Featured Online Courses
by Dr David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)
American Institute of Vedic Studies’ online courses provide you with a distinct opportunity to learn from Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) and begin an enduring journey with the timeless wisdom of the Vedas.
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Ayurvedic Healing Course
Our Ayurvedic course offers an extensive, yet affordable, online learning approach to Ayurveda and its wellness approaches presented with clarity and depth. This comprehensive course outlines Ayurvedic anatomy and physiology, constitution for body and mind, fundamentals of diagnosis, nutrition, herbs, aromas, sensory therapies, Yoga, spiritual methods and more. It has been used by students from throughout the world over the last twenty-five years and has been the basis for many Ayurvedic training programs. Read more >>
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Ayurvedic Astrology Course
Our course in Vedic astrology combines a twofold approach of teaching the fundamentals of Vedic astrology, along with their interface with Ayurveda. It provides a good foundation in the principles of Vedic astrology from planets, signs and houses to Nakshatras and ashtakavarga, but also brings in an Ayurvedic perspective, showing how planetary influences impact body, mind and spirit. This makes it especially helpful for those who want to learn Vedic astrology according to an Ayurvedic background. Read more >>
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Yoga, Ayurveda, Mantra and Meditation Course
Our Yoga, Ayurveda, Mantra and Meditation course teaches an Ayurvedic perspective on the eight limbs of Yoga, as well as the yogic branches of Devotion (Bhakti), Knowledge (Jnana), and Action (Karma), including a full translation of the Yoga Sutras from an Ayurvedic perspective. It helps one to understand Yoga and meditation practices for well-being and spiritual growth according to Ayurvedic guidelines, including an extensive examination of Yoga philosophy. It contains much important information on the healing power of mantra. Read more >>
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Excerpt from: The Art and Science of Vedic Counseling
The book is now available at
Counseling revolves around examining what we are doing in life and learning to make our actions more effective. To improve our efficiency we may observe what other people are doing according to current trends in society, and see how to take advantage of these. Yet for any action to succeed at a deeper level, we must understand the forces that we are working with, including those that we have already set in motion. We cannot just look to the outside, we must look within. The first thing Vedic counseling teaches us is that our lives are a product of our own action or karma. Who we are and what we experience, both individually and collectively, is the result of forces that we have set in motion and are ultimately responsible for. We are responsible for ourselves and to some extent for the world as a whole. Read more >>
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News & Upcoming Events
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Our Acharyas
Guide | Mentors | Scholars | Authors | Speakers |
Astrologers | Researchers
Acharya David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri)
— Founder & Director
Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) is a western born teacher and guru in the Vedic tradition. Vamadeva is recognized as a Vedacharya (Vedic teacher), and includes in his vast scope of studies Ayurveda, Yoga, Vedanta and Vedic astrology, as well as the ancient Vedic teachings going back to the oldest Rigveda. His many books and courses serve to guide and teach students from all over the world in the fields of Vedic knowledge.
Vamadeva is a rare recipient of the prestigious Padma Bhushan award, one of the highest civilian awards from the President of India, “for distinguished service of a higher order to the nation,” honoring his work and writings as a Vedic teacher.
He has a D. Litt. (Doctor of Letters), one of the highest educational titles possible in the field of Yoga and Vedic sciences, from SVYASA (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana), the only deemed Yoga university recognized by the Government of India, and a special “National Eminence Award” from the South Indian Education Society (SIES) and the Kanchi Sankaracharya Math. Read more >>
Yogini Shambhavi Devi
— Co-Director
Yogini Shambhavi Devi is a mystic Yogini, guide and teacher rooted in the ancient teachings and traditions of Shakti worship. As a Yogacharya and Jyotishacharya, a Master teacher of Yoga and Vedic astrology, she provides in-depth guidance and consultations in Yoga, Vedic astrology, and personal healing.
As an important woman guru in the Shakti tradition of India and the Himalayas, she aims to draw one to the deeper ‘Yogic Reality’, helping to awaken the universal power of nurturing and the Divine Feminine within us. She is a noted author and singer of classical mantras that can invoke the Divine powers within us. Read more >>
Latest Articles
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Discovering the secret power of Hanuman
The following article by Dr David Frawley was first published by DailyO He endows us with the Atma-Shakti or self-power to realise our higher potential and accomplish what is magical. Hanuman is the great hero of the Ramayana, the wonderful story’s most fascinating character. Though having the form of a monkey, he is said to […]
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Rama and Sita through a Yogic Vision
“The real question behind the Ramayana is not whether monkeys could speak or if Rama and Sita are politically correct by today’s opinions, but how we can live a higher truth.” writes Dr David Frawley Lord Rama is much more than an historical person. He represents an inner connection of all humanity to the universal […]
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Dr David Frawley’s foreword to “Essentials of Vedic Wisdom for Blissful Living”
The following is the complete foreword written by Dr David Frawley to “Essentials of Vedic Wisdom for Blissful Living Book”. The book is authored by U. Mahesh Prabhu Founder & Director of Vedic Management Center. Vedic wisdom is perhaps the most important system of knowledge for the future well-being of humanity and for the planet […]
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This is why Shiva is so relevant
He is a deity of the eons, not just a historical or cultural image. Shiva is relevant to all of us as a formulation of the highest truth and consciousness, the spiritual power behind nature, and the deeper self-awareness beyond the known universe. If we carefully examine the tradition of Shiva worship, we find something […]
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The Non-Dual Reality of Lord Shiva
By David Frawley Shiva is ultimately a deity that represents the non-dualistic Absolute beyond all the contraries and oppositions of this dualistic world of time, space, and karma. He is the force of transcendent unity that is more than the combination of opposites and holds simultaneously the power of both sides of all dualities. Shiva […]
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What is Your Real Identity? Going Beyond All Outer Identity to Universal Awareness
By Dr. David Frawley The Mad Pursuit of Identity Identity and belonging have always been an important part of human life, but are becoming even more significant today. We live in an era dominated by the pursuit of identity through the new information technology on various levels. We can easily observe this in the power […]
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The many benefits of Saraswati Puja
By Dr David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Shastri) Allowing the cosmic feminine principle to fully express itself through all forms of art, without fear or manipulation, is the essence of true culture. Saraswati Puja is one of the most important annual events of India or Bharatiya culture going back centuries – a wonderful festival of art […]
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Reclaiming your own Direct Experience of Life
By David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri) Most of us are so caught up in the demands of our outer lives that we forget to examine our own inner experience of life from moment to moment. If we look deeply we will see that we seldom allow ourselves to experience our own lives fully and directly. Yet […]
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Consciousness, the Key to All Vedic Disciplines
By David Frawley Modern physics is looking for a unitary field of consciousness to explain the coherence of the laws of nature. Such a universal consciousness is proposed behind and beyond all time, space and energy, as their origin and end. Yogic spirituality has long taught how to discover this unitary field of consciousness within […]
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The Expansion of Ayurveda and Yoga: Their Value for India and the World
By Dr. David Frawley (Vamadeva Shastri, www.vedanet.com) Ayurveda is the natural healing system of India and its civilizational field of influence going back to Vedic times several thousand years ago. Ayurveda is one of the oldest, most intricate, and elaborate forms of traditional medicine in the world, and one with the greatest continuity and authenticity. […]
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Why Bhagavad Gita is best described as India’s national book
Dharma is not a matter of dogma, but of adapting our principles to a situation. The Bhagavad Gita remains the book that can be best described as India’s national book. For thousands of years, up to the present, the Gita has been the most popular, commonly read, widely translated and commented upon teaching from India, […]
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Our Life Movement in Consciousness
Exclusive to American Institute of Vedic Studies by Dr. David Frawley To be able to perceive the reality of who we are and what this marvelous universe is about, we must first realize that in our ordinary human state of mind that we are not truly conscious or aware. We are not aware of who […]
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From Darkness To Light: An Ancient Vedic Prayer To Illumine Our Lives!
The following article by Dr David Frawley was first published by Swarajya. Deepavali as a festival of lights is connected to the most ancient symbolism of India, the movement from darkness to light as the essence of our lives. In this regard, there is a famous Vedic prayer: Asato ma sad gamaya Tamaso ma jyotir […]
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Why India will be celebrating National Ayurveda Day on Dhanteras
On Lord Dhanvantari’s birth anniversary, let us open ourselves to the power of healing within us. The following article by Dr David Frawley was first published by DailyO Ayurveda, India’s natural system of healing has spread worldwide as an innovative and comprehensive system of mind-body medicine. Wherever yoga has gone, ayurveda is now following as […]
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Astrology as a Spiritual Science
From the Classic Text “Astrology of the Seers” by Dr. David Frawley Astrology should be a spiritual science. Our birth chart is a mirror of our soul and its particular incarnation. In our stars we see the growth and evolution of our inner being from life to life. This does not mean that we can […]
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Yoga and Ayurveda: The Sciences of Self-Realization and Self-Healing
From Dr. David Frawley’s Classic book on the subject Life (Ayu) is the combination (samyoga) of body, senses, mind and reincarnating soul. Ayurveda is the most sacred science of life, beneficial to humans both in this world and the world beyond. Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, I.42 -34 Yoga and Ayurveda Yoga is one of the most […]
Light of the Vedas
Quarterly Newsletter of American Institute of Vedic Studies
EXCERPT: It has been an amazing year for us and for our work, particularly in the international context. We wish to announce our upcoming India and related retreats for the next six months, for those who wish to join us for special programs and personal interaction. Vamadeva received the important Padma Bhushan award earlier this year from the President of India, Sri Pranab Mukherjee, one of India’s highest national awards for distinguished service of a high order to the nation. Vamadeva and Shambhavi both spoke at the main international conference in Delhi to mark International Yoga Day on June 21 and later had a special meeting with the Prime Minister of India, Sri Narendra Modi, which also featured the PM honoring Vamadeva’s new book, Shiva: The Lord of Yoga. Since then we have been busy with new programs and courses. We are happy to offer you an important new article of Dr. Frawley, Yoga as Samadhi, in this newsletter, which provides extensive new insight on spiritual experiences and altered states of consciousness. For our upcoming programs we have a special year end retreat in Hawaii, on the beautiful garden island of Kauai, in a beautiful South Indian style retreat center near the north shore of the island, where we will focus on Shiva and Shakti teachings and empowerments. We will include a visit to the famous Hinduism Today temple and the world’s largest crystal Shiva linga. 2016 we have two important events in India from late February to mid-March 2016, Shiva Ganga Yoga Shakti retreat, at the Glass House on the Ganga above Rishikesh. We also offer a Yoga Tandava tour organized by Kapha Collective for those who want to experience of the sacred places of Varanasi and Rishikesh and spend time in Delhi, India. Note below for more information immediately below. Read more >>