California College of Ayurveda

Additional Training Locations in Cerritos (So. CA) and San Francisco, CA.

California College of Ayurveda

Bringing The Wisdom of Ayurveda to the West
Offering full-time and weekend programs as well as our new distance learning option for those unable to attend regular classes in California.

The California College of Ayurveda (CCA) is the oldest state-approved college for the study of Ayurveda in America. The College was founded by Dr. Marc Halpern in 1995 with the support of Dr. David Frawley and several prominent teachers of Ayurveda from India. Today the California College of Ayurveda is the largest, most successful college for the study of Ayurveda in the United States and has earned an affiliation with the prestigious Gujarat Ayurveda University in India.

The CCA has three physical locations. Our home campus is in the beautiful foothills of the Sierra mountain range in Grass Valley, California. Satellite sites are located in Cerritos(Southern California) and in San Francisco. Distance learning students may live anywhere, as only very brief attendance in Grass Valley is required.

Vision

The California College of Ayurveda is dedicated to providing the highest quality education, health care, and research in the field of Ayurveda. We train students to become the healers of the future, practitioners dedicated to understanding the whole person physically, emotionally and spiritually. From this understanding, practitioners will be able to identify areas of disharmony between a client's actions, his or her constitution, and the environment. Practitioners will then understand how this disharmony relates to the client's illness or imbalance, and will develop a program of care to re-establish harmony and support their client on his or her journey toward optimal health.

Ayurvedic Educational Programs

Ayurvedic Health Educator (Level one - 543 Hours)

Graduates of the first level of the CCA training program become certified Ayurvedic Health Educators. Level one of the CCA training programs takes 10 months to complete in our weekend and distance learning formats. It takes five months when enrolled full time. Level one training covers all of the fundamental principles of Ayurvedic medicine. Ayurvedic Health Educators incorporate their Ayurvedic training into other health-related professions and/or provide their communities with general educational programs in Ayurvedic health care for the purpose of promoting health and well-being.

Ayurvedic Health Practitioner (Level two - 1425 Total Hours)

Graduates who complete the second level of the CCA Ayurvedic training program become Ayurvedic Health Practitioners. Level two takes an additional 16 months to complete in our weekend and distance learning formats and 11 months in our full time format. Level two training includes training in the understanding and management of common diseases of each system of the body. This level of training culminates with a six-month clinical internship that can be performed on site in Grass Valley or in your local community. Upon graduation, Certified Ayurvedic Health Practitioners are prepared to go into private practice and provide Ayurvedic health services to their community.

Ayurvedic Health Practitioners understand their client physically, emotionally, and spiritually. From this understanding, a C.A.S. identifies the client's constitution and the nature of any imbalances, and then designs a treatment program using diet, herbs, colors, aromas, sound, pancha karma, yoga and meditation. One part healer, one part counselor, one part coach and one part guide, an Ayurvedic Health Practitioner helps people create the optimal conditions for healing, balance and harmony in their body and in their lives.

Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist Residency (Level three - 1732 Total Hours)

Clinical Ayurvedic Specialists (C.A.S.) are the most thoroughly-trained practitioners in the field of Ayurveda in the United States. To become a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist graduates must participate in a six-month post-graduate residency training program at the California College of Ayurveda's community health care clinic or participate in another approved residency training program. Residents provide complete Ayurvedic health care to the community including the management of disease.

Residents work with and under the supervision of Dr. Marc Halpern, the College's founder and director and his trained staff. While students pay a tuition fee to participate in this program, they are also paid for the services they provide. This is the single best training in the country for students and practitioners who wish to be as competent and as successful as possible. Students participate in monthly weekend classes and discussion in case management. Clinical Ayurvedic Specialists are the healers of the future, using principles from the past to help people achieve balance, harmony and health in the present.

Professional Opportunities

Today we enjoy a rare opportunity to participate in the rebirth of this ancient Ayurvedic healing science as it evolves into a primary healing system for the new millennium. Founded on the wholeness of mind, body, and spirit, the art and science of Ayurveda is emerging as an important health care option in the West. Our graduates are at the forefront, playing a vital role in the development of this new profession.

California College of Ayurveda graduates have many options for using their training in the field of holistic health and education. Ayurvedic Health Practitioners and Clinical Ayurvedic Specialists may choose to enter into private practice, join other health care practitioners at a wellness center, teach public education classes on Ayurvedic principles, supervise a pancha karma center, and teach at an Ayurvedic college, or conduct workshops and seminars. All graduates who are already licensed health care providers may use their Ayurvedic training to enhance their current health care practices. All graduates have the unique opportunity to decide in what way they will use their education to serve their community and the planet.

Contact Us Today!

If you are interested in any of our programs and would like to find out more, please Request Information.

For more information, visit the home page of the California College of Ayurveda.