Physiology & Health Department
Maharishi International University is the only university in the United States offering Maharishi AyurVedaSM — a comprehensive, prevention-oriented approach to health care based on Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s revival of ancient ayurvedic knowledge, the traditional system of natural medicine of India. Ayurveda or “Science of Life” is a complete science of natural health care addressing mind, body, and environment.
The goals of the programs offered by the Department of Physiology and Health:
- To train students interested in providing individualized healthy lifestyle education and natural health care services rooted in the knowledge and application of the clinically effective, side-effect-free diagnostic and therapeutic modalities available in Maharishi
- To introduce major systems of natural medicine.
- To introduce the applications of integrative health care in a scientific, evidence-based framework.
The foundational courses of Maharishi AyurVeda prepare students to care for their own health through the regular practice of Maharishi’s technologies of consciousness — Transcendental Meditation technique, advanced techniques, and TM-Sidhi program — optimal daily and seasonal routine, balanced diet and lifestyle choices, and mutually enriching social behavior. More advanced courses provide training and practical experience in guiding clients towards healthier lifestyle choices, helping them maintain or restore good health. Courses in all degree programs offered by the department further aim to build a strong scientific understanding of health from the modern and Vedic science perspectives.
As part of this discipline of health, students study how human physiology is an expression of the deepest intelligence of nature and how to enliven nature’s intelligence — the inner intelligence of the body — through the Transcendental Meditation technique and other approaches of Maharishi AyurVeda.
Students study how to assess the level of balance and imbalance in both the mind and physiology through the technique of pulse reading, which is one of the most effective means of gauging the degrees of balance and imbalance and simultaneously enlivens the inner intelligence of the body. They also learn how the proper use of diet, herbal-food supplements, essential oils, hydrosols, aromatherapy preparations, daily and seasonal routine attuned with the rhythms of nature, Yoga Asanas — Vedic body postures, regular physical activity, and traditional purification techniques from the ancient tradition of Ayurveda can be used for maintaining or restoring balance in the body.
Each program offers a theoretical understanding of the main principles of Maharishi AyurVeda as well as extensive practical experience consulting with clients in a clinical setting. On the graduate level, students probe deeper into the knowledge, focusing on how to treat specific organ systems and health concerns.
Programs offered
- BA in Ayurveda Wellness & Integrative Health
- Bachelor’s with Specialization in Ayurveda Wellness & Integrative Health
- Bachelor’s with Specialization in Yoga & Ayurveda Wellness
- Bachelor’s with Specialization in Life & Wellness Coaching
- MS in Maharishi AyurVeda & Integrative Medicine
- Fellowship MS in Integrative Medicine and Ayurveda for Medical Professionals
- MS in Aromatherapy & Ayurveda
- PhD in Physiology & Health