BS Ayurveda Wellness Consultant – Learning Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

In the indicated subject areas, graduates of the BS Physiology and Health – AyurVeda Wellness Consultant track will be able to:

Maharishi AyurVeda

1. Understand the basic recommendations for total health from Maharishi AyurVeda® in the areas of Transcendental Meditation, individualized diet, herbal food supplements, yoga asanas, exercise, aroma therapy, Maharishi Light Therapy with Gems, and the daily and seasonal routine.
2. Understand how the Unified Field of Natural Law (Veda) gives rise to the physiology and can be enlivened to nourish the physiology through the application of Maharishi Vedic Vibration Therapy℠.
3. Understand the ten fundamental principles of Maharishi AyurVeda® as the basis of good health:
   • Health is based on enlivening the inner intelligence of the body, which is the field of pure consciousness.
   • Violation of natural law is the basis of all ill health.
   • Everything affects health, mind, body, behavior, and environment.
   • Overuse, underuse, and misuse of time, senses, and action are the main causes of disease.
   • Restoration of balance requires restoring one’s own nature and life in tune with natural law.
   • Balanced health requires balance of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha.
   • Balanced health requires strong digestive power, or agni.
   • Good health requires purification of the channels of the body or srotas.
   • All treatments in Maharishi AyurVeda®, herbs, diet, lifestyle, meditation, Yoga Asanas, Vedic Architecture, Vedic Music all are means of enlivening and balancing the inner intelligence of the body.
   • Perfect health means achieving higher states of consciousness.
4. Use pulse diagnosis in the context of a comprehensive and accurate evaluation of patient health in a clinical setting to determine:
   • Body type.
   • Imbalance of the controlling principles or doshas.
   • Level of digestive toxins, or ama.
   • Strength of digestion, or agni.
   • Location of imbalances in the subdoshas.
5. Provide accurate and clear recommendations to patients for improving health in a clinical setting in the following steps:
   • Determine body type of the client.
   • Determine the imbalance of the client.
   • Determine the level of impurity in the system (ama).
   • Evaluate main causative factors to be removed: diet, daily routine, behavior, relationships, occupation, home environment.
   • Recommend appropriate diet, lifestyle, herbal, and behavioral changes to restore balance.
   • Determine when to refer the client to licensed health care practitioners.

Biology

1. Understand the basic concepts of living systems on the molecular, cellular, organismal, and population levels.
2. Understand the techniques that connect basic biology concepts to applied areas in medicine, agriculture, heredity, and industry.
3. Demonstrate skill in using laboratory instruments—such as microscopes and spectrophotometers— to understand the structure and function of microbes, plant cells, and animal cells.
4. Read and interpret data and write biological experiment reports using graphs, tables, diagrams, and pictures.
5. Describe the role of the eight organ systems, as described in the Veda and Vedic Literature, in maintaining balance and homeostasis in the physiology.

Program Assessment Measures

1. Final Essay Exam: Designed to assess student understanding of the core principles of Maharishi AyurVeda®. For the Pre-Integrative Medicine track, the essay will include questions to research biochemical pathways of modern medical treatments of cardiovascular disease, and another major disease.
2. Clinical Case Portfolio: 50 patient encounters (including observation, student/client encounter with direct supervision and one-on-one cases) where students demonstrate competence in evaluating the level of balance, causative factors, and AyurVedic pathology; and recommending appropriate measures to restore balance through stress reduction, lifestyle, diet, spices, herbal supplements, meditation, yoga, and other modalities of Maharishi AyurVeda®. This year we plan to reopen our campus health center, which will serve faculty, staff and students. Our students will spend one month conducting Maharishi AyurVeda® wellness consultations under faculty supervision.
3. Internship Evaluation Form: Completed by on-site internship supervisors to evaluate competencies in compassion, personal responsibility, diligence, and teamwork.
4. Standardized Tests for Chemistry, Physics, and Biology: Currently, students take a standardized exam from the American Society of Chemistry to evaluate level of accomplishment. Physics and biology faculty have structured comprehensive exams and are researching standardized exams that may be appropriate.