Welcome to a journey where ancient wisdom meets modern wellness, brought to light by MysticMag’s insightful interview with Dr. Marc Halpern. At the heart of this transformative path stands the California College of Ayurveda (CCA), a beacon of holistic education and health care since 1995, as revealed in our conversation with Dr. Halpern.
Founded with a vision to bridge Eastern tradition and Western curiosity, CCA has flourished into a global institution under Dr. Halpern’s guidance, nurturing skilled Ayurvedic professionals poised to heal bodies and minds across continents. Through MysticMag’s dialogue with Dr. Halpern, we’re invited to delve into the profound impact of Ayurveda on individual and collective well-being, exploring how this time-honored science continues to evolve and enrich lives far beyond its origins.
Join us in this exploration, as presented by MysticMag, to uncover the essence of Ayurvedic education and its pivotal role in crafting a healthier, more balanced future.
Please present California College of Ayurveda to our audience.
The California College of Ayurveda (CCA) was founded in 1995 as part of a mission to formalize Ayurveda as a profession in the United States. As we celebrate our 29th year, we have educated thousands of students who have gone on to open private practices, retreat centers, and spas, and help form Ayurvedic professional associations around the country.
Not all of our students are from the United States, CCA now educates students around the world through our online and mentorship programs. Simply put, our mission is to provide the highest quality education, health care, and research in the field of Ayurvedic medicine.
Please describe the story behind the California College of Ayurveda: What sparked the idea, and how has it evolved so far?
In the early 1990s, only a handful of Ayurvedic practitioners existed in the United States. Most people did not know what Ayurveda was. This was shocking to me. I saw Ayurveda as the most important medical system in the world. I saw a system that addressed the whole person; physically, emotionally, and spiritually and could not understand why it had not developed in the US.
I was originally trained as a chiropractor with the mission to remove the cause of suffering. However, I felt that Chiropractic did not go as deep into that question as I desired. I took formal post-graduate training and became certified in Holistic Medicine. In that program, I studied healing systems from around the world.
When I studied Ayurveda, I realized I had found what I was looking for. It answered all of my questions about both the cause of disease and how to bring about healing. I sought out additional teachers and began studying with the best Ayurvedic teachers in the world such as Dr. David Frawley. I also brought teachers to the United States from India. Most notably, Dr. Subhash Ranade. He would bring me the classical texts to study, and we would see patients together. This is how I learned. One day in 1994 I was sitting in meditation and had a vision. That vision was to create a profession. With the support of my teachers, I went into seclusion and wrote the curriculum. This was an exciting moment for Ayurveda and the story was picked up by Yoga Journal. In October of 1995, the College started its first classes.
I was deeply motivated by the Ayurvedic understanding of the cause of suffering. The cause can be stated to be due to forgetting our Divine nature and then getting caught up in the world of drama. This causes stress which leads to making poor choices in our lives including the choice to misuse our senses and taking in that which is not healthy for us – whether through diet or sound, touch, sight, or smell. This disturbs our physiology (the doshas) and then disease sets in.
Ayurveda addresses every level of how disease unfolds in the body and mind and has a well-articulated approach to providing healing
Can you highlight some key aspects of the education provided at CCA that contribute to its reputation as the largest and most recognized center for Ayurvedic education in the United States?
California College of Ayurveda has pioneered Ayurvedic education in the West. We were the first recognized school to offer professional Ayurvedic education outside of India. Our programs not only focus on Ayurvedic knowledge but also the practical aspects of becoming a successful practitioner. Hence, students also study some aspects of business and marketing. They learn how to present Ayurveda to their communities in a professional way. This has led our students to become quite successful.
Over time, this has enhanced the reputation of the College. Some students also went on to play an important role in the National and State associations and became leaders in the profession. A few have even gone on to open their own schools. CCA is also the only school in the country to maintain an herbal teaching garden with nearly 100 plants and a community-based clinic allowing a student who wishes, to do their internships in a professional setting.
Speaking of herbs, CCA has been the main school in the country emphasizing individual herbal medicine prescriptions. Our herbal pharmacy compounds the medicines, and they are sent to each patient. Our students learn to formulate, and this is the highest level of clinical herbalism. We consider the only important measure of our success to be the success of our graduates. That means our program has been outstanding on all levels.
In training students to be compassionate practitioners, how does CCA emphasize understanding patients as whole beings, encompassing physical, emotional, and spiritual aspects?
Compassion for the human journey comes from gaining compassion for one’s own journey. Every person struggles on some level. During a student’s education, they observe themselves and their own journey as they strive to implement Ayurveda into their own lives. It is not easy as Ayurveda holds the mirror of perfection in front of a person. In that mirror, we all fall short. No one is perfect. Reconciling this is a key step in the cultivation of compassion.
Ayurvedic philosophy of the understanding of the human being integrates the understanding of body, mind, and spirit. They are not treated separately in Ayurveda but as an integrated unit. This is part and parcel of knowledge, study, and discipline.
How do you envision the future of Ayurvedic education and healthcare in the West, and what role does CCA play in shaping that future?
We certainly hope that CCA will always continue to provide leadership and service within the Ayurvedic profession. Ayurvedic education needs to always evolve, and always grow. I believe that CCA will partner with more and more groups and individuals as we seek to expand our service to humanity. In doing so, I see our profession growing on par with the most well-established systems of alternative medicine such as Chiropractic and acupuncture.
Find out more at: www.ayurvedacollege.com
