Ayurveda teaches us how to achieve a life of harmony on a personal, internal and external level, as well as a collective one. The following workshops aim at providing students with useful practical tools to help them find this harmony and in so doing to facilitate personal growth and wellbeing.

Module 1: Introduction to Contemporary Ayurveda

August 4th 18:45-21:15

This module will cover the foundation principles of Ayruveda explained in a contemporary way, relevant to life today.

Topics for this module will include:

• The definition of Ayurveda and it’s place and usefulness in today’s 21st century urban lifestyle.
• Understanding the relationship between modern allopathic medicine and Ayurveda, explaining the place and importance of each modality.
• The relationship between the individual and the universe: interconnectivity and personal uniqueness.
• The five basic elements of creation: ether/space, air, fire, water and earth.
• Doshic theory: defining and understanding the three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) and their effect on our mind, body and consciousness.
• The twenty attributes (gunas) and how to work with them to achieve health and maintain balance.

Module 2: Discovering and Working with your Prakruti

August 5th 18:45-21:15

This module will apply basic Ayurvedic principles to help participants discover and understand their own unique constitution (prakruti) and how it relates to their physical and psychological tendencies. Understanding personal constitutions is extremely useful in helping us understand ourselves as well as others on a much deeper level, giving us the power to be proactive in maintaining health and balance on all levels.

Topics for this module will include:

• Defining the different constitutions.
• Prakruti (basic constitution) and vikruti (current balance) and the relationship between the two.
• Determining your prakruti and vikruti.
• The physical and psychological characteristics of vata, pitta and kapha constitutions.
• General guidelines for balancing the different constitutions.
• How to apply your knowledge of prakruti and vikruti to support and improve your health, life and relationships.

Module 3: Ayurvedic Nutrition and Lifestyle

August 6th 18:45-21:15

Without a proper diet and lifestyle, it is impossible to maintain personal health and therefore to enjoy life in any meaningful way. This module will take a close look at how each of us, as unique individuals, can maintain a diet and lifestyle that will help to achieve optimum health and harmony at any given time in life.

Topics will include:

• The relationship between digestive fire (agni) and toxins (ama) in our bodies.
• How to improve digestion and assimilation of food.
• Ayurvedic food guidelines for different constitutions.
• The six tastes and their affect on the different doshas.
• The relationship between food and mind: the three universal gunas and our psychological constitution.
• Exercise and lifestyle guidelines for different constitutions.
• Understanding the influences of the seasons, age and time of day.
• How to make life transitions in a lasting and effective way.

Module 4: Understanding Relationships, Communication and Emotional States

August 7th 18:45-21:15

This module will take a close look at the metaphysical aspects of the mind/body/spirit matrix with the focus on relationship as being the key to sustainable wellbeing and moving forward in life.

Being on top of diet and lifestyle is extremely important, however if we don't have a handle on our communication and relationships, then our emotional state drops and we quickly find life becomes a challenge instead of a joy.

In this class, we will draw on oral teachings of Ayurveda interpreted in a contemporary way, examining communication and emotional states and how these two interrelate to affect the outcome of situations we place ourselves in. The aim of the module will be to provide participants with tools that they can use on an everyday level to improve the quality of their relationships and help transform their lives.

Topics will include:

• The mind body spirit connection.
• The relationship between experience, trauma and transformation.
• Understanding emotional states and how to work with them.
• Communication ethics － what works and what doesn’t.
• Keys to building and maintaining healthy relationships.
• Becoming conscious creators of our lives.
• The importance of passion － a guide to following your spirit and achieving your goals.