There's a growing field in Portland that you've got to see to believe! No, really! At PCC you can get started in a career as an Optician Assistant after just one term in the Optician Assistant Training program. On the last day of class you can turn your resume in to a potential employer. 

by Instructor, Ann Wagoner

According to the ancients, there are many ways to boost immunity. By looking to the timeless wisdom of India in Ayurveda, the science of life, as well as to Yoga, we can find many simple practices to put in place. Yoga is much more than stretching, it is the union of the polarities of mind, body and consciousness that we can observe in the breath. In Ayurveda, the three pillars of health are: Food, Sleep and Self-Control. The food choices we make influence our health. We can let food to be our medicine. A healthy sleep routine promotes rest, rejuvenation and the removal of wastes from the body. Self-Control (Brahmacharya) is an aspect of health that is often overlooked.

Portland Community College offers various online non-credit courses through the Institute for Health Professionals (IHP) this spring. These courses help Portland students and people worldwide continue their education, whether they are pursuing roles in a yoga teaching or clinical research setting or are adding skills to an existing resume to pivot within the healthcare field. The world of healthcare is a wide-ranging one, and finding your place in it is easier with access to engaging, relevant spring online classes from PCC’s Institute for Health Professionals.

When you hear the word "herbalism," you may have a vague notion of what it means. But, when a friend or family member discusses how herbal treatments have helped them, you might be ready to explore more. Read on to see why practicing herbalism has become popular and what it can do to help the body and mind.

People are looking for ways to keep their bodies active while also keeping their bodies and minds more flexible and resilient. After taking a 200-hour yoga ayurveda training, graduates may continue advancing their yoga career while offering excellent classes to students.

PCC IHP’s 300-hour yoga teacher training class can further your understanding of yoga and prepare you to teach others.

KP Khalsa is one of North America's foremost experts on holistic medicine and Ayurveda, and he recently spoke with team members at Portland Community College's Integrative Healthcare program. His programming offers rigorous learning for those interested in a holistic approach to complement the use of herbs for treating bodies and minds.

Becoming a functional nutritionist is an exciting and rewarding career. Many people look into nutrition as a career path after a passion for health, wellness, and intentional diet choices, but there is so much to learn about how food, exercise, and other elements of our lives impact the health of our bodies. At Portland Community College, you can pursue a year-long preparation program in Functional Nutrition with a cohort of like-minded students who are also studying through live, online classes. This course is approved by the National Association of Nutrition Professionals as preparation for the Holistic Nutrition Credentialing Board certification exam. 

Updated April 12, 2023

Some well-paying, career-worthy jobs require a lot of schooling, which can be daunting upfront. Paying for multiple years of school before you can begin earning money can feel like too high a cost and too big a risk. The good news is that many careers exist like a ladder, where you can begin work after conducting initial training in a few months. Then you slowly "skill up" by taking coursework and passing certification examinations to grow into roles with more responsibility and pay. 

More and more people are realizing that nutrition is a key factor in good health, and this is creating a demand for professionals who can provide guidance in how to use it to its fullest. This goes far beyond the idea of using food to control weight. Nutrition has been linked to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, digestive concerns, and more. It makes sense that while bad nutrition can increase risks, good nutrition can decrease them and may even help people heal from certain conditions.

Yoga is an ancient practice that works to unite the mind and body through the use of meditation and physical poses, as well as other disciplines originating in ancient India. Many people who practice yoga consider taking their knowledge to the next level. With the Registered Yoga Teacher 200-hour course (RYT-200), you will get into the background, underpinnings, and physical forms of yoga, but the more extensive training certification from the Yoga Alliance is the RYT-500, which requires 300 additional hours of training.