Ashtanga Hridayam:
A Guided Study with Nidhi Pandya (Part 2)
The Vedas are the most ancient texts of wisdom that have been miraculously and largely preserved in their original form. The scriptures were maintained in their original language and the essence was not lost in translation.
The Ashtanga Hridayam (The 8-Fold Path to the Heart of Ayurveda) is one of the foundational Vedic texts of Ayurveda, and perhaps the most comprehensive, as its author Vagbhata (AD 550-600), sought to compile the wisdom of the older texts (Samhitas) in Ayurveda that came before it.
In the last 100 years, translations and commentaries on the original scriptures have allowed the world to get a glimpse into Ayurveda. While this is great, some of the original principles are lost in the myriad practices and prescriptions.
Studying the scriptures is highly recommended in order to deepen one's understanding of Ayurveda. The scriptures offer the most refined teachings, and out of the three main Samhitas, Ashtanga Hridayam is the most relevant to our times.
This 20-hour Ashtanga Hridayam course is Part 2 in the series:
Part 2 is a deep dive into Ayurvedic Nutrition covering the most important and practical knowledge related to food and food substances. Part 2 also covers sections that teach the reader how to assess newer substances using the universal Ayurvedic principles, and a very important chapter on subtle causes of certain big diseases (all this directly from the scriptures).
Together Part 1 + Part 2 will really train the aspiring student/practitioner to immerse themselves in ancient Ayurvedic wisdom and extrapolate principles that are extremely relevant today.
This course is ideal for students and practitioners that already have a basic understanding of Ayurveda and seek to deepen their study. You can purchase Parts 1 & 2 as a bundle below.
Studying the Ashtanga Hridayam will give you confidence in your practice
Curriculum
What's Included
- 20 hours of instruction with video and slides
- Exercises for integration
- Downloadable audio versions of the lectures for on-the-go listening
- Slides and other materials available for download
- Lifetime access to the course
Chapters Covered in Part 2
Chapter Four
Roganutpadaniya Adhyaya - Preventitive Aspects of Diseases
As one of the primary chapters of the text, this describes subtle aspects that can lead to serious imbalance in the bodies. These are concepts completely missed by the Western Medical System.
Essence of Chapters 5 & 6
Chpt 5 - Drava Dravya Vidnyan (Science of Liquid substances)
Chpt 6 - Annasvarupa Vidnyan (Science of Nature of Food Articles)
We will take the most commonly eaten food items (drinkables and eatables) and go granular with them, understanding their taste, potency and thus action on the body.
Chapter 8 - Matrashitya Adhyaya (Appropriate Quantity of Food)
This chapter deals with appetite and quantity of food to be consumed. It also address the disorders and symptoms associated with not eating the right quantity of food.
Chapter 9 - Dravyadi Vidnyan - Knowledge of Substances
This chapter goes deep into the five elements and their resulting action on the body. Once this is understood, one is able to assess successfully the effect of any substance on the body. This also covers the various levels at which the substance acts (Digestive, Post Digestive, Potency, etc.)
Chapter 10 - Rasabhediya - Classification of Tastes
This chapter deals with understanding the six tastes and their effect on our body.
Required Text
Your course fees include PDFs of the slides deck with sutras from the Ashtanga Hridayam translated with commentary.
We highly recommend buying a hard copy of the text with commentary in English as well (the sutras in these texts are often not translated). The following English-language texts are recommended:
Your Guide
Nidhi Pandya
Raised in Mumbai by my grandfather who was an Ayurvedic Healer, the principles of Ayurveda are deeply etched into my psyche. They have become and intuitive and natural part of my lifestyle. I started studying some of the Eastern Shashtras at a young age and have continued to study Ayurveda formally from the ancient texts of Carak Samhita and Ashtang Hrudayam at Shubham Ayurveda. Having developed a deep understanding of the authentic principles, I seek to apply them to our modern day lifestyle, food and diseases.
What Students Are Saying
The course reinforced and deepened my current self-care practices. Nidhi's teaching style made difficult concepts much easier to digest. Her personal anecdotes made the course material come alive. Furthermore, Nidhi was very generous in fully answering any questions. I would recommend this course to anyone who has a serious interest in Ayurveda. As someone who loves language, the course reinforced my belief that if someone wants to truly understand a subject, then one must go to original sources and texts. After taking the course, I now understand how most of the West's Ayurvedic knowledge in books, web sites, etc., barely scratches the surface of the richness of Ayurveda teachings. Nidhi introduced me to a deeper appreciation for Indian culture than I ever knew before. For these many reasons, I consider this course as a life-changing experience.
Burton Anderson, Combat Veteran/IT Project Manager, Texas
I have more awareness and understanding of Ayurveda since doing the course. I loved how well Nidhi navigated the interactions. She was very responsive to our questions without losing focus on what she was teaching. I recommend this course as I believe Nidhi is an incredible teacher and human. I am looking forward to the next session.
Kristen Dasenbrock, Youth Coordinator, New York
Terms and Conditions: All course fees are non-refundable.
Please review the Terms in their entirety here.
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