3
APPLICATION
FOR
SATYA AYURVEDA TRUST (SAT)
CERTIFICATION
Part I
Facility Information
1. Name of Facility2. Mailing Address & details
Address
Street
City
State/Province
Zip Code
Country
Telephone Number
Fax Number
E-mail Address
3. Location if different from Mailing Address
Address
Street
City
State/Province
Zip Code
Country
Telephone Number
Fax Number
E-mail Address
4. Owner of Facility
5. Name & Details of Contact Person for Facility Survey
Name
Title
Telephone number
Fax number
Address, if different from facility
6. Is your facility a(please tick) / Choose oneWalk-in day spaMedical spaResort spaDestination spaMedical clinicHospitalOther
If Other,
7. How old is your facility? / 000 years 00 months
8. How long have Ayurvediya treatments been offered at the facility? / 000 years 00 months
9. Please check Ayurveda services provided / Abhyanga
Dinacharya
Marsha Nasya
Matra Vasti
Mukhalepa
Pichu
Pizhichil
Pratimarsha Nasya
Shirodhara
Shirovasti
Svedana
Udvartana
Vamana
Virechana
Other
If Other, please specifiy
10. Please indicate type of staff and number of persons in those positions
Physicians (male) / 00
Physicians (female) / 00
Lifestyle Consultant / 00
Therapists (male) / 00
Therapists (female) / 00
Diet & Lifestyle Consultant / 00
Yoga Teacher / 00
Food preparation staff / 00
House-keeping / 00
If Other staff members, please specify
11. Please list current license/registration for facility
Name of Licensing Body/Agency
License/Registration Number
License/Registration Expiration Date / 31/12/2000
12. Does your facility have a website? / Yes No
Website address
13. Does you do electronic marketing? / Yes No
14. Does you offer electronic consultations? / Yes No
15. Grade of SAT certification you are seeking
Grade 1: Relaxation & Rejuvenation. This is the category most spas fall under. It is not intended to be medical in orientation. It falls under the “shamana” category in Ayurveda, which is concerned with pacification of doshas and gentle balancing treatments. / Yes No
Grade 2: Panchakarma for healthy individuals. This is for basic panchakarma services for generally healthy people that are seeking maintenance for their health. This falls under the “shamana” and “shodhana” categories in Ayurveda. “Shodhana” works to expel excess dosha from the body. If you offer panchakarma you will need to apply for either Grade 2 or 3 certification. / Yes No
Grade 3: Panchakarma and treatment for either healthy or very ill people who may have special needs and serious health concerns. This is the category that emphasizes “shodhana” therapies. Medical clinics or hospitals would usually fall under. / Yes No
Date of Application / 31/12/2000
* Signature of Applicant
Print Name
Print Title
* Signature of applicant represents attestation that all information provided is true and complete.
Please review and sign the Non-Disclosure Agreement and return with the application.
Part II
Meeting SAT Criteria
The following is a list of our criteria, a discussion of why each item is important, how each might meet by you, and there is a space for you to describe how your spa meets each criterion.
Note: The word “ayurvediya” is simply the adjectival form of the word “Ayurveda”
1) Authenticity of treatments
While anyone can claim authenticity of treatment, there are certain time-honored parameters for each of Ayurveda’s treatments, as they have been practiced in India for centuries. Currently it is not uncommon for a practitioner to learn a therapy from someone else who claims it is authentic and to believe that it is, even when that therapy and its intended effect have become substantially diluted. It is common in the West, for example, to call a massage an “abhyanga” even when it differs from a Swedish massage solely in the few Ayurvediya herbs that have been added to the massage oil. Such a massage, though potentially beneficial, cannot be called an abhyanga.
SAT certification assures that each Ayurvediya treatment you offer is authentic and recognizable as such. Even treatments that are not traditionally Ayurvediya can be certified as such, if they are honestly labeled, advertised and offered in accordance with Ayurvediya theory. For example, an “Ayurvediya facial” that uses a formula not described in the ancient texts can still qualify as authentic, so long as it is based on principles of Ayurveda.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Refer to Panchakarma Illustrated by Dr. G. Shrinivasa Acharya for guiding principles of practice. This does not cover all details, but is an excellent reference.
§ Have your therapists trained on-site by a practitioner trained and experienced in how Ayurvediya treatments are given in India
§ Send your therapists to a program designed to train them in authentic Ayurvediya treatments.
How your facility meets this criterion:
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2) Qualification and experience of staff, including physicians, practitioners, consultants, therapists
Having skilled and trained practitioners and staff, appropriate to the level of care and services your facility advertises, is essential to preserve the authenticity and reputation of Ayurveda, and to ensure your guests have an optimal experience.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Offer trainings for your staff commensurate with the level of knowledge and skill they should have to perform their jobs
§ Hire staff who have received their training in reputable institutions or facilities
How your facility meets this criterion:
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3) Quality of consultation & documentation
Your guests will either need to receive a consultation by a therapist or submit sufficient documentation so that your therapists or doctors will be able to direct their treatment appropriately.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Have an on-site qualified consultant or physician to consult with your guests before they have any of the therapies and maintain the paperwork and records
§ Have sufficiently in-depth questionnaires to provide necessary information to determine appropriate therapies and to maintain records
How your facility meets this criterion:
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4) Training procedures & standard operating procedures for each treatment
Whether your staff is trained on or off-site, they need to offer consistent quality treatments.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Have on-site trainings and posted standard operating procedures for each treatment
§ Have off-site trainings and standard operating procedures for each treatment readily available in a 3-ring binder or folder, for staff to refer to when necessary
How your facility meets this criterion:
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5) Selecting appropriate therapies and products
Your guest deserves to receive therapies that are appropriate to their Prakriti and Vikriti. Either the therapist or a qualified practitioner of Ayurveda needs to be able to accurately assess each guest and recommend or alter certain therapies.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Have an on-site qualified consultant to meet your guests before they have any of the therapies
§ Have your guests fill out a form that allows your therapists to determine which therapies would be beneficial, contra-indicated and which would need to be altered
How your facility meets this criterion:
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6) Screening for contra-indications
Even though our focus in Grade 1 certification is on dosha-pacifying techniques (shamana) rather than on forcibly expelling excess doshas from the body and mind (shodhana), contra-indications can still apply. Ignoring these can lead to poor outcomes for your guests, for you and for Ayurveda’s reputation.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Have an Ayurvediya lifestyle & diet consultant, Ayurvediya physician or other qualified Ayurvediya practitioner consult with your guests before they receive their treatments, to evaluate potential contra-indications.
§ Have each guest complete certain paperwork that would alert your staff to any contra-indications or concerns that would either disqualify the guest for that treatment, or address the concern through an alteration of the treatment.
How your facility meets this criterion:
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7) Providing and using products that are, whenever possible, organic and environmentally-friendly, and produced in a sustainable manner
As Ayurveda increases in popularity around the world, the demand for Ayurvediya herbs, herbal oils and related products is growing, and some plants (including katuka, jatamansi and sandalwood) have already been over-harvested. To attend to the individual without concern for the welfare of the planet and its species is counter-productive to the essence of Ayurveda’s teachings. Even when organic products are not yet available, it is incumbent upon the facility to demonstrate significant efforts in this direction of procuring and utilizing organic herbs and products whenever possible, even when this makes costs marginally higher.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Purchase oils, herbs and products only from companies with a clear, demonstrated commitment to supplying organic products grown in a sustainable manner, even when they cost more than those of their competitors
§ Grow your own herbs and make your own products
§ Support environmentally-conscious companies or individual farmers and growers with donations, volunteer services or pledges to purchase a certain amount of product or raw material
§ When purchasing from a company that has not demonstrated a clear commitment to these ideals, inform them clearly that you will be forced to stop using their products unless they are able to demonstrate a practical, measurable commitment to these ideals within a certain period of time.
§ Use bio-degradable cleansers for your cleaning process
How your facility meets this criterion:
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8) Authentic Ayurvediya oils and products
Products cannot be authentically “Ayurvediya” if the actions of their ingredients are unknown. Herbs outside of the pharmacopoeia of Ayurveda can be used in “Ayurvediya” products only when their properties have been evaluated according to principles of Ayurveda.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Carry those products only that list all ingredients or obtain comprehensive ingredient lists from your suppliers
§ Create a list of the qualities (rasa, virya, vipaka, gunas) of the ingredients in each product and ensure with a qualified Ayurvediya practitioner that those qualities are likely to have the desired effect: eg. Vata-pacifying, Pitta-pacifying, Kapha-pacifying.
How your facility meets this criterion:
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9) Space
Vastu Shastra (the Indian equivalent of Feng-Shui) offers guidelines for creating spaces conducive to healing. A clean, well-ventilated, hygienic space that is conducive to healing and fits well within its environs is an important part of the Ayurveda experience.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Construct treatment spaces in accordance with the principles of VastuShastra or Feng-Shui, and use these principles to re-model spaces that already exist
§ Do not clutter any space with framed pictures, statues or other needless objects
§ Keep the room spotlessly clean
How your facility meets this criterion:
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10) Diet
Though there are many ways to address diet questions, and there aremany different views on what is considered to be “easily digestible,” your aim should be to provide food that is “easily digestible” from the perspective of Ayurveda. This generally means simple, freshly cooked meals with few ingredients and no stimulants, and no complicated or heavy foods or drinks. While it might not be possible to force your guests to comply with such a diet completely, it is possible to educate them and make it easy for them to know what to eat, as well as making food that is appropriate, easily available for them.
Even if your Ayurvediya offerings are not designed to be medicinal or deeply therapeutic, Ayurvediya treatments tend to stimulate release of toxins into the digestive tract, temporarily weakening the digestive capacity (agni) until the toxins are eliminatedthrough natural means. It is therefore helpful for your guests to consume a diet that is easily digestible and that supports digestion.
If yours is a walk in, non-residential facility, you may not offer food, but should still offer basic dietary education and recommendation to your guest for a diet that is appropriate to the days following their treatment.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ If yours is a residential facility, offer a separate menu from your general menu, and encourage your guests to choose their meals from it. This menu could include classical Indian recipes like kitcheri, or other tasty, light dishes that are nourishing and support digestion. The menu could also include non-Indian dishes like simple vegetable (not tomato or dairy based) soups that are lightly seasoned with mild spices; simple stir-fried or steamed vegetables; whole grains and well-cooked pulses; and the like. Herbal teas and other non-caffeinated warm or room temperature beverages could be offered.
§ Offer a separate section of your regular menu dedicated to your guests undergoing Ayurvediya treatments
§ Offer concise literature to educate your guests about the value of a simple diet while undergoing Ayurvediya treatments.
§ Offer a consultation with a qualified Ayurvediya practitioner, to direct the course of your guest’s diet.
How your facility meets this criterion:
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11) Calming Lifestyle
To realize the desired effect of their Ayurvediya treatments, guests should not engage in excessive exercise or other extreme physical or mental stimulation.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Do not keep television sets in the rooms of guests undergoing Ayurvediya treatments.
§ Recommend that these guests do not engage in vigorous forms of yoga, aerobics or other strenuous exercise.
§ Make gentle activities available that encourage an internal, calming focus, like meditation, restorative yoga etc.
§ Offer educational literature.
How your facility meets this criterion:
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12) Guest Education
Educational support for guests, outlining or supporting appropriate dietary and lifestyle behavior during and after the treatment course, increases the effectiveness of the treatments.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
§ Have an Ayurvediya lifestyle & diet consultant, Ayurvediya physician or other qualified practitioner of Ayurveda consult your guests before they receive their treatments, to describe the treatments, explain what type of diet, lifestyle and habits may be beneficial during and after treatments.