BOSTON– Boston Ayurveda School, which was founded only last year by two Ayurveda enthusiasts Hilary Garivaltis and Kate O’Donnell and Down Under School of Yoga, has literally put Ayurveda on the map, especially in New England. After completing 200 hours of courses and training, 27 students from Boston Ayurveda School will graduate this weekend.
In 2016, twenty-six Boston Ayurveda School students graduated in Ayurveda, a traditional Indian system of medicine that now integrates general wellness and alternative medicine.
Why is there so much interest in Ayurveda?
“I think people are realizing a reliance on pharmaceuticals without addressing the root cause of imbalance has side effects which can be detrimental to health,” O’Donnell, co-founder, director and a teacher at Boston Ayurveda School, told INDIA New England News.
She said the main goal of the Boston Ayurveda School is to educate students in the fundamental aspects of Ayurveda, and to teach them to implement appropriate diet and lifestyle practice for wellness.
Typical students at Boston Ayurveda School are Yoga instructors, health professionals, nurses, nutritionists and householders, said O’Donnell, a nationally certified Ayurvedic practitioner, Ashtanga yoga teacher, and author of two books: The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook: A Seasonal Guide to Eating and Living Well, and Everyday Ayurvedic Cooking for a Calm, Clear Mind: 100 Sattvic Recipes.
O’Donnell has made 20 extended trips to India, and continues to travel there annually for study, as well as teaching Ayurveda internationally.
“Fundamentals of Ayurveda program is for students to realize daily routines and apply Ayurvedic diet in their own lives and in the lives of loved ones,” said O’Donnell.
She said Boston Ayurveda School ‘s future plan is to launch an additional 500 hour program in late 2018, completed over the course of 1 year, Ayurvedic Health Counselor Training which will provide training and mentorship for graduates to practice Ayurveda diet and lifestyle counseling with individuals and to teach fundamental principles to the public.
