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Ayurvedic Shirodhara – The Sacred Stream: Stillness, Clarity, and Soma in Practice

Shirodhara

AYURVEDA-0203 - Shirodhara

The Sacred Stream: Stillness, Clarity, and Soma in Practice

Shirodhara is one of Ayurveda’s most revered therapies, involving the continuous pouring of warm medicated oil (or other healing substances) over the third eye region of the forehead. This deeply meditative treatment pacifies the mind, nourishes the nervous system, and brings balance to the subtle body. In this one-day intensive, students will receive both theoretical and hands-on training in Shirodhara, including equipment setup, oil selection, therapeutic indications, and modifications for different client needs. Through experiential practice and reflective inquiry, students will learn to offer this sacred therapy with confidence and reverence.

“When the oil flows, the mind quiets, and the soul remembers its original rhythm.” This full-day course introduces practitioners to the classical Ayurvedic treatment of Shirodhara—a rhythmic, continuous flow of warm oil poured over the forehead. Revered as one of Ayurveda’s most subtle and deeply transformative therapies, Shirodhara supports mental clarity, emotional balance, deep rest, and the pacification of Vata and Pitta doshas.
Students will learn the history, indications, contraindications, preparation, setup, and application of Shirodhara within the scope of massage therapy. This training emphasizes meditative presence, mastery of oil management, and the creation of a therapeutic container for profound relaxation and energetic reset.

In-person intensive with lecture, demonstration, and hands-on practice

🌐 (One-Day On-Site Intensive) View Syllabus
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Learning Objectives & Outcomes

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

  • Describe the historical, cultural, and clinical significance of Shirodhara
  • Explain the doshic effects and energetic principles behind the therapy
  • Identify appropriate indications, benefits, and contraindications for various clients
  • Select appropriate herbs, oils and decoctions based on season, dosha, constitution, and condition
  • Create a therapeutic environment that promotes deep stillness and somatic restoration
  • Safely perform the full Shirodhara treatment using standard and traditional equipment
  • Adapt treatment protocols for home care, spa settings, and therapeutic applications

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Target Audience

Massage therapists, Ayurvedic bodyworkers, spa professionals, and holistic healers interested in offering Shirodhara as a stand-alone or integrative therapy. No prior experience in Ayurvedic therapies required.

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Prerequisites

Intermediate Level – prior bodywork experience recommended

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Assessment & Evaluation

  • Demonstrated competency in setup and technique
  • Participation in group practice and discussion
  • Submission of a sample treatment plan or reflection

Instructor observation during practice sessions
Q&A participation and response to safety scenarios
Completion of short written reflection on clinical and energetic effects
Certificate of Completion awarded at day’s end

Ahna Ma

Ahna Ma

Art, in its initial stage, is science.  Science, in it's highest form, is art.  

Scientist, artist, and synergist Social-benefit entrepreneur Professional bodyworker and teacher Nourisher of bodies and ecologies Earthling

Corinna Maharani, CAP

Corinna Maharani, CAP

NAMA-certified Ayurvedic practitioner, PanchaKarma expert, and lifelong educator with more than 35 years of experience in Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM, Marma Therapy, and the refined SVA approach to PanchaKarma.

Corinna Maharani is a NAMA-certified Ayurvedic practitioner, PanchaKarma expert, and lifelong educator with more than 35 years of experience in Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM, Marma Therapy, and the refined SVA approach to PanchaKarma. Her relationship with Ayurveda began in 1989, when she completed one of the first Ayurveda training programs at Maharishi International University. From that early beginning, she dedicated her life to practicing, teaching, and preserving Ayurveda in a way that feels clear, warm, and accessible—inviting people back into their own inner intelligence, where healing naturally begins. During her studies, Corinna met her teacher, Vaidya R.K. Mishra, whose Shaka Vansiya Ayurveda (SVA) lineage spans an unbroken line of 126 generations. His mentorship shaped her clinical eye, her touch, and her understanding of how Ayurveda truly lives in the body. Through this lineage, Corinna continues to bring forward the essential principles that align us with nature, restore balance, and help us remember our belonging in the greater rhythm of life. In 2000, she founded Maharani Ayurveda in Santa Barbara, California—a clinic devoted to offering a signature style of treatment called Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM, as well as retreats and SVA-inspired PanchaKarma. Her work is practical, deep-reaching, and grounded, yet gently nourishing. Corinna is also the founder and director of the Maharani Academy, an internationally respected school offering certification in Ayurvedic Sacred BodyworkTM and PanchaKarma Technician training. Since 2018, the Academy has trained students from around the world through online and in-person study. It is recognized for its high standards, offering PACE credits through NAMA, approved Preceptorship for the Yoga Veda Institute, and AABC school approval.

For over 15 years, Corinna served as PanchaKarma Director at Kanyakumari Ayurveda & Yoga School in Wisconsin, where she developed curriculum, wrote manuals, taught faculty, and mentored hundreds of aspiring technicians. Earlier in her career, she served as Clinic Director at the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center in Palo Alto, guiding therapist training and daily clinical PanchaKarma operations. Corinna is also a writer, speaker, herbalist and Ayurvedic product formulator, appreciated for the joyful clarity and compassion she brings to her teaching. Her deep grounding in the Ayurvedic healing practices has led her to collaborate internationally, creating signature treatments and trainings for sister clinics and spas. Corinna continues to guide clients, students, and communities with the same steady dedication she began with decades ago—helping others experience the quiet strength and clarity that Ayurveda offers and keeping this healing tradition vibrant for generations to come.


Bookstore

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing

Dr. Vasant Lad

Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind

Ayurvedic Massage: Traditional Indian Techniques for Balancing Body and Mind

Harish Johari

Marma Points of Ayurveda: The Energy Pathways for Healing Body, Mind, and Consciousness with a Comparison to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Marma Points of Ayurveda: The Energy Pathways for Healing Body, Mind, and Consciousness with a Comparison to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Dr. Vasant Lad & Anisha Durve

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution

Prakriti: Your Ayurvedic Constitution

Dr. Robert Svoboda

Textbook of Ayurveda, Vol. 1–3

Textbook of Ayurveda, Vol. 1–3

Dr. Vasant Lad

The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care

The Everyday Ayurveda Guide to Self-Care

Kate O’Donnell

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