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Introduction to Ayurvedic Bodywork – Touching the Elements: Foundations of Healing in the Ayurvedic Tradition

Introduction to Ayurvedic Bodywork

AYURVEDA-0101 - Introduction to Ayurvedic Bodywork

Touching the Elements – Foundations of Healing in the Ayurvedic Tradition

This course serves as the foundational gateway into the Certified Ayurvedic Bodywork Practitioner (CABP) Program. Designed with reverence for tradition and clarity of purpose, it prepares students to understand and embody the core philosophies, structures, materia medica, and therapeutic applications of Ayurvedic bodywork.
Students will trace the lineage of Ayurveda through its historical and cultural landscapes, engage deeply with the five elements and the three doshas, and explore the science of prakriti as it informs treatment. Each therapy explored—Abhyanga, Shirodhara, Dough Basti, Potli Massage, Pinda Sweda, and more—is introduced through traditional recipes, protocols, and classical Ayurvedic references from the Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and Ashtanga Hridayam.
The course blends textual study with experiential learning. Students will research and present Ayurvedic treatments and themes, developing skills for practical integration and peer teaching. This poetic and rigorous foundation sets the stage for hands-on intensives and supports students in becoming stewards of Ayurvedic healing wisdom.

Live & Recorded Online Instruction (via Zoom or LMS)

🌐 Theory, Lecture & Workshop View Syllabus
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Learning Objectives & Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will:

  • Understand the historical and philosophical foundations of Ayurveda
  • Describe the five elements, three doshas, and prakriti theory
  • Identify and explain key Ayurvedic therapies and their indications
  • Study classical treatment recipes and associated materia medica
  • Interpret foundational Ayurvedic texts relevant to bodywork practices
  • Present a researched topic to peers, demonstrating integration and clarity
  • Prepare for in-depth clinical practice through theoretical and cultural grounding

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Target Audience

Massage therapists, yoga practitioners, holistic health students, and those called to explore the wisdom of Ayurveda in a structured, yet soul-stirring way. This course is especially suited for students preparing for in-depth training in Ayurvedic body therapies.

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Prerequisites

Open to all students with an interest in Ayurveda, bodywork, or traditional healing systems. No prior experience in Ayurveda is required. Ideal as a prerequisite for in-person intensives in Ayurvedic treatments.

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Assessment & Evaluation

  • Participation in live discussions and interactive segments
  • Completion of reading, recipe review, and assignments
  • Delivery of final group or individual research presentation

Ahna Ma

Ahna Ma

Art, in its initial stage, is science.  Science, in it's highest form, is art.  

Scientist, artist, and synergist Social-benefit entrepreneur Professional bodyworker and teacher Nourisher of bodies and ecologies Earthling

Corinna Maharani, CAP

Corinna Maharani, CAP

NAMA-certified Ayurvedic practitioner, PanchaKarma expert, and lifelong educator with more than 35 years of experience in Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM, Marma Therapy, and the refined SVA approach to PanchaKarma.

Corinna Maharani is a NAMA-certified Ayurvedic practitioner, PanchaKarma expert, and lifelong educator with more than 35 years of experience in Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM, Marma Therapy, and the refined SVA approach to PanchaKarma. Her relationship with Ayurveda began in 1989, when she completed one of the first Ayurveda training programs at Maharishi International University. From that early beginning, she dedicated her life to practicing, teaching, and preserving Ayurveda in a way that feels clear, warm, and accessible—inviting people back into their own inner intelligence, where healing naturally begins. During her studies, Corinna met her teacher, Vaidya R.K. Mishra, whose Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA) lineage spans an unbroken line of 126 generations. His mentorship shaped her clinical eye, her touch, and her understanding of how Ayurveda truly lives in the body. Through this lineage, Corinna continues to bring forward the essential principles that align us with nature, restore balance, and help us remember our belonging in the greater rhythm of life. In 2000, she founded Maharani Ayurveda in Santa Barbara, California—a clinic devoted to offering a signature style of treatment called Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM, as well as retreats and SVA-inspired PanchaKarma. Her work is practical, deep-reaching, and grounded, yet gently nourishing. Corinna is also the founder and director of the Maharani Academy, an internationally respected school offering certification in Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM and PanchaKarma Technician training. Since 2018, the Academy has trained students from around the world through online and in-person study. It is recognized for its high standards, offering PACE credits through NAMA, approved Preceptorship for the Yoga Veda Institute, and AABC school approval.

For over 15 years, Corinna served as PanchaKarma Director at Kanyakumari Ayurveda & Yoga School in Wisconsin, where she developed curriculum, wrote manuals, taught faculty, and mentored hundreds of aspiring technicians. Earlier in her career, she served as Clinic Director at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Palo Alto, guiding therapist training and daily clinical PanchaKarma operations. Corinna is also a writer, speaker, herbalist and Ayurvedic product formulator, appreciated for the joyful clarity and compassion she brings to her teaching. Her deep grounding in the Ayurvedic healing practices has led her to collaborate internationally, creating signature treatments and trainings for sister clinics and spas. Corinna continues to guide clients, students, and communities with the same steady dedication she began with decades ago—helping others experience the quiet strength and clarity that Ayurveda offers and keeping this healing tradition vibrant for generations to come.


Bookstore

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing

Dr. Vasant Lad

Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind

Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind

Harish Johari

Marma Points of Ayurveda: The Energy Pathways for Healing Body, Mind, and Consciousness with a Comparison to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Marma Points of Ayurveda: The Energy Pathways for Healing Body, Mind, and Consciousness with a Comparison to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Dr. Vasant Lad & Anisha Durve

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution

Dr. Robert Svoboda

Textbook of Ayurveda, Vol. 1–3

Textbook of Ayurveda, Vol. 1–3

Dr. Vasant Lad

The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care

The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care

Kate O’Donnell

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