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Sreedhari Residency Program

On the first day that I met Vasudevan of Sreedhari Ayurvedic Centre, I shared the idea of creating a residency program here.  Within the first few days, I had drafted the application details.  We are pleased to present this opportunity to interested applicants from Vancouver, BC as a joint experiment. I am happy to serve as the liaison for this project – please contact me at woo@littlewoo.org if you have questions not answered here.

This type of travel is part of a growing branch of eco-tourism where adventurers can experience both culture and education in live-work environments while doing seva (spiritual service).  This residency will allow 2 people to gain a unique perspective of the Ayurvedic lifestyle while providing valuable help to the Sreedhari Centre.

Vasudevan, the founder of Sreedhari, is often on site, with a staff of 8 people who manage the program of Ayurvedic consultations, treatments and meals.   The centre is a grassroots dream that has become a world re-known facility for authentic Panchakarma treatment – both preserving and propagating the ancient art and science of Ayurvedic medicine.  There is also a special relationship between Sreedhari and Vancouver – with a high percentage of Vancouverites discovering the centre through word of mouth referrals.

This retreat centre is named after Vasudevan’s father, who was an Ayurvedic practitioner, poet and astrologer.  Vasudevan founded Sreedhari in 1995, with a vision of creating a centre of Ayurvedic medicine and treatment to serve both local and international clients.  People from all over the world have since come to this unique sanctuary to enjoy authentic Panchakarma treatments: coming from countries like Canada, USA, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden etc.

Details of Residency

Location:
Sreedhari Retreat is about 30 minutes drive from Thrissur, in the coastal state of Kerala in south-west India.  Located beside a serene river, the retreat is surrounded by a diverse garden of medicinal plants and fruit trees.  In this idyllic setting, the closest neighbour is a small village within 2 minutes walking distance.  The nearest train station is Thrissur Station and the nearest airport is Cochin International Airport (a 1-hour drive).

Live-Work Info:
Residents will be in active work-learn service for 4 hours per day (6 days a week).

a) Residents will be taught basic duties at the retreat centre that include:
- preparing and cooking of Ayurvedic meals
- identification, care, picking and preparation of medicinal plants and fruits
- basic cleaning and setup duties at the centre

b) Residents will be provided with room and board which includes:
- daily vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) served in an outdoor dining area.
- a regular schedule that begins at 6am, with many opportunities to wander, relax and meditate through the day and evening.
- daily Ayurvedic medicines for health and well-being

c) Basic Ayurvedic therapy training is available for residents who commit to a minimum of 2 months.  Ayurvedic treatment is also available at cost for residents.

d) Optional excursions can be arranged to nearby towns and sights during the residency, at the resident’s own cost.

Duration of Residency:
- The minimum stay for this program is 1 month.
- At 2 months stay, residents can opt to receive basic Ayurvedic therapy training.

Fees:
There is a basic residency fee just to cover the basic costs of resources used.  Residents must also cover transportation and flight costs to get to the retreat centre near Thrissur, Kerala.  (A driver from the Centre can be arranged to pick up at the airport or train station if needed.)

$350 Canadian is the residency fee per month (minimum 1 month stay is required)

Treatments:
Aside from Ayurvedic medicines that are included as part of the residency program, optional Ayurvedic treatments can be provided if desired by the residents.  Prices vary depending on the type of treatment chosen but this will be provided at cost.

Deadline for Application:
a) Applications can be made at any time of year, but 1 month advance application from expected date of arrival is required to allow sufficient time for approval and arrangements.

b) Indian visa must be approved at the time of Residency Application and visa number provided on the application.
c)  Not all applicants can be accommodated as there are currently resources for only up to 2 residents.

Application for Residency Program
A)  Please copy the following questions into an email and send your completed responses to:  ayurveda@sreedhari.com
B)  Also, please attach a Resume, Photo and 2 References.

Applicant’s Details:
1)  Full Name:
2)  Home Street Address:
City:
State:
Postal Code:
Country:
3)  Phone number:
4)  Email address:

Passport Details:
1)  Full Name on Passport
2)  Date of Birth:
3)  Passport number:
4) Citizenship:
5) Place of Issue:
6)  Date of Issue:
7)  Date of Expiry:
8)  Indian Visa number:
9)  Type of Visa:
10) Place of Issue
11)  Date of Issue:
12)  Date of Expiry

Primary Emergency Contact Info:
1)  Full Name:
2)  Relationship:
3)  Phone number:
4)  Email address:

Secondary Emergency Contact Info:
1)  Full Name:
2)  Relationship:
3)  Phone number:
4)  Email address:

Travel Medical Health Insurance Info, if any:
1)  Policy Number:
2)  Name of Provider:
3)  Phone number to call prior to allopathic medical treatment:
4)  Collect number to call prior to allopathic medical treatment:

Have you traveled to India before?
a)  If yes, how many times?

Travel Details:
1)  Your date of arrival in India:
2)  Your date of arrival at Sreedhari
3)  Do you need to be picked up by our driver?
4)  If yes, please indicate
a) pick-up location address
b) date and time of arrival

Residency Details:
1)  What length of residency are you applying for?  (This residency is minimum 1 month)
2)  Do you wish to receive basic Ayurvedic therapy training?  (Prerequisite: must commit to 2 months minimum residency)
3)  Do you wish to try some Ayurvedic treatments at cost?

Health Details:
1)  Please list current medical conditions, if any:
2)  Please list any allergies:
3)  Please list current injuries, if any:

4)  Any other health conditions that may affect your ability to take part in this residency program?

Personal Story:  For each answer in this section, maximum 500 words.
1)  What is your reason or interest in applying for this Residency Program?  Please describe in detail:

2)  Do you have experience with Ayurveda?  If yes, please describe:
3)  What do you hope to experience in this program?
4)  Are you familiar with seva (spiritual service or volunteer service)?  If yes, please describe:

Other Documents Needed:
Please attach the following documents to your application via email
1)  Resume (in plain text or Word format)
2)  A recent and clear photo of yourself (in .jpg format)
3)  2 references (their name, phone number, email address and relationship to you)

Got Other Questions?
Please review this application information carefully before contacting us.  If you do have other questions that are not covered here, you can contact Little Woo (woo@littlewoo.org) or Vasudevan (ayurveda@sreedhari.com).

Thank you for your interest in the Sreedhari Residency Program!
We appreciate your time and will email you to confirm receipt of your application.  Please note that we will need time to review your application and will notify you of the final status within 2 weeks of your application.

 

Sreedhari Residency Program

On the first day that I met Vasudevan Namboodiri of Sreedhari Ayurvedic Centre, we discussed the idea of creating a residency program here.  Within the first few days, I drafted the application details.  We are pleased to present this opportunity to interested applicants from Vancouver, BC as a joint experiment.

This type of travel is part of a growing branch of eco-tourism where adventurers can experience both culture and education in live-work environments while doing seva (spiritual service).  This residency will allow 2 people to gain a unique perspective of the Ayurvedic lifestyle while providing valuable help to the Sreedhari Centre.

Vasudevan, the founder of Sreedhari, is often on site, with a staff of 8 people who manage the program of Ayurvedic consultations, treatments and meals.   The centre is a grassroots dream that has become a world re-known facility for authentic Panchakarma treatment – both preserving and propagating the ancient art and science of Ayurvedic medicine.  There is also a special relationship between Sreedhari and Vancouver – with a high percentage of Vancouverites discovering the centre through word of mouth referrals.

This retreat centre is named after Vasudevan’s father, who was an Ayurvedic practitioner, poet and astrologer.  Vasudevan founded Sreedhari in 1995, with a vision of creating a centre of Ayurvedic medicine and treatment to serve both local and international clients.  People from all over the world have since come to this unique sanctuary to enjoy authentic Panchakarma treatments: coming from countries like Canada, USA, UK, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden etc.

Details of Residency

Location: 
Sreedhari Retreat is about 30 minutes drive from Thrissur, in the coastal state of Kerala in south-west India.  Located beside a serene river, the retreat is surrounded by a diverse garden of medicinal plants and fruit trees.  In this idyllic setting, the closest neighbour is a small village within 2 minutes walking distance.  The nearest train station is Thrissur Station and the nearest airport is Cochin International Airport (a 1-hour drive).

About the Live-Work Program:
a) Residents will be taught basic duties at the retreat centre that include:
- preparing and cooking of Ayurvedic meals
- identification, care, picking and preparation of medicinal plants and fruits
- basic cleaning and setup duties at the centre

b) Residents will be provided with room and board which includes:
- daily vegetarian meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) served in an outdoor dining area. 
- a regular schedule that begins at 6am, with many opportunities to wander, relax and meditate through the day and evening.
- daily Ayurvedic medicines for health and well-being

c) Basic Ayurvedic therapy training is available for residents who commit to a minimum of 2 months.  Ayurvedic treatment is also available at cost for residents.

d) Optional excursions can be arranged to nearby towns and sights during the residency, at the resident’s own cost.

Duration of Residency:
- The minimum stay for this program is 1 month. 
- At 2 months stay, residents can opt to receive basic Ayurvedic therapy training.

Fees:
There is a basic residency fee just to cover the basic costs of resources used.  Residents must also cover transportation and flight costs to get to the retreat centre near Thrissur, Kerala.  (A driver from the Centre can be arranged to pick up at the airport or train station if needed.)

$ _____ basic residency fee per week (minimum 1 month stay is required)

Treatments:
Aside from Ayurvedic medicines that are included as part of the residency program, optional Ayurvedic treatments can be provided if desired by the residents.  Prices vary depending on the type of treatment chosen but this will be provided at cost. 

Deadline for Application:
a) Applications can be made at any time of year, but 1 month advance application from expected date of arrival is required to allow sufficient time for approval and arrangements. 

b) Indian visa must be approved at the time of Residency Application and visa number provided on the application.

c)  Not all applicants can be accommodated as there are currently resources for only up to 2 residents.

Application for Residency Program

Applicant’s Details:
1)  Full Name:
2)  Home Street Address:
City:
State:
Postal Code:
Country:
3)  Phone number:
4)  Email address:

Passport Details:
1)  Full Name on Passport
2)  Date of Birth:
3)  Passport number:
4) Citizenship:
5) Place of Issue:
6)  Date of Issue:
7)  Date of Expiry:
  Indian Visa number:

9)  Type of Visa:
10) Place of Issue
11)  Date of Issue:
12)  Date of Expiry

 

Primary Emergency Contact Info:
1)  Full Name:
2)  Relationship:
3)  Phone number:
4)  Email address:

Secondary Emergency Contact Info:
1)  Full Name:
2)  Relationship:
3)  Phone number:
4)  Email address:

Travel Medical Health Insurance Info, if any:
1)  Policy Number:
2)  Name of Provider:
3)  Phone number to call prior to allopathic medical treatment:
4)  Collect number to call prior to allopathic medical treatment:

Have you traveled to India before?
a)  If yes, how many times?

Travel Details:
1)  Your date of arrival in India:
2)  Your date of arrival at Sreedhari
3)  Do you need to be picked up by our driver?
4)  If yes, please indicate
a) pick-up location address
b) date and time of arrival

Residency Details:
1)  What length of residency are you applying for?  (This residency is minimum 1 month)
2)  Do you wish to receive basic Ayurvedic therapy training?  (Prerequisite: must commit to 2 months minimum residency)
3)  Do you wish to try some Ayurvedic treatments at cost?
4) 

Health Details:
1)  Please list current medical conditions, if any:
2)  Please list any allergies:
3)  Please list current injuries, if any:

4)  Any other health conditions that may affect your ability to take part in this residency program?

Personal Story:  For each answer in this section, maximum 500 words.
1)  What is your reason or interest in applying for this Residency Program?  Please describe in detail: 

2)  Do you have experience with Ayurveda?  If yes, please describe:
3)  What do you hope to experience in this program?
4)  Are you familiar with seva (spiritual service or volunteer service)?  If yes, please describe:

Thank you for your interest in the Sreedhari Residency Program! 
We appreciate your time and will email you to confirm receipt of your application.  Please note that we will need time to review your application and will notify you of the final status within 2 weeks of your application.