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Welcome to The School of Ayurveda.

Dedicated to sharing the wisdom and knowledge of Ayurveda to those who are passionate about helping others achieve optimum health and wellbeing.

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An Introduction to Ayurveda

The practice of Ayurveda is truly the science of life. It allows us to bridge ancient wisdom with modern lifestyles, creating a symbiosis between people and their everyday experiences. It is an approach to health that connects all the dots, brings new awareness and perspective, and supports the individual through every life stage.

Learn More About Ayurveda
Ancient book

Ancient Wisdom

Ayurveda has been practiced in the Hindu culture for more than 5,000 years. Today, its lessons are more relevant than ever.
Spring Leaf

Natural & Holistic

Ayurveda brings balance, harmonizing the Doshas to help us realize our natural vitality and connect the mind, body, and spirit.
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Health & Care System

Ayurveda is a lifestyle, not a temporary remedy for symptoms. Through it, we prevent disease from taking hold and enjoy enduring wellness.

Ayurvedic Health Counselor Training

We offer accredited training and certification in Ayurvedic science. Suitable for healthcare practitioners or those new to the discipline, we provide you with the foundations for a rewarding and exciting career.

Ayurvedic Health Counselor

Professional TRAINING & CERTIFICATION

The School of Ayurveda Training & Certification program is an 12-Month training program that has both online learning and in-person clinical studies. The program is covered in 3 Parts and will take you from the foundations of Ayurveda, to Ayurvedic Health Counselor certification.

Learn More About The 12-Month Program!

Additional Trainings

Ayurvedic body oil treatments and therapies.

Ayurvedic Body Treatments

TRAINING & CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Held on a 22-acre property, this training encompasses the practices of the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda. This hands-on body treatment training provides the students with the knowledge base and skill set needed to bring these healing body treatments of Abhyanga,Shirodhara, &Svedana to their own community, clients, family, and friends.

Learn More About The Body Treatments Program!

Dough Bastis with Marma Point Integration

TRAINING & CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

Dough bastis help promotes proper energy flow through marma points, organs, and bodilytissues. These treatments include a raised circle of dough that is placed on specific areas ofthe body to help alleviate tension, chronic pain, and inflammation and assist in movingenergies.

Learn More About This Training Program!

Meet the Teachers

Meet the Faculty & Staff of The School of Ayurveda.

Kathryn L. Stoerzbach

Ayurvedic Practitioner, Nutritional Therapist, & Founder

Kathryn is an Ayurvedic Practitioner and Teacher. She is the owner of An Elemental Practice., a Holistic Health Practice located in Knoxville, on a beautiful 22-acre property in the countryside of Illinois, and serving clients both locally and worldwide. She has traveled to 26 countries, lived in Asia for 4 years, and has come to know many different cultures and ways of living throughout her journey. When she finally came across Ayurveda she was completely taken by its power and simplicity and has since then dedicated herself to the study and practice and teaching of Ayurveda.

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Mary-Alice Quinn

Ayurvedic Doctor & Clinical Herbalist

Mary-Alice graduated valedictorian from the California College of Ayurveda and American Institute of Vedic Studies with certification as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist. She completed extensive post-graduate trainings throughout the US and in India including those through the Ayurvedic Institute and International Integrative Educational Institute. A life-long student, she continues to mentor with leaders in the field of natural healing, enhancing her clinical skills using herbal medicine, Ayurvedic diet and lifestyle practices, and Panchakarma to naturally and effectively address acute and chronic conditions. 

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Leah Kaplan

Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist

Leah Kaplan, BS, CAS, is a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist, 500 Hour registered yoga teacher, and a former intern supervisor for the California College of Ayurveda. She created the nutrition and lifestyle program for Nashville’s NuPower Yoga & Barre studio. In 2014, she founded Thunderbolt Ayurveda in Nashville, TN, a private clinical Ayurvedic practice with a full apothecary of herbal medicines. Now in practice for almost ten years and headquartered in Petaluma, CA, Thunderbolt has helped hundreds of people find balance and better health through Ayurveda.

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Neeshee Pandit

Ayurvedic Practitioner & Vedic Astrologist

Neeshee Pandit is a practitioner of Traditional Asian Medicine. He has trained in the three ancient medical systems of the world—Ayurveda, Tibetan Medicine, & Chinese Medicine. In his clinical practice, Neeshee focuses on addressing the psychological and energetic roots of physical illness. He specializes in identifying the internal causes of chronic and complex conditions that have yet to be resolved through other medical approaches.

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Seva Van Why

Holistic Educator & Ayurvedic Body Therapy Instructor

Seva is a holistic educator, Ayurvedic Body Therapy instructor, and author, and has held staff positions at The Chopra Center, Optimum Health Institute, California College of Ayurveda, and is currently the Chair of Continuing Education and Certification with NAMA (National Ayurvedic Medical Association).

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Rachael Schmoker

Ayurvedic Health Educator & Yoga Therapist

Rachael is currently living in Homer, Alaska. When you’re not finding her at home, where she handles a team of retired sled dogs, she is out preserving Alaskan herbal delicacies, moving in meditation alongside the ocean tide and playing in the endless snowscapes.

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Carol Prentice

Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist & Advisor

Carol P. Prentice is a certified teacher of Yoga, Ayurveda Medicine, and the Alexander Technique. She is a senior teacher of the Alexander Technique specializing in somatic education and health for 35 years. Carol trained as a Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and a Pancha Karama Specialist. She also trained in Mara Therapy and is a Yoga Nidra practitioner. She graduated from the California College of Ayurveda and was on the faculty and the Director of the Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist and Ayurveda Health Practitioner Internship Programs for 8 years.

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Judea Star

Psychic Intuitive & Sound Healer

Jude is a psychic intuitive, medium, and sound healer on the island of Kauai. She has been working professionally as a spiritual guide since 2014 and has helped many people all over the world to better understand how the energies within their spirit directly reflect the experiences they have in their outward realities.

Read My Story

Kathryn Featured on the Spirit Speakers Podcast!

Kathryn L. Stoerzbach was recently featured on the Spirit Speakers Podcast, hosted by Judea Lynch and Patty Davis. She shared the benefits of Ayurveda, how it can be used in your daily life, and the foundational principles of this ancient health practice. Click the link below to listen to the episode!

Listen on Spotify

Student Testimonials

The summer intensive is where it all came together for me. I enjoyed getting to know my cohort and meeting our instructors, Kathryn & Neeshee. The week brought on a sense of confidence and reassurance that I am on the right path!

Autumn Klesch

The School of Ayurveda has been an expansive certification program. I believe is one of those programs that change your life for the better. the staff is very understanding and flexible with allowing you to study and absorb the information at your own pace. Both Kathryn and Rachael are super knowledgeable, loving and caring. I recommend anyone that will like to deepen their knowledge on Ayurveda to take this certification.

- Veronica Cruz, Florida

Kathryn's warm and welcoming demeanor immediately created a comfortable learning environment. Her grounded approach and wealth of wisdom made every session enriching and insightful. Kathryn remained accessible for follow-up questions, providing valuable insights as I embarked on incorporating Ayurvedic body treatments into my private practice. This level of ongoing mentorship is truly commendable and showcases Kathryn's commitment to her students' success beyond the classroom. I feel equipped with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to offer Abhyanga, Shirodhara, and Svedana confidently. I highly recommend Kathryn and The School of Ayurveda.

Heidi Grace, Nature Yoga

I am so glad that I chose to take this class with Kathryn. She is able to put Ayurvedic philology into a simple format, perfect - whether you know a little about the topics or if you know nothing at all. Not only was the class applicable but it also inspired me to continue to pursue Ayurveda which has changed my life for the best! Thank you for everything Kathryn I’d be on a different path if it wasn’t for meeting you and taking this class!

Sonata Beasley

Being a health coach for over a decade, knew that this is what I had wanted to do as a service for others. I was at a point where I wanted to expand my knowledge and my approach to coaching and had always been interested in Ayurveda and the way of encompassing a balanced lifestyle. I then met Kathryn and she was such a breath of fresh air when it came to learning the basics to Ayurveda. After my initial intake with her and getting a glimpse into her gentle yet effective style of coaching, I was elated to study under her and take a fundamentals course as well as train in abhyanga and Shirodhara. In this time I got to experience first hand how powerful these practices are and see changes in people along the way that made huge shifts in their lives. The combination of Kathryn’s knowledge and passion for this ancient medical system is infectious! She explains things in a way that makes sense and is easy to understand and leaves you eager to learn more. I continue to learn from her and she is always there for any questions that may arise. I myself have adopted these very practices into my daily life and am forever grateful for this knowledge. Because of the information, I learned, along with business skills and in-depth client follow-ups it has allowed my practice to evolve and continues to grow every day. I look forward to working with her again in the future!

Nicole Garcia

The School of Ayurveda takes the vastness this ancient holistic science and simplifies it into language so easy to digest it feels like opening one’s eyes to reality. Head Instructor and school founder Kathryn Stoerzbach distills esoteric concepts to elementary foundations of elements, tastes, and senses. Throughout the program I saw expansion into the broad language of Ayurveda, followed by a condensation into foundational language. It has made it so I feel confident in my professional massage practice to incorporate Ayurvedic language to my clients, bringing their oftentimes confusing pathologies to easily understood elemental principles. The School of Ayurveda’s Level 1 program is a wonderfully intimate setting with a compassionate, humorous, wise and beautifully human teacher who gently guides the student to proficiency. I highly recommend the program to anyone looking to broaden their understanding of the world through a holistic and ancient lens.

Nathalie Aguirre
L.M.T.; Certified Ayurvedic Health Coach

Taking The School of Ayurveda's Level I course has been a life shifting moment for me. This course gave me the foundational understanding of the history and depth of this ancient practice while bringing it into a contemporary world. As someone passionate about holistic healing I resonated with the perspectives Ayurveda shares and the continual growth of study inevitable when learning ancient healing arts. Kathryn is an incredible mentor and guide through this process, her relationship with the topics shines through and teaching truly is her passion work. I would highly recommend this course to anyone interested in individual self healing or to start on a path of toward practitionership. This opportunity was an incredible gift and I would do it all over again if I could.

Rachael Schmoker

My yoga journey began in 2000. I had been practicing power yoga and ashtanga at the time. I was invited to an Ayurveda workshop weekend in 2017 after I was in a car accident. At that time, I couldn't do a physical practice, but was still needing yoga and all it can offer. After the weekend immersion, I knew this was a path for me. I have been training in Ayurveda since. I have changed my practice to more of a mindfulness flow and restorative, along with a Bikram Hot 26 series practice. The deeper knowledge this program offered me, allowed me to study deeper into the ways I can make changes to my diet, my movement, and my meditation to make me more overall healthier. After watching my dad suffer with so many health problems and procedures, I knew it was my job to study a more holistic lifestyle for myself first, then offer to those around me. This is only the tip of the iceberg, my journey continues into another level of the program, of which I can't wait to see where this practice takes me and how I can find my place to help others in need.

- Cindy Reed, Georgia

The school of Ayurveda provides a course that is understandable, helpful, and resourceful. I really recommend the school if you are interested in learning about the amazing science of life!

- Silvia Lara, California

Following a serious ankle surgery, Kathryn played a crucial role in my road to recovery by teaching and helping me implement Ayurvedic practices. Learning through her engaging and concise teaching style, my healing process was exciting and rewarding. Kathryn’s passion is contagious so any time she elaborates on an Ayurvedic topic, it naturally deepens your understanding of the modalities and their applications. Working with Kathryn is a true treat and experiencing the benefits of her teachings is equally as enriching.

Marissa Wingo
San Francisco, CA

Join The School of Ayurveda

Whether you are a beginner, just learning the fundamental concepts of Ayurveda, or have experienced Ayurveda before and are looking to learn more in depth and to study Ayurveda as a professionally path - we would love to help support you along your journey!

Reserve your spot