Ashtanga Hridayam: a special learning tool

The Ashtanga Hridayam is in fact so logically built up – as a complete textbook of Ayurveda – that even today it can serve perfectly as a teaching and learning tool for a modern day Ayurveda student who also wants to apply this knowledge in the present world and life. Nevertheless, all the ancient texts themselves say that an experienced teacher is necessary to explain the texts, and that without this it is not possible to get to the core of those teachings. This fits into the old Gurukula tradition of teacher and disciple, where the teacher is actively involved in helping the students to evolve through all the stages of learning these intricate vedic sciences such as Yoga, Ayurveda, etcetera. The Ashtanga Hridayam is built up in such a way that it helps understanding the crucial order in approaching many aspects of life, as well as of clinical matters. Dr. Vijith and Dr. Vidya are fully experienced in working with this text in this beautiful way, which is a very unique asset. They teach from the Ashtanga Hridayam in full congruence with this principle and this makes the learning experience deep and effective, also on a personal development level – both as an individual as well as a (future) clinician.

Read more on our 3-week Video Class Ashtanga Hridayam Retreat in India - January 2013:

www.ayurvedicstudies.nl

Students at SreeKrishna Clinic for internship and Dr. Vijith explaining leech therapy

Theory and practice in our Video Class retreat - January 2013

The practical purpose of this retreat will be to infuse the participants with a maximum of good and deep material straight from the Ashtanga Hridayam – through the excellent video classes with Dr. Vijith as well as assignments to activate your own understanding – and to let this material immediately come alive – or see it demonstrated – in a very real, live clinical setting – through a practical and demonstration part of each day (in the afternoon) in the Sree Krishna Clinic of Dr. Vijith and Dr. Vidya. There will be patients there – treated in the clinic – and there will be the daily activities of preparing the right foods, making medicines, doing rituals, etcetera. In this way we want to give you the opportunity to in fact ‘breathe in’ all the knowledge – theory and practice hand in hand. By the end of this retreat you will be able to apply – on a deep practical level –many of the very core ayurvedic principles and concepts in your own life and in any level of practice you are currently involved in. Practicing afterward what you will have learned in these 21 days of solid infusion, will bring you important rewards: working with an authentic ayurvedic approach consistently, will bring anyone deep and thorough results, wisdom and wealth – according to the old texts!

Resort in Kumarakom - location Pre-Retreat Program:
Ayurveda, Yoga and Sanskrit Basics Retreat

  See www.ayurvedicstudies.nl

On the value of studying the ancient texts: AAS retreat in India

The ancients texts of Ayurveda have long been the ultimate resource for teaching as well as learning within the millenia old tradition of this healing science of life. The texts themselves are considered authoritative and to some extent also complete in themselves. This particularly counts for the Brihat Trayam – the Big Three – texts: Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam. Each of those texts can be studied independently as complete ‘study tracks’. The Ashtanga Hridayam is a special text in itself, as it is said to represent the essential teaching form the other two, and this in a very condensed and logically built up structure – written in poetry to remember it more effectively and to even deeper penetrate the consciousness of the student. In order to stay in line with this tradition, the Aacedmy of Ayurvedic Studies have started a beautiful project of making short, condensed, inspiring video classes with Dr. Vijith explaining the crux of each of the first 15 chapters of the Ashtanga Hridayam of Vagbhata. We now have a completed series of 2 preparatory video class lessons, followed by 15 exquisite video class lessons on those first 15 chapters – which together give a wealth of useful, practical and inspiring information.

see full brochure:

Open publication - Free publishing - More ayurveda

A unique retreat in India: 21 days of learning - Ashtanga Hridayam - video classes - practicals - yoga - fire ceremonies.

In January 2013 we will offer a unique study opportunity for all of you who want to deepen and speed up your ayurvedic knowledge, practice and understanding - based on the teachings of the first 15, very important, chapters of the Ashtanga Hridayam – partly based on exquisitely made video classes with Dr. Vijith, carefully prepared and filmed mostly on location over a period of two years. The other part being the subject of the morning video class brought to more life by demonstrations, explanations and experiential events. This will be in the form of a 3 week super-intensive retreat with Dr. Vijith, supported by his wife Dr. Vidya, and several assisting teachers to monitor the video class part of the program: Gabriele Karpf, Coen van der Kroon and Rolf Jost. Together with the staff of Sree Krishna and of the accommodating hotel we welcome you as a potential participant of this special theory and practice retreat in Kerala, God’s own country!

“This retreat will be about the value of the first 15 chapters of the Ashtanga Hridayam, for your own life as well as for your practice as an ayurvedic clinician – and the retreat is for all who really want to understand how to read the Ashtanga Hridayam in a ‘modern’ and applicable way, how to apply it and how to advise its contents, and how to make this valuable information the foundation of your day-to-day clinical practice.”

An interesting documentary on German TV on leeches

Today there was an interesting TV documentary on the medicinal uses of leeches in European hospitals on the German TV:

ARD | Das Erste - W wie Wissen - Zur Ader gelassen: Blutegel-Therapie

Of course leeches have been used for thousands of years in Ayurveda, and still being used today!