Ayurveda: An Integrative and Natural Wellness Approach

Home

Blog

Ayurveda: an integrative and natural wellness approach

Anuradha Gupta

Today, more than 38% of Americans are turning to natural healthcare approaches which aren’t part of conventional medicine and are complementary (used along with) or alternative (used instead of). These include Ayurveda, nutrition, psychotherapy, physical rehabilitation, naturopathy, chiropractic, massage therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, yoga, and meditation.

Integrative healthcare combines mainstream medicine and natural wellness and is widely used in areas like pain management and in affecting long-term health and wellness changes in people’s lifestyles, rather than merely providing symptomatic relief.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda or the “Science of Life” is an ancient medical practice recognized by the World Health Organization. It is a holistic, natural, personalized, traditional science of mind-body-spirit wellness focusing on prevention and management of disease by addressing the root cause. It is growing in popularity in the US and is highly relevant with 6 in 10 people in America suffering from lifestyle-based disorders (type-2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, lung and kidney disorders and certain forms of cancer) which are the leading cause of death, disability and healthcare costs in the nation.

How does Ayurveda fit into the Medical Landscape

In India, Ayurveda is considered a conventional form of medical care and in the US, it is a form of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) . In the US, it is a legal but unlicensed healthcare practice. The scope of practice is based on the legal requirements of each state. In 11 Health Freedom states, you can practice as an independent Ayurvedic professional and in other states, you can conduct lifestyle and preventive health-based classes on Ayurvedic principles or practice under the auspices of other licensed healthcare providers.

NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association) and other organizations have been diligently working to make Ayurveda a licensed practice. NAMA creates guidelines for participating schools offering educational programs so that students receiving Ayurvedic certifications meet expected competencies. They also offer rigorous exams for board certifications, provide continuing education opportunities and ethics training.

Becoming an Ayurvedic Professional

Students can study to become Ayurvedic Coaches, Counselors, Practitioners, Doctors, Panchakarma Technicians or Ayurvedic Yoga Therapists. Certifications are earned by completing a series of classes, workshops, projects, practicals and internships. Successful graduates move on to pursue many career paths including integrative or stand-alone practices, teaching, writing, bodywork services and product manufacturing.

Choosing a school is a very important first step. Kerala Ayurveda Academy (KAA), provides the highest standards of Ayurvedic education, consultations and products . Ayurvedic study at KAA includes:

A heritage of over 77 years of being the most awarded Ayurvedic company with a full spectrum of academies, products, research, clinics, hospitals, resorts and services
Professional Ayurvedic certifications , workshops and programs for all levels
NAMA approved curriculum and quality training at par with Indian universities
Online study and in-person modules with real-time interaction with faculty, students and mentors
Course access via an eLearning platform with continued availability of content following graduation
Clinical internships (US and India) preparing students to be confident in combining traditional knowledge with a modern, scientific approach to clinical practice
Highly experienced Ayurvedic Vaidyas and professionals with extensive clinical, practical and research experience
Access to an extensive range of high quality products (California Proposition 65 approved for utmost clarity) offered by the online Kerala Ayurveda Store

In a world where stress, conflict, lifestyle-based, auto-immune and metabolic disorders abound, what would be a higher Dharma than to work towards the healing of the planet and nature?

Interested in studying Ayurveda, sourcing products or seeking a health consultation? To find out more visit our website or contact our enrollment counselors .

About Author

Anuradha Gupta

Anuradha Gupta is a Certified Ayurvedic Doctor and 200 Hour Yoga Teacher (200-RYT). She has been practicing at her own set-up, Ayurvedic Footprints since 2018. Anu has been writing on Ayurveda and other subjects close to her heart like sustainability, for Art of Living, Sri Sri Tattva, and Art of Living Retreat Center since 2018. In 2020, she became a Content Specialist at Kerala Ayurveda and is now an AP Mentor. Anu’s great grandmother was an Ayurvedic Vaidya and continued practice in her village despite a colonial ban; the lineage was broken during India’s partition and revived now! Ayurveda benefited Anu’s own life greatly; she wants to give back to the community and enjoys the study, practice and teaching of Ayurveda and bringing its principles to people. Anu studied Engineering at BITS (Pilani, India) and MBA at IIFT (New Delhi, India). A pedigree education was followed by a decade-long corporate career including teaching at a business school. Subsequently she gravitated towards the practice of meditation and yoga to deal with debilitating stress. Along her journey, she got involved with various practices like TA and Reiki and numerous nonprofits such as WWF, Amnesty International, Asha and Art of Living Foundation. She now lives in California with her husband, has two children (Ms and lovely cats). Service is Anu’s calling, and she continues to volunteer with many organizations including the Art of Living and Project Welcome Home Troops, is a Board Member of PFLAG SRV and a former NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association) DEI committee member. Anu hopes to leave the world a better place than she found it through the practice of Ayurveda and allied Vedic sciences.

View Profile