Frequently asked questions
What does a certificate from the Sowa Rigpa Institute mean?
Students who successfully complete Sowa Rigpa Institute’s certificate courses demonstrate their competency in the respective purviews to the standard and level of integrity upheld by Medical Director Dr. Nida Chenagtsang and Sowa Rigpa Institute Faculty. It is important to note that our curricula serve a diverse international student community, and that while Sowa Rigpa has been continuously practiced and refined for thousands of years in Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia, and adjacent Himalayan regions, in many places in the world Sowa Rigpa does not have legal recognition or regulation for practice (licensure or certification).
A certificate from Sowa Rigpa Institute for our four year Sowa Rigpa Practitioner Program demonstrates that you have completed the study, practice, supervision, and assessment that the Sowa Rigpa Institute as directed by Dr. Nida Chenagtsang deems sufficient to effectively practice Sowa Rigpa professionally. However, you are ultimately responsible for researching, understanding, and when necessary deferring to your local jurisdiction’s limits, if any, on how or what modalities you may practice as an unlicensed practitioner (unless you already possess another license, of course). Individual modalities such as herbalism, bodywork, counseling, and acupuncture all have widely-variable local regulations, and students will need to determine the local regulations specific to where they intend to practice; students should be aware that in some cases they may wish to consider pursuing additional locally-specific practitioner licensure, certification, or registration from other institutions.
A certificate from Sowa Rigpa Institute for our four year Sowa Rigpa Practitioner Program demonstrates that you have completed the study, practice, supervision, and assessment that the Sowa Rigpa Institute as directed by Dr. Nida Chenagtsang deems sufficient to effectively practice Sowa Rigpa professionally. However, you are ultimately responsible for researching, understanding, and when necessary deferring to your local jurisdiction’s limits, if any, on how or what modalities you may practice as an unlicensed practitioner (unless you already possess another license, of course). Individual modalities such as herbalism, bodywork, counseling, and acupuncture all have widely-variable local regulations, and students will need to determine the local regulations specific to where they intend to practice; students should be aware that in some cases they may wish to consider pursuing additional locally-specific practitioner licensure, certification, or registration from other institutions.
Where is SRI? Are there in-person classes?
Sowa Rigpa Institute’s physical home is Pure Land Farms in Topanga (the greater Los Angeles area), California (USA). Pure Land Farms is opening a second branch in Tuscany, in the Spring of 2024. Clinical opportunities are also available in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Are SRI courses offered in multiple languages?
All of our courses are taught in English, however a selection of our shorter online courses and workshops are offered with simultaneous translation into multiple languages. Many of our course books are also available in foreign languages. The complete two and four year Practitioner and Counselor programs are offered in English only and require strong proficiency in the English language to attend. To find international centers that offer courses in your own language, please visit Sorig Khang International website.
Does SRI offer scholarships? How does SRI make teachings accessible?
Sowa Rigpa Institute offers scholarships and work-exchanges, as well as payment plans. Prospective scholarship students may apply for scholarships while registering and applying for courses. A variety of free and sliding-scale short courses and online events open to all are also presented regularly. We endeavor to make all our course offerings financially accessible and to prioritize awarding financial assistance based on a person’s economic need as well as their experience of structural oppression and disenfranchisement from/underrepresentation in educational programs and professions due to their racial identity, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, ethnicity, disability, or age. Our students come from all over the world, and we adjust our prices to reflect the economies in which they live.
