APPLICATION
FOR
SATYA AYURVEDA TRUST
(SAT)
CERTIFICATION
2
Part I
Facility Information
1. Name of Facility
2. 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
E-mail
Address, if different from
facility
Choose one
6. Is your facility a (please
tick)
If Other,
7. How old is your facility?
000 years 00 months
8. How long have
Ayurvediya treatments
000 years 00 months
been offered at the facility?
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3
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
31/12/2000
Expiration Date
12. Does your facility have
Yes
No
a website?
Website address
13. Does you do electronic
Yes
No
marketing?
14. Does you offer
Yes
No
electronic consultations?
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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
Yes
No
falls under the “shamana”
category in Ayurveda, which
is
concerned
with
pacification of doshas and
gentle balancing treatments.
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
Yes
No
“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.
Grade 3: Panchakarma and
treatment for either healthy
or very ill people who may
have special needs and
serious health concerns. This
Yes
No
is
the
category
that
emphasizes
“shodhana”
therapies. Medical clinics or
hospitals would usually fall
under.
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
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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:

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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:
Please enter here
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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:
Please enter here
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:
Please enter here
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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 3ring binder or folder, for staff to refer to when necessary
How your facility meets this criterion:
Please enter here
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:
Please enter here
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6) Screening for contra-indications
Even though our focus in Grade 1 certification is on doshapacifying 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:
Please enter here
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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 overharvested. To attend to the individual without concern for
the welfare of the planet and its species is counterproductive 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:
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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:
Please enter here
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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, Pittapacifying, Kapha-pacifying.
How your facility meets this criterion:
Please enter here
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:
Please enter here
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10) Diet
Though there are many ways to address diet questions, and
there are many 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 eliminated through 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:
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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:
Please enter here
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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:
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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:
Please enter here
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:
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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.
Provide handouts or brochures that explain what type of
diet, lifestyle and habits may be beneficial during and
after treatments.
Provide books on Ayurveda in your library or gift store.
See our list of resources for more ideas on this.
How your facility meets this criterion:
Please enter here
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13) Truth in Advertising
Truthful advertising helps the public begin to learn what
authentic, safe Ayurveda is and means. To advertise, for
example, that your facility offers Ayurvediya treatments
designed for relaxation and restoration when that is what
you offer, is probably more honest than describing your
facility as offering, “the most extensive and authentic
Ayurvediya treatments in the West.”
Relaxation and restorative treatments differ significantly
from Panchakarma techniques, which are medical in nature
and require qualified, experienced practitioners to prescribe,
monitor and follow up. The difference between Panchakarma
and relaxation techniques is significant and often poorly
understood, and honest, educational advertising can help
disseminate accurate information.
How you might meet or support this criterion:
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Include educational information in your advertising that
describes your treatments as Vata, Pitta or Kaphapacifying, rather than as a detoxification program,
medical program or cleansing program.
Do not use the term “Panchakarma” in your advertising
unless that is what you are offering.
How your facility meets this criterion:
Please enter here
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14) Complying with local laws and regulations
Ensuring that you are conducting your facility activities
within the parameters of your local laws and regulations is
good business. Each therapist should possess the specific
license or certificate that will permit them to work on your
guests, and all advice given to guests that does not come
from a medical practitioner who is duly licensed in your
jurisdiction should generally be in the form of general
education (Eg: “In Ayurveda, the symptoms you describe
relate to high Vata and Ayurveda would treat high Vata
by…”) rather than in the form of personal diagnosis or
recommendations (“you have high Vata and should do
Abhyanga and Shirodhara”).
How you might meet or support this criterion:
 Know your local governing laws and regulations and have
copies of them available in your office
How your facility meets this criterion:
Please enter here
www.satyaayurveda.org
A-21, Parsn Galaxy
Nanjundapuram Road
Coimbatore 641036 India
+91 - 422 - 4308081 / 2311521
satyaayurveda@gmail.com
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