The Advanced Apprenticeship will not be offered in 2021.
2022 course offerings will be available in September of 2021.
This course is open to those who have taken The Art of Home Herbalism or to students who have completed a comparable course of study with another herbalist.
With an introductory foundation in plant medicine, the body and energetics already in place, this course dives into the depths of constitutional medicine using the tools and wisdom of Ayurveda – the 5,000 year old healing tradition of India. The tools of Ayurveda offer the opportunity to move past seeing health as a series of diseases and symptoms to an understanding of the unique constitution of each individual. With this authentic assessment in place, there is the opportunity to support balance and optimal health of mind, body and spirit through diet, herbs and lifestyle. In this course, we will learn the basic philosophical and energetic underpinnings of Ayurveda including the 3 Gunas, the 5 elements and the 3 Doshas and how they manifest in balance and imbalance; in the universe, plants and the human body. We will focus on the use of herbs from the western material medica, adding the energetics and applications of the Ayurvedic perspective. During the later part of the course students will have the opportunity to complete community intakes and present those case studies to the group for feedback and support.
Regardless of your future goals, adding Ayurveda to your herbal practice will refine and hone your skills and dramatically improve the accuracy of your ability to assess and offer support. This course is inspirational and will nurture the deepest part of yourself as the keeper of your own health as well as that of your community.
Topics Will Include:
- Introduction to Ayurvedic philosophy.
- Thorough analysis of the primary energetic forces of Ayurveda: The Gunas, elements and Doshas.
- Energetics of plants, people and illness/imbalances.
- Materia medica of western herbs through an Ayurvedic lens.
- Seasonal self-care for all constitutional types including diet, lifestyle and herbal support.
- Herbal formulary.
- Assessment and intake tools.
- Creating thorough and sustainable support protocols for clients and community members.
- Follow up strategies and approaches for working with clients.
- Case study presentation and feedback.
Through required readings, students will also review anatomy and physiology as well as continue to develop in-depth materia medica knowledge.
Required Reading
- Earthwise Herbal: Guide to New World Medicinal Plants, Matthew Wood
- Earthwise Herbal: Guide to Old World Medicinal Plants, Matthew Wood
- Holistic Anatomy, Pip Waller
- Dispensing with Tradition, Anne McIntyre and Michelle Boudin
- The Ayurveda Bible, Anne McIntyre
Note about the readings: Dispensing with Tradition is available primarily through Anne McIntyre’s personal website. Including shipping, it is approximately 60 US dollars. If you would like to wait and order this, or any of the other books, until after the course begins, you are welcome to. For students who find this book cost prohibative, The Yoga of Herbs may be a suitable substitute. These books will all be viewed and discussed at our first class meeting.
A certificate is awarded upon completion of the course.
Reflections on my journey with Ayurveda:
The first time I heard Anne McIntyre talk about Ayurveda I felt an instant connection. I understood and remembered everything she said and was able to apply it immediately. The use of Ayurveda in my herbal practice has increased my effectiveness and confidence tremendously. Everything in Ayurveda is rooted in the prime qualities (The Gunas) and the elements – forces of nature that are apparent in all things. Ayurvedic philosophy and practice has offered me a way to connect my own ancestral earth-based spirituality with a well documented and time-honored healing modality. I am beyond grateful and in humble awe of the history and system of Ayurveda – those who have continually developed and practiced it, written it down and recorded it, and shared it with a larger audience inside and outside its ancestral Indian homeland. History of colonization and oppression can make it feel hard and complicated to use this system. I try to hold these feelings and this constant reality alongside my gratitude and appreciation. I honor this lineage, the brilliance, its multifaceted history and I mourn the oppression it has faced at the hands of Western colonization – I offer my own grief and my gratitude. Each day, it is my intention to use and share Ayurveda in a way that serves the greatest good.
I am very grateful to my mentors and teachers of Ayurveda, Anne McIntyre and Candis Cantin Kiriajes, and their lineage of passed wisdom and knowledge.
2020: One Tuesday per month, 9:30 – 3:30 pm, April through December.
Tuesday dates: April 7, May 12, June 2, July 14, August 11, September 1, October 6, November 3, December 8.
This class will be offered only once in 2020 – register early to save yourself a spot!
Once class dates are set, changes are unlikely but possible and will only be made if absolutely necessary. If you are registered for a class and a date change needs to be made, you will be individually informed as soon as possible.
All classes will be held at the Thyme Herbal classroom and gardens in Conway, Ma.
What if I have to miss a class?
Most students will have to miss at least one class over the course of the year. This is understandable and acceptable. Brittany can provide some materials to help you make up what you have missed, including reading assignments and activities. Students can coordinate with one another to get notes from missed classes.
Cost and Payment Details
Cost: $895, payment plans available.
Classes include potluck lunches and herbs for medicine making.
Payment Plan Options
Deposit of $265 due upon registration. Deposits are non-refundable and required to hold your spot in the class.
Payment Plan Option A: Following $265 deposit, student will make 2, $315 payments. Payment 1: $315, due on or before May 2020 class meeting. Payment 2: $315, due on or before August 2020 class meeting.
Payment Plan Option B: Following $265 deposit, student will make a total of 9, $70 payments to be paid at each class meeting.
