Ayurvedic Science in Modern Times: How and Why Ayurveda is Still Relevant in Today’s World
The stresses and strains of modern living have taxed not only the planet but everyone on it. We are currently facing an ongoing pandemic, the rapid emergence of new pathogens and novel syndromes, along with surging levels of “lifestyle diseases,” such as hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis. As the mainstream medical system struggles to help the mounting numbers of people in crisis, its reliance on increasingly costly conventional treatments that often fail to address all the complexities involved continues to drive demand for broadly accessible complementary healthcare options that empower individuals to optimize their total well-being by harnessing the innate healing wisdom of the body and mind. Ayurveda epitomizes this natural, holistic approach to healthcare. This year’s conference offers an opportune forum for our Ayurvedic community to share their collective knowledge of this time-tested medicine as its relevance to the welfare of humanity becomes increasingly apparent.
The conference will take place April 28-30, 2023, in Boone, North Carolina, at the Art of Living Retreat Center.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: AUGUST 5, 2022
Target Audience
The NAMA conference attendees are typically well versed in Ayurvedic basics. They primarily range from students in Ayurvedic programs, to recent graduates and new practitioners, to well established and advanced practitioners. Ayurvedic Continuing Education should be “deep” enough for advanced practitioners.
Presentations should be geared to provide information to professionals and students of Ayurveda who are educated in the basic concepts and precepts of Ayurveda. Assure that your presentation is geared to a higher and deeper level of information. Basics needed for context should be limited and/or provided in handouts.
Please plan to develop your presentation with the inclusion of handouts. Handouts should serve as an outline to assist attendees in following your presentation and/or taking notes. Research references are highly recommended and must be included in the slides and handouts. All presentation materials shall be provided to NAMA prior to the conference so that NAMA can upload documents to the website for the attendee’s use. In the effort of conserving resources, printed session material will not be provided by NAMA.
presentation levels
General Track (or Ayurvedic Foundations)
This track is focused on diet and lifestyle aspects of Ayurveda and is appropriate for beginners, students, and emerging professionals. The focus will be on wellness and disease prevention.When writing your proposal and ultimate presentation for this track, consider some of the following questions and content suggestions:
Modify the use of Sanskrit terminology
Include “brief” explanations of Ayurvedic theory where needed
Provide practical examples or case studies to clarify the topic
Provide citations to research or published books wherever appropriate
Advanced Track
This track is a deeper dive into the clinical and advanced applications of Ayurvedic protocols and theory and is appropriate for advanced students, Ayurvedic professionals, and allied health professionals. Presentations included in this track will use more complex Ayurvedic terminology.When writing your proposal and ultimate presentation for this track, consider some of the following questions and content suggestions:
Proper use of Sanskrit terms is appropriate, but use of English translation is suggested
No need to go over basic Ayurvedic theory such as explanations of Vata, Pitta and Kapha for example –this will tend to eat up precious presentation time and is boring to the attendees
Provide case study examples pertinent to topic
Provide citations to back up presentation wherever possible
types of presentation modes
Practicum
This is a 3-hour slot that will be shared by one-two presenters on the topic and will include lecture, hands-on (where possible), workshop session with participants. It is meant to be engaging, interactive and practical. Participants should walk away with new skills and knowledge for practical use. The selection committee might pair two presenters based on applications.
Panel
The panel presentations will be 1.5 hours. There will be 2-3 panelists per session. Each panelist will be given 20-30 minutes, depending on whether there are 2 or 3 presenters. Each panelist should have slides including research references wherever possible. There will be a panel moderator and 2-3 seats. Each panelist will get follow up time with Q&A at the end of the session. We are looking for panelists that have expertise and clinical or research experience in the panel topic.
PReconference practicums
The Play of the Doshas in Personal and Professional Relationships
General Track | Panel of 2-3 Presenters
Description: If we learned anything from the Great Resignation, it’s that people are demanding a workplace that fosters life/work balance and meaningful relationships. By examining the interplay of the innate biological energies (doshas) and mahagunas, in relationship to the mind, that determines the unique nature of each individual, Ayurveda can help us appreciate each other’s talents and vulnerabilities, as well as anticipate our own reactions and those of others so we can work together more effectively. Using real-world examples, we will examine the roles of the doshas and mahagunas in workplace, familial, and personal relationships with an eye to helping you learn to play and work with others more consciously, intimately, and compassionately.Suggestions for inclusion in practicum session:
Overview of personality types through lens of mahagunas – sattva, rajas and tamas
Overview of doshic influences
Group workshopping examples (example: family, friends, workplace)
Personal workshopping examples (example: filling out a mind type form)
How to work these concepts into leadership roles
Exploring Marma Therapy: Self-Healing at Your Hands
Advanced Track | Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Ayurveda defines marma points as junctions between the physical, astral, and causal bodies, where the proper flow of prana is restored for optimal health. The session will cover marma points to help reduce pain, increase mobility, improve sleep and digestion and other healing benefits. Attendees will benefit from detailed, expert advice on this transformational therapy as well as the opportunity to practice it on each other.
Suggestions for inclusion in practicum session:
Overview of marma points and theory
Demonstration of marma points for: reducing pain, increasing mobility, sleep, digestion
Instruction for personal use
Guide attendees on specific marma points for themselves and practicing on others
Incorporating marma therapy into a yoga practice
Go to Market: An Action Plan for Your Business
General Track | Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Need direction moving your Ayurveda Practice forward? Whether you are practicing virtually or in a brick and mortar, you still need a plan for success. In this 3-hour practicum, you will create a simple business plan, learn best practices for targeting your business to the right niche for your specialty and walk away with a marketing plan that you can implement right away.
Suggestions for inclusion in practicum session:
Overview of building a business plan – best practices
Lead a workshop for attendees to write their business plan
Overview a marketing plan strategy
Lead a workshop for attendees to create a marketing strategy
How to launch a social media campaign
Workshop on identifying your niche
Main conference
There are two tracks for the conference presentations (see descriptions above). Your presentation needs to be properly geared to the target audience in each case.
General Track
Maintaining a Healthy Nervous System
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: The illnesses, erratic schedules, and other stressors that feature prominently in modern life can wreak havoc on our nervous system. We will discuss signs and symptoms of imbalances in the nervous system and detail this highly complex and integrated system’s role in managing stress, rest, and digestion. The presentation will also focus on how to maintain its health through a combination of yoga techniques and Ayurvedic practices, including appropriate diet, balanced daily routines, calming breathwork, and good sleep habits.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Overview of the nervous system as seen by Ayurveda
How to identify imbalances of the nervous system
Review of techniques to balance nervous system
Include at least 1-2 case studies
How to do an Ayurvedic Assessment Virtually: Best Practices
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Telehealth consultations are becoming an increasingly popular mode of healthcare delivery for time-strapped Americans seeking convenient alternatives to office visits. What are the best telehealth practices for Ayurvedic professionals? What are the most widely approved strategies for managing intake and personal client information? This session will explain how to obtain reliable advice on these issues within your locale.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
How to set up a telehealth practice
Managing client information
Regulations in telehealth
Best practices
How to do a great intake i.e. photos, videos, forms, etc
Creating an Ayurvedic Home Apothecary: Must-Have Herbs and Spices for Every Season
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: How do you build your Ayurvedic first aid kit using herbs and spices? Learn how to create inexpensive natural alternatives to drugstore remedies and supplements for common ailments from headache, oral hygiene issues, and muscle and joint pain to coughs and colds, stomach upsets, and more. Drawing from resources commonly found in medicine chests and kitchen cabinets, we will assemble a comprehensive list of Ayurvedic medicines, herbs, and spices to keep on hand and describe when and how to use them.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Review common ailments - headache, oral hygiene issues, muscle and joint pain, coughs and colds, stomach upsets
Provide list of your favorite commonly found herbs and spices
Present simple formulations
Provide 1-2 case studies as examples
VEDAtalks: Why We Do What We Do: Stories from your Ayurvedic Colleagues
Panel of 7 PresentersDescription: Our community comes from all walks of life. Hear about their journeys. Be inspired, find encouragement and learn about how Ayurveda is being practiced around the country.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
How did you find Ayurveda or how did Ayurveda find you?
What has been your Ayurveda journey?
What have been your successes?
What have been some of your challenges?
What is your community?
How are you working within your community?
What would you say to inspire other professionals on the path?
What have been your vulnerabilities?
Advanced Track
The Role of Yoga and Ayurveda in Management of Addiction and Recovery
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Addiction has become a nationwide epidemic in the U.S., and current medical facilities and practitioners are overwhelmed with the complex challenges of responding to this crisis. Ayurveda and yoga therapy hold vast potential as an integrated mind-body approach to addiction management and recovery. This presentation will detail the role of diet, lifestyle, herbs, panchakarma, and yoga in restoring the physical and mental health of addicted persons.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Overview of national epidemic in addiction
Identify the different types of addiction seen today
How to recognize addiction
Yoga therapy for addiction
Ayurvedic interventions for addiction
1-2 case studies
Unraveling Autoimmune Disease
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: According to researchers at the National Institutes of Health, autoimmune disorders are becoming more common in the United States. In this session we will discuss a wide variety of autoimmune disorders, how they may present, the doshic imbalances they manifest, and possible treatments. Learn from a panel of experts about the evolution of Ayurvedic methods for managing rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, lupus, IBS, celiac, and other autoimmune diseases.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Provide an overview of autoimmunity from western and Ayurvedic perspective
Highlight a specific disorder that you have worked with
Provide 1-2 case studies
Include citations wherever possible
Chronic Pain Management
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Recent studies have estimated that more that 50 million Americans suffer from chronic pain. The current opioid epidemic evidences the enormous toll this situation takes on the afflicted individuals, their families, and society. The difficulty of achieving adequate pain relief while minimizing dependence on pharmacological interventions has led to growing interest in holistic natural pain management strategies. Ayurveda focuses on the pain’s roots, identifying where the pain resides and why it started, and then moves forward to a multidimensional management plan. This session will discuss how Ayurveda, yoga, breathwork, and meditation can work alongside conventional modalities to help sufferers regain their physical and emotional equilibrium.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Background on chronic pain
Western approaches and issues
Ayurvedic approach
Yoga therapy approach
Include 1-2 case studies
Provide citations wherever possible
Ayurvedic Skin Care and Conditions
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Our modern environment is oversaturated with synthetic chemicals. Not only do we ingest them in our food and drink—we wear them, wash our clothes in them, clean our homes with them, and overuse soaps, deodorants, and shampoos. This unrelenting chemical exposure combined with pervasive stress, disrupts the skin’s microbiome and ultimately manifests in a host of skin disorders, including eczema, psoriasis, hives, and rosacea. Rather than treating these symptoms of chemical overload with more of the same, Ayurveda effectively addresses them with herbs, natural products, and proper diet and lifestyle.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Overview of the skin
Common modern causes for skin disorders
Western approaches to treating skin disorders
Ayurvedic approach to treating skin disorders
1-2 case studies on a particular type of skin disorder
Provide citations wherever possible
Recognizing and Dealing with Trauma in the Modern World
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Although PTSD wasn’t officially recognized as a serious mental health issue until 1980, trauma is nothing new. It has been part of human experience from the beginning of time. It shapes who we are and how we act and react in the world. Ancient Indian concepts like samskara and buddhi reflect the sophisticated understanding of the effects of experience on human consciousness that underlies the promise of yoga and Ayurveda as a path to recovery from trauma.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Overview of trauma – types, causes, etc
Western approaches
Yoga therapy approaches
Ayurvedic approaches
View from Vedic psychology perspective
1-2 case studies
Provide citations wherever possible
Postnatal Care
Panel of 2-3 PresentersDescription: Women’s health is of prime importance for the well-being of the family and the community. Classical Ayurvedic literature offers detailed protocols for caring for women’s health at every stage of life and gives special attention to therapies for postpartum mothers. This presentation is designed for Ayurvedic Practitioners eager to deepen their knowledge of how to use diet, herbs, yoga, meditation, and bodywork to help new mothers revitalize their body and mind.
Suggestions for inclusion in presentation:
Overview of postnatal care
Western approach
Ayurvedic approach including diet, herbs, bodywork, etc
Yoga approach through asana, pranayama, meditation
1-2 case studies
Provide citations wherever possible
