Clinical Residency & Mentorship Experiences
These clinical experiences are for students who feel called to deepen their practice through hands-on learning—bringing Ayurveda into food, rhythm, assessment, herbs, case reflection, and presence in a way that is deeply human and personal.
This page is a home for our clinical mentorship offerings—each rooted in its own lineage, style, and way of teaching.
Clinical training is optional and not required for all students.
Clinical Experience Overview
Clinical training is not required to complete this program.
It is an optional pathway for students who want hands-on experience working with clients.
Exception (NAMACB Certification Track):
Students who plan to sit for the NAMACB certification exam must complete:
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40 hours of in-person clinical experience at the Ayurvedic Health Counselor level
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An additional 140 hours at the Ayurvedic Practitioner level
Clinical training is not included in tuition. This is intentional—allowing you to choose experiences that align with your budget, location, schedule, and interests.
Yoga Veda Institute supports clinical training aligned with industry standards through an expansive network of approved mentors across the United States as well as International placements. Costs vary depending on the format, including private mentorship, intensives, or apprenticeship-style training.
When you are ready to begin clinical training, simply complete the Clinical Placement Registration form and secure your space with a $350 deposit. From there, our team will guide you in selecting a pathway that fits your goals.
Clinical hours are not assigned. You are supported in selecting and arranging your experience with full guidance from the Institute.
We offer the most flexible and accessible pathway to NAMACB certification in the world—without compromising the integrity of clinical training.
Choose Your Clinical Experience
NEW JERSEY, USA
Dr. Pratibha Shah, BAMS, C-IAYT
RINGOES, NEW JERSEY RESIDENCY
Dates:
April 10–13, 2026
Tuition:
$900 if paid by January 31, 2026
$950 after January 31, 2026
Accommodation: Not Included
Deposit:
A non-refundable deposit of $350 is required to reserve your spot. Please register as soon as possible, as this session will be capped at 10 students. A minimum of 5 registrations is required for the session to run. If the minimum registration is not met, all deposits will be refunded in full.
Dr. Shah will share the learning objectives and additional details about the material to be covered once registration is completed and the initial deposit has been received.
MASSACHUSETTS, USA
Christine Eck, AP
Montague, Massachusetts RESIDENCY
Dates:
July 23 – 28, 2026
Tuition & Accommodation
$2480: Shared Room Package
$2880: Single Room Package
$2180: Commuter/Camping Package
Christine is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, Birth and Postpartum Doula, mother of four, and founder of the Center for Sacred Window Studies. Her work is devoted to restoring reverence and practical support for the sacred 42-day postpartum window — a time many cultures once protected, but that modern life often overlooks.
She trains Conscious Postpartum Caregivers in the foundations of Ayurvedic nourishment, daily rhythm, herbal support, healing touch, and the Universal Mother Principles of care.
A 40-Hour AHC Experience in Sacred Postpartum Care
This retreat-style preceptorship is designed for students completing their 40-hour clinical requirement — especially those feeling called toward postnatal support.
Together, in a small and intentional group, you will:
• Study Ayurvedic principles of the 42-day postpartum window
• Practice food preparation and postpartum nutrition
• Explore routine, rest, and nervous system repair
• Learn hands-on caregiving approaches
• Deepen your confidence in supporting mothers and families
This is more than observation.
It is embodied learning in community.
Set in the quiet beauty of Western Massachusetts, this immersion invites you to step gently into this work — steady, skilled, and heart-centered.
If postpartum care has been calling you, this may be a beautiful place to begin.
ARIZONA, USA
Melissa Camacho, A.D., Dipl. O.M., L.Ac., Masters of Oriental Medicine
Sedona, Arizona RESIDENCY
Dates:
Ongoing Dates
Tuition: Starting at $1000 x 5 Days
Accommodation: Not Included
Melissa is a Licensed Acupuncturist, Diplomate of Oriental Medicine, and NAMA Certified Ayurvedic Doctor with over 15 years of clinical experience. Her work gently weaves Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine into a deeply personalized, integrative model of care.
A 40-Hour Immersion for AHC Students
This experience is designed for Ayurvedic Health Counselor students completing their 40 clinical hours.
Inside Melissa’s clinic, you’ll move beyond theory and into lived practice:
• Sit in on real consultations
• Practice assessment and case reflection
• Observe integrative care in action
• Receive mentorship in a small, supportive setting
It is quiet, personal, and deeply experiential.
Sedona’s landscape holds you while you step more fully into the role of clinician — steady, confident, and ready to serve.
If you feel called to learn in this way, this placement may be a beautiful next step in your journey.
CALIFORNIA, USA
Corinna Maharani, AP
Santa Barbara, CALIFORNIA RESIDENCY
Program Dates:
Ongoing
Tuition: Starting at $1000 x 5 Days
Accommodation: Not Included
Corinna Maharani is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and educator with over 30 years of experience. She specializes in Ayurvedic Sacred Bodywork™, Marma Therapy, and Panchakarma, and is the founder of the Maharani Academy.
Her work is refined, devotional, and deeply embodied — preserving the art of Ayurvedic touch as a living lineage practice.
A 40-Hour AHC Clinical Experience
This immersion is designed for students completing their 40-hour clinical requirement who feel called to deepen their understanding of hands-on Ayurvedic care.
Within a small, focused residency environment, you will:
• Observe and participate in Sacred Bodywork™ sessions
• Study marma therapy in clinical context
• Witness Panchakarma principles in practice
• Explore the therapeutic power of intentional touch
• Strengthen confidence in client-centered care
This is not only technique.
It is presence.
It is refinement.
Set along the California coast, this residency invites you to embody Ayurveda through the language of touch — steady, skillful, and deeply attuned.
If bodywork feels like part of your path, this may be a beautiful next step.
International Clinical Options
INDIA
Dr. Vikas Saroch, MD
Kangra, India RESIDENCY
Dates:
Ongoing Dates
Tuition: Varies, contact for details.
Accommodation: Not Included
Dr. Vikas Saroch is an experienced Ayurvedic physician with over 15 years of clinical and teaching practice. Rooted in classical Ayurveda and informed by modern research, his work focuses on chronic disease care, Panchakarma, and practical clinical excellence.
Through Ayuceutical® Wellness & Academy, students enter a living clinical environment — not just to observe, but to learn by doing.
A 40-Hour AHC Clinical Experience
Designed for students completing their 40-hour clinical requirement, this immersion offers direct exposure to authentic Ayurvedic medicine in its homeland.
During your time in Kangra, you may:
• Observe daily patient consultations
• Study case analysis and treatment planning
• Gain exposure to Panchakarma therapies
• Participate in herbal preparation and formulation
• Learn medicinal plants in their natural environment
This is hands-on, grounded, and real.
For students who feel called to experience Ayurveda at its roots — in the rhythm of Himalayan village life — this placement offers depth, humility, and perspective that cannot be learned from books alone.
If India has been calling you, this may be your doorway.
MEXICO
J. Michelle Palmer, AP, ERYT-500
QUERÉTARO, MEXICO RESIDENCY
Dates:
Ongoing Dates
Tuition: Varies, contact for details.
Accommodation: Not Included
J. Michelle Palmer offers a beautiful clinical mentorship experience for students completing their 40-hour clinical requirement. This residency is especially supportive for those who want to deepen their confidence in hands-on traditional Ayurvedic practices, therapies, and client care while learning in a setting where Ayurveda is truly lived.
With more than 25 years of sincere commitment to Ayurveda, Michelle creates an environment that is both professional and deeply supportive. Students are invited not only to observe, but to begin putting their knowledge into practice with care, confidence, and integrity.
In this experience, students may:
- Improve case analysis and treatment planning
- Observe and practice traditional Ayurvedic therapies and treatments, including abhyanga, marma, shirodhara, enema, nasya, emesis, and purgation
- Learn through patient consultations and pulse reading
- Participate in clinical preparation for clients
- Observe and practice Ayurvedic cooking
Students also have the opportunity to:
- Build confidence in applying Ayurvedic knowledge in real-world settings
- Bridge theory with practice
- Learn compassionate, sustainable ways of sharing Ayurveda
- Live Ayurvedic daily practices
- Grow as a guide and leader
Why students love this experience: Michelle brings a compassionate, vibrant style of mentorship and a wealth of experience in Ayurvedic therapies, client assessment, and Ayuryoga. Combined with Mexico’s warm culture and the rich colonial beauty of Querétaro, this creates a deeply memorable and supportive learning experience.
PORTUGAL
Jacky Rae, AP
Loule, Portugal Residency
Dates:
February 2027, May 2027, October 2027 (Limited Spaces)
February 2028, May 2028, October 2028 (Limited Spaces)
February 2029, May 2029, October 2029 (Limited Spaces)
Tuition:
Included through Work-Trade Exchange
Residency Contribution:
Shared: €1,000/month
Single: €1,800/month
Offsite: €1,000/month
Current rates available through July 1, 2026
This residency is offered as a simple, low-cost, working clinic experience for students seeking affordable access to in-person training.
Please note: this is not a luxury program, not a retreat setting, and not designed for personal comfort, customization, or extra flexibility. It is a grounded, service-oriented environment where students come to learn, contribute, and gain practical experience.
Students who are looking for more privacy, more amenities, guest accommodations, or a more flexible schedule should choose a different preceptor experience. This residency is intended for those who are comfortable with simplicity, community participation, and the realities of a working clinic environment.
This is not a private 1:1 mentorship experience. Students should expect to participate in the daily rhythm of a working clinic, with hands-on learning, practical responsibility, mentor feedback, case review, and clinical sign-off as appropriate. Guidance and oversight are part of the experience, but students are expected to be engaged, self-directed, and capable of learning through participation in a real-world setting.
Students will begin working with Jacky Rae prior to arrival so that expectations, responsibilities, and areas of focus are clear before the residency begins. This includes preparation around the type of work they will be doing, the demographic or community they will be serving, and how to arrive ready to participate meaningfully in the clinic environment.
Local Clinical Options
Work with a Local Mentor
You may work alongside a local Ayurvedic mentor in your city — in a small clinic, a wellness office, a teaching kitchen, or a quiet home practice where Ayurveda is already woven into daily life.
Yoga Veda Institute prepares and supports all approved mentors so they understand how to guide you — how to review casework, hold reflective conversations, and support your development in alignment with our educational model.
For many practitioners, mentorship is a natural extension of their work. It allows them to share the medicine in a living way — and to steward Ayurveda within their own communities. Most welcome the opportunity.
If there is someone in your area you respect…
If there is a clinic you admire…
If there is a practitioner whose work you’ve quietly wanted to learn from…
That path may already be available to you through a local mentorship.