The Holistic Ayurvedic Coach (HAC) certification is a 300-hour program designed for students who want to deepen their understanding of Ayurveda and begin supporting others through education, lifestyle guidance, and wellness coaching. Guided by classically trained Ayurvedic experts (Vaidyas) from Kerala, India, the home of authentic Ayurveda, the program combines time-honored teachings with a practical, accessible learning experience. Available online or in person. The next cohort begins October 2026.
My experience with the KAA program has been truly transformative. The classes were well-structured, the instructors deeply knowledgeable, and the community very supportive. I feel confident and inspired to carry this wisdom forward.
Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest systems of health and wellbeing. More than a collection of remedies, it offers a practical framework for understanding how food, lifestyle, environment, and daily habits influence our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Ayurveda is a complete framework for understanding the body, the mind, and their relationship to food, sleep, stress, the seasons, and the different stages of life. Rather than focusing on isolated symptoms, it looks at patterns, balance, and the whole person.
Many of Ayurveda's most powerful tools are already part of daily life: what we eat, when we sleep, how we move, and the routines we follow. Small, consistent choices, applied with awareness, can have a profound impact over time.
For thousands of years, Ayurveda has helped people understand digestion, sleep, energy, resilience, and overall wellbeing. The principles continue to be studied, practiced, and passed from teacher to student today, making Ayurveda both an ancient tradition and a living system of knowledge.
Authentic lineage, experienced faculty, meaningful mentorship, and a global community of students and alumni. These are the foundations that shape the learning experience at Kerala Ayurveda Academy.
Our faculty includes BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery - India) trained Vaidyas who bring both teaching and clinical experience to the classroom. In addition to guiding students, many continue to work directly with clients through Kerala Ayurveda Wellness Centers, bringing real-world perspective to the material they teach.
Your access doesn't end when the program does. Graduates retain access to recorded sessions, course materials, and the eLearning library, making it easy to revisit concepts, refresh your understanding, and continue learning long after the cohort concludes.
Learning Ayurveda involves more than completing modules. Throughout the program, you'll have opportunities to learn directly from experienced faculty through group mentoring sessions designed to support questions, discussion, and practical application of the material.
When you enroll, you become part of a growing community of students, alumni, practitioners, and faculty across the United States, India, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and beyond. Through discussion boards, continuing education, events, and professional connections, the learning continues long after graduation.
Some are exploring a new professional path. Others want deeper personal study. Many discover they're looking for both.
You work in wellness, healthcare, or coaching and want to expand your understanding through a structured Ayurvedic framework. Yoga teachers, health coaches, nurses, and integrative practitioners often choose HAC as the first step toward formal Ayurvedic study, with pathways that can continue into AHC and beyond.
Many students in this group come from Indian or South Asian backgrounds and are choosing to study Ayurveda in a structured, formal way for the first time. HAC offers guidance from faculty trained in Kerala’s classical system, helping bring clarity and depth to something that already feels familiar.
You’ve learned through books, podcasts, online teachings, or personal practice and are ready for a grounded foundation. HAC brings coherence to what you’ve been exploring while also supporting your daily wellbeing. Many students begin here for personal reasons and naturally find the learning expands into how they support family, friends, and community.
Three recent HAC graduates, in their own words.
Kerala Ayurveda Academy provides students with a well-rounded, deeply educational, and inspiring curriculum. The Vaidyas are extremely knowledgeable, professional, and patient in their instruction. After every weekend intensive I am left with the same feeling I have after a healthy meal: satisfied, well-balanced, and ready for what's next!
Studying with the teachers at Kerala Ayurveda Academy was a truly meaningful experience. The curriculum is very well structured, and I was able to immediately apply what I learned in my own life and begin supporting a few people with their lifestyle and dietary habits. The mentorship was excellent—I felt well supported, and my mentor was always prompt and thoughtful in answering my questions.
Overall, sincere and heartfelt gratitude to Vaidya Jayarajan Kodikannath for bringing this ancient science to regular folks like us, from the comfort of our homes. You and all the Vaidyas' experiences in India– as recognized Ayurvedic medical providers– made the information all the more valuable. Thank you Kerala Ayurveda team!
This program focuses on understanding Ayurveda through direct application. Each concept is designed to be usable in your daily routine and personal wellbeing.
Students come to HAC with different goals, and the learning often unfolds in different ways. Some focus on personal wellbeing, some bring Ayurveda into their existing work, and others continue into professional training.
Many students enroll primarily for themselves. They use Ayurveda to better understand their own digestion, sleep, energy, stress, and daily routines, and often find the knowledge naturally extends to supporting family and loved ones. You don't need professional goals for this training to be meaningful.
Some graduates go on to offer Ayurvedic lifestyle and wellness coaching. They work with clients around daily routines, food, stress management, sleep, seasonal living, and habit change through an Ayurvedic lens. This is a coaching scope, not clinical practice.
Yoga teachers, health coaches, nurses, therapists, bodyworkers, and other wellness professionals often use HAC to deepen what they already offer. Ayurvedic principles can complement existing skills while remaining within the scope of your current profession.
HAC can also serve as the starting point for deeper professional study. The first six modules transfer directly into our Ayurvedic Health Counselor (AHC) program, creating a pathway into advanced Ayurvedic education for students who wish to continue.
Through six interconnected modules, you'll build a strong foundation in Ayurvedic principles, lifestyle practices, assessment, coaching skills, and practical application. Learning is supported through weekend intensives, virtual classes, group mentoring, recorded lessons, and guided assignments throughout the program.
Begin your education with an introduction to the 5,000-year-old history and philosophy of Ayurveda. The three universal energies (Doshas) and five fundamental elements (Mahabhutas) are the starting point for any Ayurvedic student. This leads to an understanding of the 20 foundational qualities of life (Gunas), the key to health. The application of these guiding principles will also be covered as it relates to the concepts of physiological disposition (Prakruti), imbalance (Vikruti) and Dynamic Balance.
Additional topics include:
Ayurvedic Physiology is designed to describe the subtle energies and foundational structures of the human body. Ayurveda explains the formation and structure of the seven tissues of the body in detail. This course will cover the details of these seven tissues and offer a deeper look into how they work cohesively to form the structure and function of the human body.
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Ayurvedic Psychology offers a fascinating look into the psychology of the human being from a cosmological and energetic perspective. This course will cover the three Gunas and how they are fundamental for understanding the mind and emotions. Additionally, the Ayurvedic study of how energy moves through the body is powerful and important to fully understand holistic human health. This course will cover the chakras and how to keep them healthy as well as the physical energy centers (Marmas) and their role in health and disease.
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Ayurvedic Nutrition & Cooking places an emphasis on foods that ground the soul, nourish the body and delight the senses. This is a fun course with in-person cooking demonstrations teaching how to prepare simple, nutritious and sensually gratifying meals. Ayurvedic cooking is aimed at pleasing all five senses and experiencing all six tastes. This course will also review techniques for maximum nutrient absorption and explain how that relates to a balanced digestive system.
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Ayurvedic Prevention Science provides a comprehensive blueprint for daily and seasonal living to maintain optimal health, year-round. This can be done by learning the ideal Ayurvedic daily routine (Dinacharya) to live a balanced life and maximize effectiveness of your efforts.
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Ayurveda and Yoga will focus on understanding the principles of Yoga in connection with the Ayurvedic concepts. The course will begin with a detailed understanding of the eight limbs of Yoga and the koshas in connection with Yoga and Ayurveda. This course will also teach students how to customize each yoga practice based on the individual’s constitution.
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Plus on-demand recorded lectures and assignments through the eLearning portal — 24/7 access, self-paced, all live sessions recorded for replay.
Choose the learning format that works best for you. Attend in person at our Academy & Wellness Center in Milpitas CA, or join live online from anywhere. New session beginning October 2026.
Learning takes place through Weekend Intensives, Tuesday Virtual Classes, group mentoring sessions, and a Clinical Practicum. All live sessions are recorded and available for replay.
Study with fellow students from diverse backgrounds who share an interest in Ayurveda. Discussion, mentorship, and shared learning are woven throughout the program experience.
Upon successful completion, you'll receive Kerala Ayurveda Academy's Holistic Ayurvedic Coach (HAC) certification and become part of our growing community of students and alumni.
Kerala Ayurveda Academy is guided by BAMS-trained Ayurvedic Vaidyas who come from India’s traditional system of Ayurvedic education and practice. They help shape the curriculum, oversee the academic experience, and teach core Weekend Intensives alongside an experienced faculty of practitioners, mentors, and educators.
BAMS is the Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery, India's accredited university degree spanning Ayurvedic theory, classical texts, anatomy, pharmacology, and clinical training.
BAMS from Mahatma Gandhi University in Kerala. Trained clinically in India's traditional Ayurvedic wellness system. Former board member of NAMA and CAAM, and on Bastyr University's Expert Curriculum Committee for the Master's in Ayurveda program. Builds and oversees the HAC curriculum.
Grew up in a family where her grandfather was a well-known Ayurvedic physician. Ran her own clinic in Bangalore for 12 years as an authorized Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala dealer. Specializes in allergic, skin, digestive, joint, and autoimmune disorders.
Former faculty in the Ophthalmology and ENT departments at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala. AWP-certified through Kerala Ayurveda Academy. She specializes in preventive care, autoimmune disorders, skin and joint health, and pediatric nutrition.
Master's in Ayurvedic Surgery, with PhD research at Gujarat Ayurveda University, Jamnagar. A decade in Indian Government Hospitals and 5 years as a Lecturer in Ayurveda (UG and PG). Subject editor for the International Journal for AYUSH Case Reports. Specializes in orthopaedic management and para-surgical procedures.
Many students enroll because they want to help others. What often surprises them is how quickly they begin applying Ayurveda to their own lives. As the program unfolds, students frequently find themselves rethinking daily routines, food choices, sleep habits, and the rhythms that shape their wellbeing.
Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, but a shared interest in Ayurveda creates meaningful connections. Through classes, mentoring, discussion, and continued learning opportunities, many graduates remain connected long after the program ends.
For some students, HAC is a complete and fulfilling course of study. Others discover a desire to continue learning and choose to pursue Ayurvedic Health Counselor (AHC), Practitioner (AP), or Advanced Ayurvedic Practitioner (AAP) training. The path unfolds differently for everyone.
Whether you prefer to pay in full or spread tuition across the program, flexible payment plans are available.
Ayurveda is a vast and complete system of health, offering a depth of knowledge that can be explored at many levels. HAC provides a strong foundation in its principles and practical application. Some students find that foundation meets their goals. Others feel called to continue their studies through AHC and beyond. Because foundational coursework transfers directly, you can begin your journey without needing to map out every step ahead.
You've done the comparison work. Now talk to someone who can answer the specific questions your research raised — about cohorts, scholarships, transfer credits, your career goals, or whether HAC is the right starting point for you.
