What Jobs Can I Get with Ayurveda Skills?

Maybe you grow herbs as a hobby, have taken an interest in blending essential oils to use in your home, or simply feel a passion for sharing information on diet and exercise and supporting others on their journey toward optimal health.

If you don’t want to invest the time and money in becoming an Ayurveda-trained practitioner, massage therapist or yoga teacher, you can still use your knowledge in other areas to advance the field and support those interested in an Ayurvedic lifestyle. Ayurveda helps individuals identify and understand what types of food, colors, herbs, aromas, exercise and environmental conditions will encourage a state of balance in the body and mind. The 5,000-year-old Indian health system reminds us: Establish harmony in mind-body-spirit, restore normal body function and healing takes place.

So what other jobs can you get with Ayurveda skills?

Holistic health coach: This rewarding career allows you to work with individual clients to develop a personalized plan for generating optimal health, vitality and wellness that encompasses physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual well-being. Health coaches educate and support people to build healthy new habits and create sustainable lifestyle changes around nutrition, exercise, negative habits and thinking and other areas where they feel stuck. Training covers different natural healing (naturopathic) therapies, dynamic health counseling skills and how to individualize a holistic health program for a client’s unique needs. In some courses, coaches learn about nutrition, herbology, exercise, relaxation, massage therapies and therapeutic bodywork, aromatherapy and elective areas of interest. Some programs involve 1,000 hours to become a certified Holistic Health Practitioner.

Herbalist: Herbal medicine plays an important role in Ayurveda. If you have a green thumb or an interest in the medicinal properties of plants, you can pursue training to learn herb cultivation and application. Graduates of an Ayurvedic herbal program cover topics such as how to grow herbs for medicine, identify plants and their uses, medicinal preparation and prescription, plant spirit properties and how to create an herbal pharmacy as a part of an Ayurvedic practice. Herbalists work with different species of plant medicines from around the world and are knowledgeable in medicine-making techniques, therapeutic effectiveness and safety, flower essences, herbal first aid kits, body care products and the use of plant medicine for body healing. Ayurveda colleges offer workshops, certification and apprenticeship programs.

Aromatherapist: Aromatherapy is the art and science of using essential oils for healing or therapeutic purposes. These practitioners specialize in plant materials and aromatic oils, including essential oils, to help address health concerns and common ailments. They recommend blends of therapeutic essential oils to stimulate a desired response, ranging from clearing sinuses and congestion to healing bug bites and creating a relaxing, calm environment. An experienced aromatherapist can answer questions about dosage, purity, application methods, and possible interactions between essential oils and other medications. There is no licensure for aromatherapists in the United States. Guidelines for practice are often included in general aromatherapy courses, but these are not monitored or enforced by any regulatory body at this time.

Nutritionist: Since diet is a key component of Ayurvedic medicine, working in the field of nutrition may be of interest to those with Ayurveda skills. Nutritionists and dietitians understand the importance of healthy eating as it relates to weight loss, weight maintenance and overall health. Nutritionists meet with clients to assess their health and needs, develop individualized diet and eating plans based on health concerns, keep track of their progress and provide encouragement to stay motivated and set and achieve goals. Nutritionists can work one-on-one with clients or in hospitals and other medical fields, including nursing, chiropractic, physical therapy, dentistry, massage, counseling and other therapeutic practices.

Nurse midwife: If you want to use your nursing skills in a more alternative health setting, midwifery may be a career to consider. This type of nurse works with women who are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant and want to have a natural delivery. Also known as advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), midwives help women throughout their pregnancy by offering support and education, gynecological exams, assistance during delivery, and providing care to mothers and newborns postpartum. This type of nurse requires additional training beyond a registered nurse and usually obtains a master’s degree in their specialty. They must be a licensed registered nurse before pursuing additional training.

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