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.

Sharing Ayurveda With Young Adults

by Lisa Weinberg, AD

Teenagers are searching for balance and direction in life. Most young adults in my community are overscheduled. Their days are filled with academics and extracurricular activities, such as clubs, sports, and projects related to their school and local community, as well as chores and jobs. 

Their high school offers Advanced Placement courses, and most parents are directing their children to be involved in anything and everything that could benefit them in their college application process. The pressure is on and is felt by many. 

How do we guide our kids to find success and joy and maintain good health in body, mind, and spirit so they can love, live, laugh, be present, have passion, and stay grounded? 

Ayurveda. Over the past few years I have worked with local youth and high schoolers discussing yoga, meditation, and Ayurveda. I find that high school seniors preparing for graduation and college are most interested in learning how these disciplines can help them to live and succeed away from home. 

We discuss Ayurvedic healthcare routines, including daily habits that will serve them on their journey. Most important, we keep these routines simple and make adjustments along the way. 

Recently I was asked to teach a week-long immersion for the local upper school in my community. Most students were fascinated by our discussion of the three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha. The first few days featured conversations about prakruti and vikruti and how to know the difference. The kids also found discussion of the four elements—ether, air, fire, water, and earth—informative and helpful in understanding both themselves and their surroundings. 

I still remember the two seniors I mentored in the spring of 2016. They worked with me learning the basics of Ayurveda and how to include simple Ayurvedic practices in their daily routines. We talked about their upcoming final exams and college selection. By the end of our time together, they were both committed to shifting their morning routines and sleep schedule along with incorporating daily meditation and personalized yoga sequences into their daily life. I was so gratified when they reported enjoying reduced anxiousness and better quality of sleep during the first ten days of their new Ayurvedic lifestyle. 

We know that understanding who we are and how we behave/react will better equip us to deal with times of transition and struggle. Offering Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation to those students has made a difference in their life and approach to living. 

One young lady who had enrolled in the week-long immersion course shared that she was excited to learn about Ayurveda, something she had never heard of before. She expressed her great enthusiasm to her parents. Her mom and dad appreciated their daughter’s newfound joy and interest in Ayurveda. They asked for book recommendations and thanked me for teaching their child and being open and engaging with her.

Reaching out to the next generation has been immensely satisfying. I have found that Ayurveda is more than just another tool in their toolbox. It has opened their minds and introduced their bodies to a happy, healthy way of being.

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About the Author

 “My commitment is to helping others help themselves—living life healthy and well.”

Lisa Weinberg, AD, is based in Cranston, Rhode Island, and has studied Ayurveda, Vedic astrology, yoga, meditation, and energy work and has earned certification in Pet Assisted Therapy Training (PATT). She has practiced Ayurvedic medicine since receiving her AD diploma in in 2001.

Ayurveda for Corporate America

By Vish Chatterji, BS Engineering, MBA, RYT

I spent 20 years climbing the corporate ladder, encountering increasingly mind-numbing stress. I relied on yoga and Ayurveda to keep me sane and balanced. When I finally called it quits, I decided to pay it forward and help my former colleagues do the same. After completing certification in executive coaching, Ayurveda, meditation, jyotish, and yoga, I emerged as an East-meets-West executive coach.

I have recently observed a wave of Human Resource departments trying to tackle the stresses and pressures of corporate life. Wellness coaches, meditation trainers, and yoga teachers are now showing up in corporate settings, and I believe Ayurveda is next. 

Corporate leaders have long loved categorization tools such as Myers-Briggs and DISC profiles and are forever trying to understand how different team members work and how to improve working relationships. Nothing, however, compares to the elegance and sophistication of the doshas. In a tense meeting, you can clearly see them at work. Vatas get anxious and think it’s their fault, while pittas get furious and start blaming everybody and kaphasget withdrawn. And inevitably the pitta yells at the kapha—“Why aren’t you saying anything?!”

I have been using Ayurveda for the past three years to help executives improve self-awareness, team spirit, and emotional health, and they readily gravitate to it. They appreciate the simple logic, connect it to daily examples at work, and relate it to their often long-standing health imbalances. From diet to appropriate scheduling (e.g., endurance tasks during kaphatime, negotiations during pitta time, and creative tasks during vatatime) to abhyanga, meditation, and pranayama, these simple “hacks” have markedly improved the performance and mental health of my clients.

I have shared many of my insights of Vedic wisdom for the corporate world in my upcoming book The Business Casual Yogi, where I hope you will find inspiration to share your knowledge in this underserved market. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Vish Chatterji, BS Engineering, MBA, RYT, NAMA member, is an accomplished business leader turned executive coach, author, and speaker. He takes an East-meets-West approach to integratingVedic wisdom into his coaching services. He is a publicly elected Board Director of the Beach Cities Health District and author of the upcoming book The Business Casual Yogi.

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.

3-Steps to Building a Successful Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy Practice

By Jennifer Rioux, Ph.D., AD, AYT, CIAYT, RYT

The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) paved the way for recognition of yoga therapy in the U.S. Building on that recognition, NAMA has now debuted the new professional category of Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist (AYT-NAMA). Our conception of this emerging profession draws from the IAYT’s statement that “although all yoga is potentially therapeutic and healing, yoga therapy is the specific application of yogic tools—postures/exercises, breathwork, meditation techniques, and more—to address an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional needs.”

The National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) further defines Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy as the “application of Āyurvedic principles to the practice and principles of Yoga based on the Āyurvedic understanding of the nature of patient, the nature of imbalance, and the nature of the therapies, to promote healing and achieve a harmonious state of body and mind with respect to individual consciousness.”

Step 1: Reach the Appropriate Educational Standards

The education of a yoga therapist must go beyond the usual training of a yoga teacher to include instruction on client assessment and treatment. The individualized nature of yoga therapy separates it from yoga practice in a community studio. IAYT describes this distinction: “A general public yoga class can certainly ease everyday aches, pains, and mood complaints. But a yoga therapy session goes much further because it is tailored to the individual. Yoga therapists have in-depth training to help them assess and keep their clients safe. They work with you to address your specific goals while considering any limitations you might be experiencing.”

The unique nature of an Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist’s role dictates a Scope of Practice that includes services grounded in Ayurvedic theory and applied knowledgesof physiology and cause and effect according to the underlying gunasand the manifesting doshas. The AYT Scope of Practice states that “the Āyurvedic Yoga Therapist shall have the competency to design, implement, demonstrate, instruct, and teach an individual a yoga therapy program to help with their healing process based on the Āyurvedic Prakŗti/Vikŗti paradigm and Āyurvedic definition of health.” 

Currently, IAYT maintains high educational standards for yoga therapists that include the completion of more than 800 hours of training. IAYT now has over 175 schools worldwide that have been accredited to train yoga therapists. Comparatively speaking, our efforts to legitimize the field of Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy as conceived by NAMA are still in their infancy. Schools are in the process of seeking recognition to train individual practitioners. The accomplishment of these goals rests on the assurance that this professional designation requires extensive training t in both Ayurvedic medicine and yoga therapy that enables the practitioner to provide comprehensive whole-person care. To that end, the AYT Standards Committee has increased the required training hours d to between 1,100 and 1,500 hours, with 1.300 as the median.

Step 2: Take Policies into Consideration

An Ayurvedic Yoga Therapist has the ability to help with disease prevention, health promotion, and both acute and chronic health conditions. However, the legal status of such a practitioner will vary from state to state. The National Health Freedom Coalition lists 10 states with Health Freedom Laws. Ayurvedic Yoga Therapists in these states will have more leeway in describing and advertising their practice to the public and in interacting with clients. Consult your local and state statutes for the specific details.

NAMA is not qualified to dispense information or advice on legal issues related to AYT practice; however, we can provide information on what types of guidelines and administrative requirements may influence the nature of your practice. It will be critical that you ensure compliance with any licensing (business or provider related) that is relevant for hands-on healing in your area. It will be necessary to provide a disclaimer on your website and documents indicating that you are not engaged in the practice of medicine. State clearly that your professional objective is to treat Ayurvedic imbalances and request consent for treatment from your clients.

Likewise, it will be helpful to publish a code of conduct on your website that states how you will interact with clients, the parameters for physical contact, and the measures you have in place to protect their confidentiality. Ideally, your clients should feel fully informed before they walk in the door. Always ask if they have questions before beginning assessment or treatment. In addition, make sure that clients understand that you are not equipped to deal with healthcare emergencies. On your voicemail, remind clients to call 911 in the case of any health emergency. Familiarize yourself with NAMA’s Code of Ethics and make sure you can confidently address any client concerns related to ethical practice.

Step 3: Understand Best Practices

Best Practices include behaviors, actions, and approaches that will help you to ensure a high standard of care for your clientele. This may include organizational systems, strategies for keeping yourself accountable to your scope and ethics during sessions, protocols for client documentation, and standards that ensure each client receives equal and appropriate care. You may also want to have an online appointment system or a designated return-call policy of 48 hours. You should have a set of documents you use for recording assessment and treatment information for clients to standardize recordkeeping across your practice. You may want to develop “charting” strategies for tracking patient progress as wellaspprotocols for common conditions that you can use as a foundation for personalized care.

Everyone will set up their practice differently; however, following some of the previously mentioned advice will help the field of Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy gain legitimacy and will helpt AYTs communicate with each other and with other health professionals more effectively. As we recognize more individual members of the AYT professional category and begin to approve training programs, it will benefit all of us to be mindful of the impact of training requirements, the defined Scope of Practice for AYTs, and local and state policy considerations on your approach to providing AYT services. The manner in which we implement best practices will ensure that the public has quality information and will ultimately increase both accessibility and effectiveness of Ayurvedic Yoga Therapy, thereby increasing the clientele for this emerging healing discipline. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jennifer Rioux, Ph.D., AD, AYT, CIAYT, RYT specializes in the professionalization of Ayurveda/Yoga and their relationship to Integrative Medicine. Dr. Rioux has been faculty and researcher at the University of New Mexico, Arizona medical schools and the University of North Carolina.