Latest Member Guest Blog Publication: Nourishing Agni on a Mental Level

member guest blog nourishing agni ayurveda

by Ashlyn Miller, CAHC

TENDING TO AGNI (DIGESTIVE FIRE) WITHIN THE SUBTLE REALMS

For thousands of years, the medicine of Ayurveda has prioritized agni as an important aspect of health and well-being. Modern medicine is now confirming the truth of what Ayurveda has been saying for thousands of years—digestive health is a key factor in our ability to feel well in our mind-body dynamic. We tend to think of digestion in relationship to the physical body, but digestion actually happens on the mental and emotional levels, as well as being a part of our ability (or lack thereof) to process and release experiences, beliefs, and emotions. If we are to step more fully into our wholeness and truth (svastha), then we are going to have to digest, move through, and release limited mindsets and experiences we hold on to.

Board of Directors Election Open: Meet the Candidates & Vote Today

Members:

Now is your chance to make your voice heard!  

 
 

NAMA’s Board of Directors strives to represent our members’ needs, hopes, and desires—and the only way we can ensure that happens is through your participation in the voting process. You can help us find the right people to lead the organization and to take Ayurveda into the future. Take a look at the candidates, and follow the guidelines for casting your vote.

You must vote by July 31 at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Your vote matters! Please vote today! Just log in to your NAMA account, and follow the instructions for casting your votes. 

Meet the Candidates | Vote Today

Thank you for taking action. 

Nominations & Election Committee
Jolynne Flores, Membership Manager, Chair
Monika Manohar, BAMS, AD
Susan Weis-Bohlen

Thank you, Vivekananda Yoga University!

Our deepest thanks to Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU) for their generous donation at the Ambassador Level. Learn more by reading their statement and watching the video below, and consider becoming a 2022-2023 donor today!

 

Vivekananda Yoga University (VaYU), Los Angeles, USA is the 1st yoga university outside India, focused on graduate yoga education and research. VaYU is founded on the principles of the great 19thcentury philosopher monk Swami Vivekananda who inspired the nations of India and USA.

Since 2020, VaYU is offering a 21-month, 4-semester, Online Master of Science (Yoga) with a low 1-week residency in the alternate semester. VaYU curriculum uses evidence-based yoga and a modern scientific approach to the traditional ancient Indian practice of yoga, and is built on a core of Yoga philosophy, therapy, and research.

The First Online MS (Yoga) cohort graduated in June 2022 with Yoga Philosophy, Yoga Therapy, or Yoga Research specialization.

Become a Master in Yoga in the confines of your home at your own pace. Weekly face-to-face classes with a flipped-classroom approach. World-class faculty with 95% Ph.Ds or MDs.

VaYU is starting a Ph.D. Program in Fall 2022.

Admissions are open for Fall 2022. Classes begin on August 22, 2022. Click here for more information. 

Tune in to NAMA VEDAtalks

Our Community Comes from All Walks of Life. Be Inspired. Tune in to NAMA VEDAtalks.

For the first time during Annual Conference, NAMA spotlighted seven select members sharing their personal Ayurveda story about what inspires them to do the work that they do. The session was a great success, and the Conference Committee plans to make it an annual tradition.

VEDAtalks: Why We Do What We Do: Stories from Your Ayurvedic Colleagues

These short TED-style presentations inspired both on-site participants in Tucson and those joining the Virtual Conference Day event remotely. Now we are delighted to post the recording publicly to inspire many more. The presenters’ backgrounds and experience reflect the diversity our Ayurvedic community. We would like to introduce them to you.

  • Laila Jewayni, CAHC, MA, RYT-200, Maryland

  • Anjali Deva, CAP, California

  • Jeannine Rashidi, CAP, California

  • Kadiatou Sibi, CAP, California

  • Elizabeth Eisenberg, CAP; MSG, Arizona

  • Sisira Amarasinghe, PhD, Illinois

  • Naomi Uchida-Boas, CAP, California  

 

watch the recording now

 

Presenter Bios and Topics

Laila Jewayni, CAHC, MA, RYT-200, of Maryland, is a NAMACB-certified Ayurvedic Health Counselor, Afghan-American holistic wellness educator, humanitarian, and writer. Over the last decade, she has worked in refugee resettlement and international development, lived in seven countries, and traveled to over 40, spending much of her time learning about the problems that the most vulnerable face.

In her presentation, “Refugees: The Challenge of Fleeing,” Laila spoke about her work with displaced persons and her plans to bring Ayurveda to this most vulnerable community. Refugees are forced to leave their country to stay alive. They often suffer deep trauma from the stress and pressure of settling in a foreign country without an opportunity to process loss and grief as they struggle to make a living. Laila has dedicated her career to serving this community and has heard hundreds of stories of why they left their homeland and the challenges they face. As a case worker without trauma-informed professional skills, she knew they needed support, but didn’t know how to give it. Now, based on what she has learned through Ayurveda, she has a solution. Studies have shown that the most effective support is based on a stress-reducing daily routine, proper diet and regular exercise, and herbal medicine. Now, imagine the power of Ayurveda to transform the lives of refugees.

Anjali Deva, CAP, of California, is a NAMACB-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner with her private practice, Rooted Rasa, specializing in an integrative and trauma-informed approach to Ayurveda. Anjali founded Mādhya Way, a school for Ayurveda. She is dedicated to sharing the wisdom of Ayurveda for the benefit of all living beings.

Her practice specializes in an integrative and trauma-informed approach to Ayurveda. After her formal education and many trips to India, she met an integrative psychiatrist and practiced within his integrative clinic for seven years. There they had patients struggling with various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and schizophrenia. Her work with these patients fired her interest in the potential of Ayurveda to improve mental health. She has since started a school, 600-hour counselor program that offers a trauma-informed and compassionate approach to Ayurveda. What is most exciting is that the school offers a community clinic that serves many unhoused people who otherwise would not receive care.

Jeannine Rashidi, CAP, of California, is a NAMACB-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and founder of Goodbye Tension and an Ayurvedic Doctor student at Kerala Ayurveda Academy. She has been practicing for 19 years, guiding others toward physical, mental, emotional, and digestive relief. Her best-selling book, Abundance Beyond Trauma, showcases the EDHIR® process that she developed for Sattvavajaya Chikitsa (Ayurvedic psychotherapy).

Through her personal experiences of trauma, she discovered a pathway to the courage required for change and commitment to herself. Her mission now is to inspire a revolution in how we form a harmonious relationship between the heart and mind within ourselves and with others.

Kadiatou Sibi, CAP, of California, is a NAMACB-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner, a Reiki Practitioner, and the founder of Los Angeles-based AWOW, A Web of Wellness, a health and wellness practice that guides people to optimal well-being through the holistic principles that help her family thrive.

Kadi’s roots trace back to Julangel, The Gambia, West Africa, and their reach now extends all the way to the East and West Coasts of the United States. She is a single mother of three children, two of whom have special needs. Her lineage of healers originates with her family in Mauritania and Gambia, West Africa. Her journey to recovery from childhood trauma led to her formal study of Ayurveda and inspired her current efforts to codify Traditional African Medicine. She spoke about some of the underlying causes of the Black community’s mistrust of the mainstream healthcare system and highlighted alarming statistical disparities in healthcare outcomes between the BIPOC community and other racial and ethnic groups. Kadi presents many examples and ways in which we can all help raise awareness of this situation and create a more equitable and healthy future.

Elizabeth Eisenberg, CAP, MSG, of Arizona, is a NAMACB-certified Ayurvedic Practitioner and transformational healer. An Apprentice in Chinese Medicine, she is a seasoned healthcare practitioner. She blends evidence-based practice with an intuitive awareness of her clients’ needs that encompasses both the physical and emotional uniqueness of each individual. You can find her at leelaheisenberg.com.

Elizabeth specializes in helping professionals and healers heal themselves. She shares her story of personal health struggles over her 28+ years as an occupational therapist. Her life and path shifted after a transformative experience with panchakarma. Today, Elizabeth supports her clients in their journey to profound healing, dharma, and personal health and balance. She also maintains a beautiful group meditation practice.

Sisira Amarasinghe, PhD, of Illinois, is a Biomedical Engineering specialist heading up the development of next-generation robotics surgery software. A few decades ago, he became interested in Vedic astrology and was recently honored by American College of Vedic Astrology with the title of Jyotish Navaratana. He is pursuing his Ayurveda Practitioner education at Kerala Ayurveda Academy.

Originally from Sri Lanka, Sisira discovered his aptitude for technology and mathematics in high school. His determination to complete degrees in analytical sciences as quickly as possible led to several chronic health problems. Eventually, his symptoms were resolved with the support of a naturopathic doctor. Over the past several decades, Sisira has found his way back to his roots, as he recalls advice from his mother and continues his studies of Vedic astrology and Ayurveda and how spirituality can be integrated into the practice of modern medicine.

Naomi Uchida-Boas, CAP, of California, is a member of the clinical faculty at the Southern California University of Health Sciences, and the founder of HEAL Ayurveda. She is a NAMACB-certified Ayurveda Practitioner, Massage Therapist, Jyotisha Astrologer, Reiki Master, and Biomagnetic Therapy Practitioner. Naomi is passionate about empowering individuals to live optimally through Ayurveda, energy healing, and therapeutic body treatments.

Naomi found Ayurveda through her quest for solutions to personal health imbalances. After a discouraging prognosis from her ophthalmologist, Naomi discovered the power of Ayurveda and turned her life and health around. She believes that if we allow others to dictate our health and life outcomes, we give up our power. As she shares her journey from helplessness to empowerment, Naomi explains how the “Three B’s” (Build Yourself, Build Your Toolkit, and Build Trust) can help students and practitioners create thriving practices and businesses.

 
 

Do you have an inspiring story about how you share Ayurveda?

apply to present a VEDAtalk of your own!

18th Annual Conference Gallery

We would like to extend our deepest thanks to all of our members, supporters, students, and professionals who participated in the 18th Annual Conference. We gathered in gorgeous Tucson, Arizona, and finished the weekend with full hearts (and full notebooks!). We are already looking forward to next year's event, when we will come together once again and continue to learn, connect, and share our love of Ayurveda.

Check out the overview of our 19th Annual Conference, Ayurvedic Science in Modern Times, which will take place April 28-30, 2023, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Boone, North Carolina.

We hope you enjoy the slideshow of conference photos featured below, and wish you all a joyful and prosperous summer ahead!

2022 Annual conference:
Ayurveda for family health

Pride Awareness Month Spotlight

pride awareness spotlight lgbtq ayurveda

June is Pride awareness month! It’s a special time of year to acknowledge our LGBTQIA+ and ally members and celebrate their contributions to our NAMA community and the world! In keeping with our commitment to celebrating diversity and creating an inclusive culture within NAMA, we welcome Pride month as an opportunity to raise awareness of the urgent need to ensure social justice for marginalized groups and to focus on ways to advance this vital cause in our everyday practice. This month we are spotlighting two members, Sebastian Urrea, AD, and LGBTQ+ Ally Anuradha Gupta, CAP, who are helping to make the world a safer, more inclusive, and equitable place for those in the LGBTQ+ community and for you. We will also be featuring DEI and Pride supportive statements from four members of the NAMA staff and Board on our social media account over the coming week.

NAMA AD Members: Calling for Presenters for Inaugural Grand Rounds

Get exposure and promote authentic Ayurveda as a presenter at the inaugural Grand Rounds!

NAMA’s BAMS Task Force is accepting presenter applications for this high-level event which will be held virtually on November 1, 2022, from 4:00-6:00 PM Pacific. Applications are open to Ayurvedic Doctor members, though all NAMA members are invited to the event.

Apply today

The two chosen speakers will present a case study and lead a discussion at the AD level on the topic of Annavaha Srotas vyadhi. Attendees of this event will be NAMA member Vaidyas, practitioners, and students of Ayurveda interested in the highest level of Ayurvedic case discussion. 

AD members: Get exposure as a notable speaker in the field. Elevate clinical discussion of classical Ayurveda. Submit your application here today. Applications will be accepted through July 31.

Speaker Education Requirement: NAMA Professional Members with AD, BAMS, MD(Ayu), or PhD(Ayu) credentials.

All NAMA members are invited to attend. Professional Members can receive 2 PACE credits for attending the entire event. Mark your calendars today!

We look forward to reviewing your applications.

NAMA’s BAMS Task Force     

(pictured, left to right)
Rucha Kelkar, Chair, PT, DPT, BAMS, AD AYT
Dhanada Kulkarni, BAMS, AD
Madison Madden, AD
Monika Manohar, BAMS, AD
Purvi Vyas, BAMS, MD (Ayu), PhD (Ayu), AD
Rasika Sonaji, BAMS, AD
Sheena Sooraj, BAMS, AD
Vandana Baranwal, BAMS, MD (Ayu), AD

Four ways to get PACE credits before June 30

The extended 2020–2021 PACE cycle deadline of June 30, 2022, is now just a few weeks away! We want to offer four ways to earn PACE credits for those who still need to complete their requirements for this cycle.

Note: If you’ve already completed your 2020–2021 PACE requirements (congratulations!), any credits you earn now will be applied to the 2022–2023 cycle.

If you still need PACE credits before the end of the month, here are four more ways you can satisfy your requirements:

  1. 2022 Annual Conference videos are now available for purchase! If you missed the Annual Conference, you can earn up to 20 PACE credits by watching the recordings and passing the corresponding credit quizzes. If you attended either the Virtual or Onsite Conference and missed getting credit for any of the extra sessions offered during the viewing period, here’s another chance to obtain those credits.

    SUMMER SALE! ALL CONFERENCE RECORDINGS ARE ON SALE UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH: 30% OFF EVERYTHING ON THE NAMA WEBSITE 

  2. Did you know there is a library of approximately 100 past Seminars in Ayurveda recordings? These are available anytime (and for free) to all NAMA members. PACE credits are automatically applied to your account upon passing the corresponding credit quiz or taking the corresponding survey.

  3. The DEI Training from 2020 is available anytime for up to five (5) PACE credits. If you have not already earned credit from the training, here’s an opportunity to enhance your DEI knowledge and earn PACE credit. Our recent DEI Conscious Conversations presentation on Cultural Appropriation in Ayurveda is also available here.

  4. NAMA’s On-Demand PACE listings page has 10+ opportunities to learn something new that you can access whenever your schedule permits.

Head over to the PACE page for more than a dozen other ways to earn PACE credits. Don’t let your board certification and Professional Membership fall into a lapse — complete and submit all of your PACE credits before June 30, 2022!

Please reach out to Seva Van Why, Certification Administrator, with any questions.

2022 Conference Recordings Now Available

Did you miss the 2022 Annual Conference Ayurveda for Family Health? Or maybe you just want to replay your favorite sessions? 

NAMA is proudly offering each of the 12 sessions for sale on our website. You can choose from the library of featured presentations, general and advanced track sessions.

Browse all recordings here →

NAMA Members, please note:

  • If you attended the 2022 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—links are included with each session purchase.

 

SUMMER SALE Until June 30

For the rest of June, every single conference recording on the website is 30% off for EVERYONE! Don’t miss this opportunity to access every session from NAMA’s past four Annual Conferences, the 2020 Ayurveda Day Event, and the 2021 Business of Ayurveda Conference. 

Professional Members: This is a great opportunity to earn PACE credits (by passing corresponding quizzes) before the upcoming 2020-2021 PACE cycle deadline on June 30, 2022.

Enter this special discount code at check out: HAPPYSUMMER30

*YOU MUST ENTER THIS CODE TO RECEIVE THE DISCOUNT.

Discount expires June 30, 2022.

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