from an academic teacher/professor or a supervisor/mentor who has been involved in your Ayurveda education thus far. We also request a brief video statement of interest, in which you tell us in your own words why you are interested in our program. The non-refundable USD$50 application fee covers the expenses incurred to review each application.

Download the written application form and instructions for submission here:

Personal Interview
After your application has been reviewed and conditionally approved,

• Our Program Coordinators will contact you to schedule a video-conference interview (via Zoom). This is a required step in order to be considered for the program. In the written application, you will be asked to indicate what days/times you can be available for the interview.
• The interview is an opportunity for us to get to know you beyond your written materials, to understand your learning priorities, and to make sure we will be able to meet your needs during the program.

Deposit
Upon acceptance into the program,

• You must submit a USD$500 deposit to hold your spot.
• All final balances must be paid on the day of arrival.

Program Cost

• Please contact us.

What’s Included in Program Cost?

• All hours of classroom instruction, observation, and hands-on training
• Double accommodations with western-style bathroom for the duration
• 3 simple vegetarian meals each day 
• Field trips to visit medicine manufacturing unit, local temples, village medical camp, etc.
• Selected volumes of English translations of the ancient texts of Ayurveda (yours to take home with you)
• Airport transfer from/to Coimbatore Airport in Tamil Nadu at beginning and end of program

What’s Not Included in Program Cost?

• Airfare to and from Vaidyagrama
• International visa fees or other personal travel-associated expenses
• Optional local weekend excursions
• Any food purchased off-site on field trips or shopping excursions

Your application

APPLICATION FOR
​Ayurvedic Internship Program
​at Vaidyagrama Healing Village

For groups of 10-20 participants, spanning 3-6 weeks. Specific conditions apply

Admission Procedure:

1. Registration Fee: Each participant is required to submit a non-refundable $50 registration fee.
2. Formal Interview: Arrange and complete a Zoom interview with our Admissions team.
3. Tuition Deposit: Secure enrollment with a $500 tuition deposit per participant.
4. Acceptance Letter: Upon fulfilling all prerequisites, you will receive an official Acceptance Letter.
5. Balance Payment: Complete the remaining fee by August 1.

Necessary Documents:

1. Transcript from Ayurveda Training program or equivalent education/experience
2. 3-5 minute video: "Why are you interested in this program and what makes you a good fit?"
3. Resume/CV detailing academic, employment, and volunteer history
4. Reference Letter from a professional acquainted with your Ayurvedic expertise.

Contact and Personal Information:

1. Name of the Institution or Person applying:
2. Phone Numbers:
3. Email:
4. Postal Address:
5. If person, preferred Name:
6. If institution, the contact person:
   
7. If person, citizenship:
8. If person, Age and gender:
9. If person, birthdate:
10. If person, other current activities: 
    

All participants must submit the response to the following questions each in 300+ words: 

1. What sparked your interest in studying Ayurveda?
2. What are your expectations from the Vaidyagrama Internship program?
3. How do you envision applying Ayurveda in your future?
4. What are the similarities and differences between Ayurveda and Western science? 

Submission:
Send any documents to > Geetha Mohandas <geetha@punarnava.org>
Thank you for applying.
We will be in contact with further instructions soon.

our recent Program Coordinators

Emily Glaser, RN, BSN

Emily Glaser holds a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing with a specialization in Neuroscience and Hospice. Interested in world medicine she worked internationally in China and Nepal with Global Volunteer Network, Cambodia with Angkor Hospital for Children and Tanzania with St. Lucia Nursing Home. After Emily quenched her thirst for world travel she graduated with a degree in Culinary Arts and started her journey into the deep and profound science of Ayurveda. In 2009, Emily had the great honor to study under Dr. Vasant Lad at The Ayurvedic Institute, USA. Shortly after, she spent 6 months at Vaidyagrama where she furthered her study of Ayurveda and Panchakarma therapy. Emily has been a student of Indian Astrology for 10 years in the lineage of Hart de Fouw, under the tutelage of Penny Farrow. Emily teaches internationally and carries a deep and profound respect for the vedic sciences.

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Ivy Ingram, MA, AP

Ivy Ingram is an Ayurveda practitioner and yoga teacher with a master’s degree in counseling psychology. She received her Ayurveda certification from Dr. Vasant Lad after a 2-year clinical training program at the Ayurvedic Institute in New Mexico, USA. She has also served as a faculty member at the Ayurvedic Institute. In 2011, she spent 6 months at Vaidyagrama deepening her understanding of Ayurveda. She is also a certified advanced Hatha yoga teacher and has taught yoga in a variety of health care settings. She teaches and consults with clients online and in Durham, North Carolina, USA.

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