Latest Article Publication: 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.”

Registration Open! Join Us for Ayurveda Myths and Truths of Sex and Gender

2021 ayurveda day celebration summit

Ayurveda Myths and Truths of Sex and Gender: What We Don’t Talk About and Probably Should
November 7, 2021 | 11 am - 2 pm (Pacific)

Have you ever wondered what Ayurveda says about sexuality, gender identity, and sex in general? Wonder no more! NAMA is presenting an all-star panel to discuss and answer many of these questions from a positive, open, and frank perspective. We will explore a range of topics as well as address your questions. Ayurveda can promote a greater acceptance of self and others, as well as support a healthier sex life.

Learn more about the event, become a sponsor, or submit a question or topic for our panel here →

All are welcome at this free, live event. Registration required.

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Business of Ayurveda Recordings Now Available!

In June 2021, NAMA hosted a three-day event designed to support the development and growth of professional Ayurvedic businesses. Participants gathered virtually from around the country to explore proven business theories and strategic tools through hands-on exercises, interactive lectures, and dynamic discussions. If you missed the live conference, you still have the opportunity to learn from inspiring trailblazers in the Ayurvedic business. Each of the four two-hour sessions are available for purchase individually, or all together as a conference package.

Browse all recordings here →

NAMA Members, please note:

• If you attended the Business of Ayurveda Conference, you receive 60% off your purchase until the end of the year. Check your email for details and be sure to enter the special discount code to purchase the sessions you loved or missed. PACE credits have already been applied to your account.

• If you did not attend the live conference, you can earn PACE credits by passing the corresponding assessments (link included with each session purchase).

Welcome, NAMA’s Directors-Elect!

The election to fill positions on the NAMA Board of Directors has concluded. Thank you to all NAMA members who cast their votes. It is our pleasure to announce our 2021 Board of Directors-Elect. Each Director-Elect will serve a three-year term extending from November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2024.

Please start to get to know them. Below are their statements to you, the membership.

Manas S. Kshirsagar, MS, AD
California

I have been an enthusiastic member of NAMA for over eight years, with previous work with the Membership Committee and ongoing efforts as a part of the AD Exam Committee. With my knowledge of Ayurveda coupled with my new and unique ideas for advancing the wisdom of Ayurveda, I believe I will be a strong asset to the Board of Directors. It is my hope to see a unified and cohesive association that will be looked at with respect and hold itself to the highest standards. All through my career, my focus has always been on education, especially for the advancement of Ayurveda. I believe our biggest responsibility is to teach this generation to heal, so we can cure the next generation. I support NAMA’s mission to do just that! 

Monika Manohar, BAMS AD
Texas

With NAMA as one of the strong pillars supporting and building standards in the field of Ayurveda, I can see us helping to ensure that Ayurveda reaches every corner of the USA. We want to see every family introduce Ayurveda to each child born into it so the whole family becomes an Ayurvedic family and we can continue expanding the Ayurvedic community. As an immigrant to this country, I’m grateful to NAMA for helping me to understand how Ayurveda is practiced here, and I want to make sure everyone reaps the benefits of NAMA as I did. I want to merge my experience working in an Integrative medical practice and volunteering as a teacher of Ayurveda basics for high school kids and to help NAMA take Ayurveda to the next level as an integral part of medical centers and schools. 

Sina Firouzi, MD, CAP
California

Namaste dear friends! As you know, Ayurveda is in a period of major transition, moving from the stage of obscurity to one of general recognition and respect. The path forward to establishing Ayurveda as a legitimate healing science presents varied challenges; it is therefore essential that we work together, using our collective experience and skills to promote and safeguard the interests of our precious field of study. NAMA has played an indispensable role in this process, and much work still lies ahead. For years, I have strived to promote awareness of the gift of Ayurveda, which is unparalleled in so many of its aspects, and I feel honored to serve on NAMA's Board of Directors to further advance the various efforts of this organization. 

The board will work to continue growing and establishing the structure that defines what it means to be an Ayurvedic professional, while expanding partnerships with donors and sponsoring organizations, while also focusing on reasonable, balanced operations that will ensure NAMA can continue to exist as a resource for the Ayurvedic profession. Much work lies ahead.

Thank you,

Nominations & Elections Committee

Jolynne Flores, Chair, Membership Manager
Dhanada Kulkarni, BAMS AD, Director
Heather Grzych, MA, CAP, Director

Congratulations to NAMA’s Newest Board Certified Professionals and Ayurvedic Doctor Members

NAMA is excited to begin promoting its newest board certified Professional Members and Ayurvedic Doctor members. NAMA’s newest Ayurvedic Health Counselor and Ayurvedic Practitioner members successfully completed a rigorous education that qualified them to sit for the board certification exam, which they passed. Each of them chose to distinguish themselves as a board certified professional and a NAMA Professional Member.  

NAMA is proud of its newest Ayurvedic Doctor members. Each is a graduate of a NAMA recognized Ayurvedic Doctor program or a BAMS degree program. The last phase of Ayurvedic board certification—the exam for Ayurvedic Doctors—is coming soon. The NAMA Certification Board is currently working out the details of the qualification process for the first round of beta testing of the AD board certification exam and will use the results of beta testing to refine the final version of the exam.   

During the period January – June 2021, 19 candidates were awarded CAHC, CAP, and AD membership. Those granting permission for their name to be shared are listed below. Congratulations to all.

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Ayurvedic doctors

Ritika Shah

Massachusetts
D Y Patil University, School of Ayurveda

Sebastian Urrea

New Mexico
Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula

Sruthi Bhat

New Jersey
Amrita School of Ayurveda

Shivani Sood

India
Dr. BabaSaheb Marathwada University

Ayurvedic Practitioners

Karla Cain

Arizona
Ananda Ayurveda Academy

Sangeetha Agara

Canada
Narayana Ayurveda and Yoga Academy

Giulia Castelli

California
The Ayurvedic Institute

Irene Legaspi

California
Southern California University of Health Sciences

Deborah Rejent

Pennsylvania
Kerala Ayurveda Academy

Sondra Rubin

Nevada
Southern California University of Health Sciences

Ayurvedic health counselors

Meghan Price

Louisiana
The Ayurvedic Institute

Eleanor Wannemacher

Minnesota
Minnesota Institute of Ayurveda

Kate Winters

Wyoming
Radiant Living Online School of Ayurveda

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NAMA Mourns the Passing of Waldo Castro, MD, AD

NAMA mourns the passing of Waldo Castro, MD, AD, of Florida who left us on August 23, 2021. Dr. Castro had been a NAMA Professional Member since 2014 and was a longtime faculty member at Sai Ayurvedic Institute. He practiced Integrative Medicine for over two decades and was the founder of Bliss and Light Research, which was dedicated to sharing Ayurvedic and complementary approaches to healing. Dr. Castro incorporated over 25 years of clinical experience into Integrative Medicine and a holistic approach to primary care. Dr. Castro received his medical degree from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He was a fellow of the American Association of Integrative Medicine and a graduate of Sai Ayurvedic College.

Official Launch of the National Ayurvedic Medical Accreditation Council

It is with great pleasure that the NAMA Board of Directors is announcing the official launch of the National Ayurvedic Medical Accreditation Council (NAMAC) as its very own 501(c)(3) organization, birthed from NAMA and the NAMA Standards Committee on August 9, 2021.  

This day has been 21 years in the making and a focused effort since 2017. Among the important steps toward recognition of a new and burgeoning profession in the USA is to have an independent accrediting body for our educational institutions. All government entities charged with reviewing a profession seek this as a hallmark of their mission. We can now stand tall and proud of this accomplishment.

The three pillars of an officially recognized profession comprise the following aspects:

• A strong and united membership organization with a robust and growing certified professional membership (National Ayurvedic Medical Association)

• Certification exams (National Ayurvedic Medical Association Certification Board)

• Accreditation of professional schools by an independent third-party accrediting body (National Ayurvedic Medical Accreditation Council) 

We can now say that we have met all three requirements through the 21-year effort by NAMA.  

NAMA will continue to help raise money to support the initial few years of NAMAC’s new life as an independent entity. You are all welcome to join our work on behalf of the Ayurvedic profession through donations to our “accreditation fund.”  

Please join us in congratulating NAMAC on its launch and important work for the Ayurvedic profession. Congratulations can be sent to info@ayurvedicaccreditation.org.

Online Educational Opportunity — September 17-19, 2021

The Council for Ayurveda Research (CAR), one of NAMA’s Affiliate Organizations, is organizing a FREE three-day Global Consortium and 1 day Industry Roundtable. These events will feature invited Ayurveda and integrative experts/clinicians/academicians/researchers/scientists from some of the leading Institutes/Universities in the US, India and other countries, who have the background, experience, inclination, and resources to initiate, facilitate and conduct cutting edge Ayurveda research. The events’ primary objective is to share, discuss, and develop a consensus on key areas of research in Ayurveda and identify the right strategies and methods for conducting that research. Here are some of the topics that will be covered: research and research methodology in Ayurveda, current gaps in research in Ayurveda, sustainability of herbs, quality assurance in Ayurvedic products, expanding the Ayurvedic formulary, Ayurceuticals, nutraceuticals, stringent guidelines and oversight on herb exports, future directions for research in Ayurveda, COVID lessons and successes, future pandemic preparation and more.

NAMA is a proud sponsor of this online event and is excited to share this special opportunity with our members and community. 15 NAMA PACE credits will be given to Consortium attendees with certificate of completion submission.

Global Consortium on Collaborative Research (September 17-19, 2021)
More details here →
Register here →

Industry Round Table (September 16, 2021)
More details here →
Register here →

2021 Conference Recordings Now Available!

Did you miss the 2021 Annual Conference Ayurveda: Evidence Based Integrative Medicine? Or maybe you just want to replay your favorite sessions? 

NAMA is proudly offering each of the 23 sessions for sale on our website individually or as a full package! The conference provided attendees with an understanding of the role of Ayurvedic medicine in fostering wellness and managing disease, based on evidence from classical Ayurvedic texts and modern scientific research. You can choose from the library of featured presentations, general and advanced track sessions, panel discussions, and movement practices. 

Browse all recordings here →

NAMA Members, please note:

• If you attended the 2021 Annual Conference, you receive 60% off your purchase until the end of the year. Check your email for details and be sure to enter the special discount code to purchase the sessions you loved or missed. PACE credits have already been applied to your account.

• If you did not attend the live conference, you can earn PACE credits by passing the corresponding assessments (link included with each session purchase).

Banyan Botanicals Community Grant Fund

NAMA sponsor and organizational member Banyan Botanicals is offering a unique grant opportunity that we’re excited to share with our community:

Banyan Botanicals Community Grant Fund | Supporting Ayurvedic Changemakers

If you, or someone you know, are bringing the wisdom of Ayurveda to those in need, we want to hear about it! This year, our Community Grant Fund will award 2–4 community grants ranging from $250–$2,500 to applicants who share our company mission and our philanthropic vision. Each grant recipient will also receive $250–$500 in Banyan product to help fulfill the project goal.

We fund projects that share Ayurveda with people in need. Some ideas include: 

• Free or discounted Ayurveda consultations and treatments.

• Pop-up community clinics.

• Self-care workshops for disadvantaged groups.

Submission period is August 5–September 30, 2021.

Learn More →

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