Annual Update From NAMA’s President

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by Margrit Mikulis ND, AD

It has been an honor to have had a front-seat view of the incredible work accomplished this past year. I feel proud of our growing staff, volunteer, and member workforce; their service is the heart and soul of NAMA. We are so fortunate that we have such a dedicated group of people within our organization who are thrilled about Ayurveda and who work to help NAMA and the profession thrive!

Since our organization’s inception, hundreds of people have served as volunteers, and notably during this past year, over 70 members have served NAMA in this capacity. I am inspired and stand in awe knowing the capabilities of our “think tank.” We are such a great powerhouse of professionals creating and gifting time for everything that represents our great organization and community within NAMA and for Ayurveda. Ayurveda is growing in the United States because of our collective contributions and the hard work we do each year.   

How does NAMA work as an organization?

At the close of our fiscal year, the Executive Director requests an annual summary from the Chairs of each Committee at NAMA to highlight the teamwork and accomplishments from the previous year. All detail then gets compiled into our annual report, which can be accessed online (2020/2021 Annual Report). This year we brainstormed about how we can help our members better understand how NAMA functions. In the spirit of knowing that we can always improve, we now aim to educate our community about how NAMA operates, and how we uphold our vision and mission as our initiatives evolve each year. For all of you, it is my hope that this article will serve as a step toward that goal.  

Before diving into the details of our board’s processes, I will provide some helpful background information on the general structure of a Not-For-Profit Organization (NPO).

NAMA is a Private NPO and as such incorporates the following structural features:

• Stakeholders: People and organizations invested in NAMA’s success, such as members, sponsors, donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries

• Governance Body: The Board of Directors elected by NAMA stakeholders

• Director Nominations: Election of Directors by the voting members

• Management: The body of people who oversee operations, including the Executive Director, who reports to the Board of Directors  

As a volunteer-driven professional membership organization, we rely heavily on our stakeholders, including our voting members, to drive NAMA’s progress. Without stakeholders we would not have an organization. We view our stakeholders as the mitochondria of NAMA, here to empower people and to help advance our profession, build relationships, continuously improve the organization, and increase our success so that we can continue to achieve excellence in educating the country and the world about Ayurvedic medicine. Our stakeholders are the building blocks and internal engine of NAMA that hopefully will continue to sustain our strength and fuel out growth for years to come.  

Yearly, the Board of Directors collaborates with the Executive Director to determine the type of work that needs to be accomplished in any given year. We can determine our direction because the Board, the Executive Director, the staff, and our Committee members are driven by NAMA’s mission, vision, and purpose. The board determines organizational goals and objectives for the coming year and the Executive Director, the staff, and all the Committees work in concert to achieve the goals set each year by the board.

As the Board of Directors, we must ask big questions:

• What do we need accomplish in any given year?

• Was there any work that was carried over from the previous year, and if so, what are the fiscal ramifications?

• What initiatives do we know we need to complete?

• Are our operations aligned with our strategic plan?

• Did we meet the previous year’s goals?

• What obstacles prevented us from completing work that needed to get done?

In addition, I would like to emphasize that we are always having to answer the question can we afford to do this?. We faithfully rely on our budget as the financial framework that guides us during the year (Financial/Treasurer’s Report).

These are just some examples of how we determine our path to the future and find the best ways to execute our vision and strategy while upholding our mission to serve our membership and the Ayurvedic community.

Workflow and Our Volunteers

Our Executive Director and staff are responsible for the administrative functioning of NAMA, an enormous task that is constantly expanding and becoming more complex. The NAMA Board of Directors and all the individuals from the different Committees make up the entirety of our volunteer team. You can dive deeper into learning more about the NAMA Board of Directors and each Committee by reviewing the annual report. Our volunteers are students, general members, and professionals from all over the country. Like me, some began volunteering as students who eagerly entered the field with a strong desire to progress to a professional track. Others are already involved in some Ayurvedic professional capacity and serve because they are also interested in growing Ayurveda and helping the profession evolve in the United States. When I reflect on such a fine collection of individuals dedicating their time, the volunteers seem like the mosaics of the Taj Mahal, each one contributing something beautiful and vital to NAMA’s structure and function over the past 21 years.

Highlighted Outcomes from 2021

Like many other organizations, NAMA experienced challenges and had to change direction in 2020 because of COVID-19. Timelines and work shifted as we responded to the needs of our community. Below are some highlights from the past year that can help illuminate some of NAMA’s incredible accomplishments in 2020:

• Accreditation Council: The NAMA Board of Directors and the board of the National Ayurvedic Medical Accreditation Council (NAMAC) worked the entire year to prepare for a successful Iaunch of NAMAC’s operations in August 2021. With NAMA’s financial support and the collaborative efforts of the NAMAC Board of Directors and NAMA’s Executive Director, Hilary Garivaltis, NAMAC was able to hire an Executive Director, Lisa Cavallaro, in February 2021. NAMA helped secure NAMAC’s initial operating budget with a financial commitment of $50,000 over the next year. This is a monumental endeavor and a historical moment for the Ayurvedic profession as we approach a new horizon of academic excellence for Ayurvedic schools and programs in the United States. 

• Certification Board: The NAMA Certification Board (NAMACB) is now four years old and has been working hard on promoting the Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Ayurvedic Practitioner certification exams while developing the Ayurvedic Doctor exam. The Ayurvedic Doctor beta testing phase should begin in early-2022. This exam will serve as the third component of the only official and verifiable set of professional certifications for Ayurveda in the United States. A huge accomplishment for any profession, the creation of certification exams is a hallmark of any profession’s growth and viability.

• Conference/Events: In 2020, we initially faced the challenge of having to make a swift and difficult decision to cancel our annual in-person conference but quickly moved forward to host our first virtual conference. Additionally, with the help of an outside consulting team, we determined that we would expand our events and host educational programming for the Ayurvedic community in 2020/2021. These events included Ayurveda Day and The Business of Ayurveda. As the pandemic extended further into 2020, the Board of Directors determined that it would be in our community’s best interest to host our 2021 annual conference on a virtual platform as well. Although the cancellation of the in-person conference is disappointment, we welcome this new opportunity to keep our community connected and to get more experience hosting large online events.

• Membership: The Membership Committee hosted a Leadership Summit for the first time this past year to give our Committee volunteers a chance to learn about all the wonderful things each Committee is doing. The Committee also hosted the first round of Student and Professional “Mingles” in response to the call for more time to connect and interact as a community. These events have been a great success, and we plan on continuing and expanding them in the coming year. We also created a special BAMS Task Force to focus on the particular needs and contributions of this growing portion of our membership community. Finally, the Membership Committee has now opened to programs that offer Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy and has welcomed the first two programs this year.

• Diversity and Inclusion: The NAMA board established the Diversity and Inclusion Committee in July 2020 to support the growing needs of our community.  The board felt it was imperative to offer a training series led by a specialist in the field so that we could provide more education on this important issue to our members. The Committee worked diligently and after conducting a rigorous selection process hired Diversity Antiracism and Inclusion Trainer Mariama Boney of Achieve More, LLC. With Mariama at the helm, NAMA hosted a three-part monthly training program between February and April 2021. “Reveal, Realign, Restore” was an interactive and recorded program that gave the participants an opportunity to discuss and celebrate diversity and inclusivity within the Ayurvedic profession.

• President’s Corner: From April 2020 through April 2021, I hosted 19 virtual programs for our community on topics ranging from Classical Ayurvedic Perspectives on COVID-19 to Biodiversity and Health with Vandana Shiva. Over the past year, I had great conversations with many NAMA board members, keynote speakers from our conference, and other professionals who specialize in topics related to Ayurveda. All past recordings are available to members and can be accessed from the events page on our website. 

Looking back on this past year, I am hopeful and remain positive about the future, yet feel compelled to acknowledge the suffering and challenges faced by so many of you and by all communities locally and globally. A massive global healthcare burden exists that can no longer be ignored. We know that this pandemic is an undeniable example of how our environment directly connects to our health and well-being. We as Ayurvedic professionals are grappling with the same questions confronting all of humanity and every faction of healthcare:

How do we respond to this increasingly urgent call for global health and wellness?

How can we as professionals and individuals promote health in our families and within our communities?

How can we protect Mother Earth and all of humanity so that our children and their children will come to know that a healthy planet equals healthier people?

Since the beginning of 2020, maintaining our health has taken on new meaning. Our service and the wisdom of Ayurveda are needed now more than ever. It is so important to acknowledge how the shared experience of the pandemic continues to influence and shape all of us as professionals. Knowing this I feel that we as colleagues must work together and keep striving to be of service to the Ayurvedic profession, to our communities, and to the world.

NAMA remains committed to growing with all of you. Ayurvedic medicine may be a young profession in this country but this ancient wisdom has flourished for millennia and is now taking root here in the United States. Collectively we are stakeholders in this profession, each one of us carving out the distinctions that define what Ayurvedic medicine means to the American people. As pioneers, we expect to wrestle with challenges; however we know that hard work, endurance, and commitment have proven to yield success after success for the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Thanks to the efforts of teachers and students, doctors and clients, schools, product companies, cooks, authors, and scientists, and the passionate desire of the general public for alternative healthcare solutions, Ayurveda is no longer a quiet voice echoing across the mesas of New Mexico. We are a nationwide organization with a loud voice, opening doors for each other and all those who need Ayurveda’s natural, holistic approach to healing. 

We are all living and breathing examples of why Ayurveda continues to blossom and bear fruit, and every one of us can celebrate with certainty that we are changing lives, making history, and growing in strength and togetherness.

Hari Om.

In Gratitude,

Margrit Mikulis, ND, AD

NAMA President

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About the Author

Margrit Mikulis ND, AD, is a Naturopathic and Ayurvedic Doctor, practicing in Vermont and New Hampshire. She incorporates Ayurvedic principles and practices with other integrative medical systems and modalities. She has over 15 years of clinical experience serving children and families in the northeast and throughout the United States. Margrit serves on the NAMA Board of Directors and is currently NAMA’s President.

National Ayurvedic Medical Association 2021 Annual Conference Report

by Baba Lou Haber

The 17th Annual Conference of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) brought together online 45 experts whose presentations centered on Ayurveda as evidenced-based and integrative medicine. The conference demonstrated how practitioners are harnessing scientific research to validate classical Ayurvedic approaches, growing expertise in disciplines of emerging importance such as microbiome research and genomics, and building bridges with Western medicine.

Integrative Medicine Defined

Among the first presenters was Victoria Maizes, MD, executive director and professor of medicine at the University of Arizona Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine. Maizes offered a definition of integrative medicine as “healing-oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person, including all aspects of lifestyle” and “emphasizes the therapeutic relationship between practitioner and patient, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapies.”

An internationally recognized leader in integrative medicine, Maizes began with an alarming statistic from JAMA: Even though 70% of deaths in the United States are due to behavioral and environmental factors, only 1%–3% of healthcare dollars are spent on disease prevention, compared to 97%–99% spent on medical care and biomedical research. She emphasized how “something is missing from our healthcare systems, and we believe that we can do a better job taking care of our patients through integrative medicine.”

Innovative Integrative Approaches

That spirit of advancing a better way to improve healthcare and foster wellness was abundantly evident throughout the NAMA conference. Presentation topics included evidenced-based approaches to healing leaky-gut syndrome (in which an unhealthy gut lining allows undigested food and toxins to leak into the bloodstream); innovative therapies to address gastrointestinal tumors; Ayurvedic approaches to mitochondrial diseases and disorders (which occur when mitochondria fail to produce sufficient energy for the body to properly function); and Ayurvedic prevention and treatment of gynecological disorders.

Among the presenters on yoga were Susan Bass, AP- and AYT-NAMA, E-RYT 500, C-IAYT, a certified Ayurvedic practitioner and Ayurvedic yoga therapist who founded the Sarasvati Institute of Ayurveda & Yoga Therapy and the Sarasvati Mission. “Ayurveda excels at digestion and detoxification, so it is about improving the quality of blood,” noted Bass. “That’s why Ayurveda and yoga are exponentially more effective when practiced together, because who cares if you have the blood moving around the body when it is of poor quality and does not nourish the cells and the organs?”

Bass led two sessions. The first examined the beneficial role of yoga in reducing stress and improving mental health. In her second presentation, Bass brought together asana, pranayama, mudra (gestures), and marma (vital body junction points) therapy to address vishama agni (irregular/weak metabolism), the type of digestive imbalance caused by excess vata (air/wind).

A Deeper Understanding of “Evidence”

Bhushan Patwardhan, PhD, national research professor at the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Savitribai Phule Pune University, provided an overview of Ayurveda as an evidenced-based science. He emphasized that Ayurveda and yoga require a different approach to research and a fresh look at what constitutes evidence, given that they have an entirely different framework than Western medicine.

According to Patwardhan, the integration of Ayurveda and modern medicine will entail an “epistemological transformation process” in which Ayurveda as a holistic, experiential, and natural approach will need to be more fully appreciated and understood by medical practitioners and the medical research community.

A New Paradigm to Foster and Sustain Health and Wellness

In her presentation “Biodiversity Is Health; Biodiversity Is Sustainability,” Vandana Shiva, PhD, likewise emphasized the critical importance of a paradigm shift—one to a more holistic understanding of health that includes our interconnectedness with all species and the entire planet.

“The paradigm we have today is one that doesn’t work with whole systems,” said Shiva, a researcher and eco-feminist food-sovereignty activist who founded the Research Foundation for Science, Technology, and Ecology in Dehradun, India. In contrast, Shiva noted, Ayurveda teaches us that health is about balance. “The body is not little fragments and parts; the body is a non-separable whole interacting non-separably with the world and the biodiversity around us,” she said.

Shiva ended her talk with a call to action. “If there is one thing we can take forward from ecology, from biodiversity, from Ayurveda, it is our interconnectedness,” she said. “We are one, and we can be interconnected through health and regeneration, or through disease and degeneration. [E]ach of us should cultivate the will and determination and the hope that the regeneration part is what we will evolve.”

A Look at COVID-19

NAMA additionally offered a post conference event providing perspectives from conventional medicine and Ayurveda on COVID-19. The presentation, by Dhaval Dhru, MD, and Mimi Guarneri, MD, included a survey of preliminary research looking at promising results of both integrative and Ayurvedic treatments of the virus.

Throughout the conference, NAMA encouraged attendee donations to help the people of India during the country’s COVID-19 crisis through such organizations as Sewa International USA (www.sewausa.org).

Mark Your Calendars

Planning is already underway for NAMA’s next annual conference. The 2022 gathering will be a special event where participants will hopefully again meet in person. The theme of the conference, to be held in Tucson, Arizona, April 22–24, is “Ayurveda for Family Health.”

Originally published in Yoga Therapy Today, a publication of the International Association of Yoga Therapists (www.iayt.org). Shared with permission.

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About the Author

Baba Lou Haber has written for CBS News, served as a communications executive for several companies and public agencies, and is a Cicero Award–winning speechwriter. He is currently studying to be an Ayurvedic Health Counselor. Baba Lou also serves as a member of NAMA’s Communications Committee.

Dr. Anu is Helping to Grow and Expand Global Awareness of Ayurveda

One of the foremost leaders in the field of Ayurveda, Dr. Anu is helping to grow and expand global awareness of Ayurveda. I sat down with her in February to discuss her inspiring travels around the world.

In October 2019 Dr. Anu traveled to China for the World Traditional Medicine Forum. Here is a brief description of her time there.

I was honored to receive an invitation to participate in the Shanghai Forum for World Traditional Medicine as a representative from the field of Ayurveda. Experts from Germany, Japan, Thailand, the USA, China, Australia, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka, along with three international organizations, were there to discuss the latest developments in traditional medicine and international standardization of traditional complementary medicine in their home countries and their region of the world. During the last part of the trip, I had the opportunity to visit a few temples in Shanghai. These experiences made my time in China very special.

 What did you find most interesting about the forum?

[I was very amazed ] by the progress of  traditional medicine in other countries. It was interesting to learn how these traditional healing arts are practiced in some of these countries and how they have been integrated into the main healthcare system. I was proud to represent Ayurveda at this conference. We are also at the forefront of this resurgence of traditional medicine. Ayurveda is one of the oldest  medical systems in the world and a fully developed approach to healthcare in India, and it has been growing globally over the past few decades. 

What were your takeaways from the forum?

Understanding how other systems of medicine, like Chinese Medicine, have gained acceptance worldwide helps me envision how Ayurveda can achieve the same. The biggest difference with Chinese Medicine is that Chinese scientists have been successful in promoting its practice with evidence-based research, while Ayurveda is still in the process of doing so. We need to conduct more pharmacoepidemiological studies documenting the safety and effectiveness of Ayurvedic  medicine. Different systems of medicine can learn how to progress and grow from each other. 

You have also traveled to Japan; can you tell me about that?

Since few years, I have been travelling to Japan to give a talk at Japan school of Ayurveda and this time I also got the invitation to give a lecture organized by Tokyo University, and Nihon Pharmaceuticals university. While I was there, I also taught an introduction to Ayurveda at a yoga center. Ayurveda is gaining popularity in Japan. Its educational aspect is the primary focus of interest in that country. Over the last 10–20 years, a few clinics in other healthcare modalities have introduced Ayurvedic approaches to wellness. It is very interesting to see that few Ayurvedic research studies were also conducted there. Since aging populations are a major concern in Japan, medical providers there are more interested in the practical application of Ayurvedic strategies for preventing disease and optimizing health.

Can you tell me about your participation in the World Health Organization’s benchmark development meeting?

 It was a great honor to be part of the World Health Organization meeting on benchmarking documents for the practice of Ayurveda, Panchakarma, and Unani. There were 53 members from different countries who participated in this meeting. I truly enjoyed working with this team, and I am so proud to see the growth of Ayurveda globally! 

The WHO is currently taking an active role in developing global training, practice, and educational standards for Ayurveda, and I was glad to be able to represent the U.S. in discussions toward that end.

To what do you attribute the current surge in interest in establishing global standards for Ayurveda? 

The Indian Government is putting a lot of effort into the development and growth of Ayurveda worldwide. In India, AYSUH is collaborating with the WHO to establish consistently rigorous standards for Ayurveda practice and education globally. I believe that we are on the right path, though it may take some time to develop and implement these standards. Once our profession is firmly grounded in standards that ensure the safety, quality, and effectiveness of our services, Ayurveda will gain increased acceptance and respect around the world . 

What are your goals for the future of Ayurveda?

My dream is to see Ayurveda as a mainstream practice in U.S. Though this may take time, we need to start doing groundwork for this. I believe that this ancient medicine has so much value. It is a time-tested medicine practiced for thousands of years. Recent studies in modern medicine indicate the importance  of diet, sleep, and exercise for health promotion and disease management, a concept that emerged thousands of years ago in Ayurveda. Ayurveda is a complete science, but it is not yet very well known to the world, so we have to educate others about this profound healing science of life—Ayurveda. 

Do you have any advice for new practitioners?

It can be overwhelming when you are starting out, because of the need to master the specific language, terminology, and extensive knowledge base of Ayurveda. In the U.S. the number of educational hours required for graduation from Ayurvedic programs is increasing, and this is very important and good for the students. Do not give up; have commitment to and a passion for learning Ayurveda. Practice in a genuine way, without relying on shortcuts. Our profession is growing with more and more  clients seeking care from Ayurvedic professionals. Protect the profession while practicing and teaching. Strict ethical standards need to be followed. Understand your limitations and the scope of your practice, pursue continuing education, and read the classical texts. I also feel that we need to learn to speak in a shared language that makes Ayurveda understandable to everyone. Ayurveda is a patient-centered, customized approach to healthcare for individuals and families, as well as an all-encompassing way of life. The unique value of Ayurveda lies in consciousness-based practices that nurture health in body, mind, and spirit and that promote balance in every aspect of our life. A balanced and peaceful state of mind is a key aspect of well-being. Ayurveda has taught me to value community, family, relationships, love, compassion, and peace. Its lessons inform my belief that we must all join hands with each other because our future depends on a community that stays together. A strong, united community will guide the mission, vision, and growth of Ayurveda. 

Your work is currently receiving international recognition. Which awards have meant the most to you?

I am extremely honored and humbled to have received the Sheikh Zayed International Award for Ayurveda in Abu Dhabi. This award bears the name of late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and a visionary statesman who dedicated his life to laying a solid foundation for a progressive society that benefits everyone. The award aims to create, recognize, and reward excellence in traditional, complementary, and alternative medicine. 

The APHA ICTHP service award for outstanding leadership, service, and dedication to integrative complementary and traditional health practices also means a great deal to me.

 Another award that I cherish came from the SoCaL Kerala Ladies: the 2020 Surya Prabha Women Achievers Award for outstanding contribution in the field of Ayurvedic medicine.

I dedicate all these awards to my family, teachers, friends, students, and the Almighty. These honors make me more determined than ever to dedicate my life to Ayurveda. Ayurveda has been practiced for thousands of years. As the adoption of this powerful healing system continues to spread around the globe, the ancient science of Ayurveda now promises to become one of the most valuable contributions to the future of modern healthcare. 

Anupama (Anu) Kizhakkeveettil, BAMS (Ayurveda), MAOM, L.Ac., CMT, C-IAYT, Ph.D.

Dr. Anupama (Anu) Kizhakkeveettil is an Ayurvedic Practitioner, licensed acupuncturist, and certified yoga teacher. She is a professor and Program Director of Ayurvedic Medicine at Southern California University of Health Sciences. She serves as Board Director for National Ayurvedic Medical Association and California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine. She also serves as president of Athreya Herbs.

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About Author

Anjali Deva, AP

Anjali Deva is an Ayurvedic practitioner, writer & teacher in Los Angeles. Her private practice Rooted Rasa specializes in understanding anxiety, depression, PTSD, digestive disorders and women’s health. Anjali has been greatly fortunate to have been introduced to Ayurveda at a young age by her father and mentor Arun Deva. 

Why I will never miss a NAMA conference

by Maria Radloff

Chair – NAMA Students Subcommittee

It was through yoga that I discovered Ayurveda, and every time I practice, I think of my first teacher and all the doors he opened for me. Today I still practice ashtanga yoga, study Sanskrit, participate in a weekly Ayurvedic philosophy class, and am working on completing my AP training at Kerala Ayurveda Academy.

Ayurveda was an instant attraction for me, but it took many years to solidify my dream of attending a NAMA-recognized school. During that time, however, I did discover NAMA and longed to attend their conferences, featuring famous speakers and so many interesting topics. I was so smitten, but I was too afraid to go since I had no formal education in Ayurveda.

Fast forward ten years to when it became my dream to study Ayurveda. Not only am I now a NAMA Student Member, I am an active on a NAMA Students committee, and I have already attended two conferences and am registered for a third in April!

Community

I was a little nervous about going alone to my first conference, but a dear friend hooked me up with a roommate, and I had a few friends from other cities that would also be attending. I knew my teachers and some classmates would be there, which was also comforting.

After having attended two conferences, I can say that I have always felt included because everyone there is very friendly and welcoming. I met people at meals with whom I shared a table and at workshops, and I met other students. I now feel confident about going because there will be many familiar faces from my growing circle of friends who study and practice Ayurveda.

Spending an entire weekend with passionate Ayurvedic professionals and students is great support for me because I feel a bit isolated in my Ayurvedic community in Utah. Spending the weekend learning and sharing with such a variety of people really helps me stay connected to both the greater vision of Ayurveda and my purpose in studying it.

Good Eats

When I talk to people about Ayurveda, the subject I’m most passionate about is Ayurvedic cooking. I love food and I love encouraging people to cook and use spices. Let me tell you about eating at NAMA conferences! There is no greater joy than that of sharing an Ayurvedic meal, especially when the food is sublime. NAMA brings recipes to the chefs who prepare the meals, and the magic that happens in the kitchen produces unforgettably delicious results. There are three daily vegetarian meals that even for a snacking vata like me are fully satiating. The food is seriously the best!

Friends and teachers from Ayurveda school, 2019.

Panchakarma panelists, 2018

Friends that I knew from Phoenix who also love Ayurveda, 2019.

Learning

Because my knowledge of Ayurveda is still at the student level, I was nervous that the workshops might be over my head. That wasn’t the case. My feeling is that we hear is what we can understand, and we all get something a little different. The presentations are useful for students and  practitioners at all levels. What I enjoy most is hearing from a teacher who broadens my understanding of a topic by presenting it  in a new way. 

I can also continue my studies after the conference by purchasing recordings of the workshops. I listen to them on my iPod while hiking, dog walking, or traveling. Knowing that I can get the recordings means that I can be fully present to the speakers and not have to worry about taking notes.

Relevance in the Modern World

The conference is the best place to hear about the role of Ayurveda in the real world, complete with real-world data and studies. This material shows why the ancient practice of Ayurveda is a practical healthcare approach for modern society. Presenters share current data about health and cultural trends. For example, during last year’s conference on Ayurveda for the Mind, the topic of social media’s psychological impact came up frequently. We were given stats on how social media affects mental health and how we can use Ayurveda to manage its effects. If you want to learn about how Ayurveda is being used as a modern healthcare tool, the conference is the place to go.

Conferences really inspire me each year to study, practice, and invest in Ayurveda as an student, because it is there that I get to experience Ayurveda through the lens of NAMA. This perspective helps me truly appreciate NAMA’s vision and purpose. I am so excited that there is work being done to create a licensed Ayurvedic career pathway in this country. NAMA is needed to help our community eliminate the legal and other barriers to the growth of Ayurveda in the U.S. It was because of my first conference that I was inspired to join NAMA as a volunteer. 

Ayurvedic celebrities!, 2019.

Of course I’m sharing the photo with Robert Svaboda. Can you see my giddiness?!, 2018.

Ayurvedic Celebrities

And lastly, one of my favorite things about the NAMA conference is the chance to enjoy “celebrity sightings”! I see the authors of my favorite books and the famous Ayurvedic teachers—all of the big names in Ayurveda. Robert Svoboda was the keynote at the first conference I attended, and I am his biggest fan! He was as charming and smart in person as he is in his books. I was mesmerized. I tried to be nonchalant when I got a photo with him, but as soon as I felt my feet walking toward him, all giddy hell broke loose and I couldn’t stop smiling like a lunatic. I have since gotten my demeanor around Ayurvedic celebrities under control, but I have to admit, seeing them in person is still quite glorious!

Big Break for NAMA Student Members

If you’re a NAMA Student Member like me, you get the benefit of the biggest pricing discount NAMA offers. If you’re not, you can sign up (make sure you complete steps to become a Student Member). 

After you’re all signed up as a Student Member, you’ll want to take advantage of your discount and register for Conference.  

In Conclusion

Attending the NAMA conference had been a dream for so long that I do everything I can to make it happen each year. I have to plan early and budget, which can sometimes be intimidating, but I wouldn’t miss the yearly conference for anything. My experiences there are what inspires me to continue studying and practicing. As a student, I get to see what is possible. I learn from the best. I discover Ayurveda in new ways. I think it’s important for anyone studying or practicing Ayurveda to be able to attend as many conferences as possible in order to connect with other  students and practitioners, share ideas, and stay in the know.

I will be attending the NAMA conference in 2020 and look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces, especially the other students!

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About Author

Maria Radloff is currently an AWP student at Kerala Ayurveda Academy. Besides studying ayurveda, Maria practices and teaches Ashtanga Yoga as well as Sanskrit. She has taught at a variety of yoga studios for over ten years and has taught at many yoga teacher training programs. She also offers a regular online Sanskrit class. Besides her passion for yoga, she loves design and writing and works as a graphic designer, specializing in non-profits and yoga businesses. Her greatest love, though, is introducing Ayurveda to anyone she can reach through writing articles and teaching workshops.

An Event for Growth and Connection

Of all the things I look forward to every year, one of my favorites is the annual NAMA Conference. I have only attended the last two years, but the reason is because my journey as an Ayurvedic professional is still short. Both years I attended as a student, and the first year I was rather nervous about joining a group of seasoned experts. Surprisingly, I felt very welcome and not at all overwhelmed by the technical details of the presentations. In fact, I had an absolute blast! Call me a nerd, but I wanted to attend every session and absorb every ounce of knowledge that I could. The sessions were informative, interesting, and very relevant to current health trends and my interests. I was excited to hear from both Western and traditionally trained experts, as it shows there is a growing trend toward integrative and collaborative efforts, something I personally support and feel is necessary to improve the current state of health care worldwide. I knew at the start I would be back for more the next year.

The vendor displays were fabulous, too. I added to my library and got to sample lots of products, some of which have been incorporated into my business and are now earning me additional income. Knowing the company and products that I am endorsing gives me confidence when sharing them with my clients. I was also very moved that a couple of the vendors remembered me from the previous year’s conference. How many companies maintain relationships like that in this modern age? Truly, it shows the connectedness of the Ayurvedic community. We are a growing community spanning the globe, yet we remember each other from talking briefly a year ago!

In the past two years, I have met wonderful like-minded people who inspired me to keep growing my practice, even though I am in a location that is just starting to embrace the concept of holistic health. I engaged one-on-one with educators, vendors, practitioners, and other students, even though I find myself to be quite shy and an introvert. The knowledge I gained at the Conference helped me grow as an individual, and I have routinely used current research as focal points for conversations with clients and other professionals. NAMA has brought a sense of legitimacy to a field that is often viewed as “woo-woo.” I have the confidence to keep growing my practice and continue my advanced education because I know that there are highly trained professionals worldwide adopting the system of Ayurveda and raising the standard for practitioners for the benefit of people who need resources for healing.

This year I look forward to more of the same: wonderful connections, engaging presentations, and a sense of community. I also look forward to the new setting at a retreat in a beautiful part of the country. I know there will be amazing food, beautiful scenery, and a sense of harmony in the entire experience. For those who are on the fence about going, this will be the year to attend. See you there!

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About the Author

Eszter, LMT, AHC, RYT

Eszter is an Ayurvedic Health Counselor who is trained in neuromuscular therapy, prenatal yoga, and Reiki. She left engineering to grow her practice with her husband.