9th Annual NAMA Conference - Attendee Registration - Presentations

Below are the descriptions for the plenary and 2-hour educational sessions
presented throughout the conference.

Practicum descriptions can be found on the Practicum Page.

Friday Educational Presentations

Ayurveda: The Global Language
Plenary Session Presented by David Crow

David Crow will discuss Ayurveda as a global language that links people of all nationalities, races, religions, ethnicities, socioeconomic status and political views through the shared human needs of health and healing. While Ayurveda is increasingly recognized as a unique medical modality, its larger potential contributions to the world remain mostly unrecognized. From the imperative to restore ecological balance, to humanity’s dependence on plants, to the urgent need for sustainable and non-toxic industries, to the spiritual wisdom and insights hidden within Ayurveda’s elemental and energetic understanding of the universe, the “science of life” offers immediate and practical solutions to critical problems affecting communities everywhere. How can these potentials be realized? What aspects of Ayurveda are truly universal and how can they be communicated in ways that can be understood and embraced by people unfamiliar with its cultural and historical origins? Mr. Crow will offer his insights and experiences of how individual practitioners, students and patients can facilitate the emergence of Ayurveda not only as a nourishing and detoxifying medical system, but a complete path to social, economic and ecological wellbeing.

Morning Breakout Sessions

Swastha Babies/Swastha Communities: Practical Practices for Conception
Presented by Yashashree Mannur, BAMS
To create healthy babies, healthy seed potential from both parents is necessary. Sara (balanced/optimum quality and quantity) shukra dhatu and artava are the key building blocks. Modern life can deplete healthy reproductive potential and negatively impact the health of offspring. Fortunately there are simple and effective Ayurvedic practices such as: shodhana/panchakarma, healthy diet and lifestyle, vajikaranas, rasayanas and mantras as illuminated by the classics to counter these effects. Mitigating inheritable imbalances is just one of the important benefits that many of us desire nowadays.

Lyme Disease and Vector Borne Illness:
Ayurvedic Perspectives on an Emerging Epidemic

Presented by Margrit Mikulis, ND
Lyme disease is the number one vector borne illness in the United States and cases are being reported in every region in this country. Challenges in clinical presentation, in addition to the unique bacterial characteristics have resulted in numerous myths and mystery, clouding our understanding of Lyme disease. Dr. Mikulis has been studying and treating Lyme disease for several years and is committed to teaching practitioners about her work. This presentation will include medical facts about Lyme, differences in pediatric and adult Lyme demonstrating Ayurvedic principles in addition to western medical diagnosis.

Ayurveda and Jyotisha: The Right Medicine at the Right Time
Presented by Steven Highburger
Jyotisha has been used for millennia by both jyotishi and vaidya to quickly diagnose both the nature (psychology and health) and destiny (karma) of an individual. Jyotisha keeps one in tune with the cycles of time and is the glue that holds communities together and kept them healthy through mundane and spiritual ritual. Timing can be as important as the treatment or medicine applied. Steven will focus on fundamental principles for proper timing to help synch the practitioner with the environment at large and with the patient. He will also discuss the Sapta Dhatu through the lens of Jyotisha, and teach a basic technique to determine a problematic Dhatu and some of its implications.

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Healthy Routines of Ayurveda & Yoga for Children
Presented by Vivek Shanbhag, ND, MD(Ayu), BAMS
Ayurveda and Yoga health routines can be taught in a child-friendly manner both in homes and schools. Every child can be encouraged to do a simple health routine for 25 minutes every morning. This includes oral hygiene (danta dhavan); warm-up and stretches (surya namaskar); breathing and focusing exercises (pranayama & dhyana); and natural nutrition and supplements (Medhya Rasayana & Tambula). Regular practice of such a natural routine can give health promoting and disease preventing benefits for children on both the physical and mental level. During the presentation, Dr. Shanbhag will share experiences of his own childhood and the last 12 years of raising his sone using the healthy practices of Ayurveda and Yoga. He will draw on his last 30 year of Ayurvedic clinical practice and teaching for a stimulating and motivating presentation.

Unlocking Metabolic Syndrome with Ayurveda from Inside our Current Healthcare System
Presented by Keesha Ewers, MSN, ARNP, FNPc and Gillian Ehrlich, DNP, ARNP, FNP
Chronic disease now accounts for 70% of all deaths in the US and causes major daily limitations for almost one in ten Americans. Despite the medical communities' best efforts at management, diabetes, obesity and heart disease remain on the rise. Ayurveda offers an explanation and toolkit ideally suited to treating these conditions; we will use the pancha kosas, the five sheaths of Self, as our guide. Taking instructions from traditional Samhitas and the research, attendees, from lay to professional, will leave this session able to blend the doshic paradigm with modern medicine to assess, diagnose and effectively manage metabolic syndrome.

Ayurvedic Take on Childhood Diseases and Environmental Influences
Presented by Virender Sodhi, MD(Ayu), ND
Childhood asthma, dermatitis and middle ear infections have skyrocketed. There has been a many fold increase in asthma cases over the last twenty years. We are at the peak of environmental toxic load. Millions of new chemicals are introduced into our environment without proper testing. Children are often prescribed inhaled or topical steroids which are known to have serious side effects and health consequences. This presentation will describe how Ayurvedic medicine possesses an arsenal of herbs, lifestyle modification and yogic breathing techniques and how it can help to reverse the disease processes.

The Ties That Bind: Prana, Tejas & Ojas
The Essence of any Healing Process - From Personal to Communal
Presented by Arun Deva, DAy, Yoga Therapist, E-RYT/500
Ayurvedic healing is a sort of Nava Nidhi Mala: Magical Garland of Triple Strands intertwining as Satva/Rajas/Tamas; Vata/Pitta/Kapha; Prana/Tejas/Ojas. The last triple strand defines our very Essence; abiding in our cellular being and found in our breath, our radiance, and our vitality. When this strand has sara (excellence), it gives us enthusiasm, intelligence and formidable strength. The key to this excellence is in another triple strand: ahara, vihara & vyayama (diet , lifestyle, and exercise). We will explore all of these concepts in light of our relationships, our communities, and ourselves. Healing begins at home then radiates out!

Saturday Educational Presentations

Morning Breakout Sessions

Ayurveda for Women's Transitions: Peri-menopause and Menopause
Presented by Suzanne Gilberg-Lenz, MD
Transitions - monthly, seasonally and across the life span - are defining features of womanhood and provide numerous opportunities for resonance with nature and reconnection with the universe. Each transition offers a chance to embrace our true natures as beings of light, spirit and manifestations of the power of nature. However, our culture's emphasis on unrealistic ideals and fear of change can exacerbate the more challenging aspects. This presentation will look specifically at ways in which western, allopathic medicine's approach to peri-menopause and menopause can be integrated and greatly enhanced by the use of Ayurvedic wisdom and practice.

Sin, Virtue, Ojas, Yugas & Epidemics: Surviving and Thriving in the Kali Yuga
Presented by Claudia Welch, DOM
These days, as many of us see change and destruction hurtling along at a quick clip, it is easy to: a) believe herbs will come to our rescue, and b) freak out! While the classics give indications that herbs may do less now than ever, Don't Panic! They also give us cause for hope...

In this session we will explore how the classics of Ayurveda present the connection between respect for the spirit and resources of the Earth and the preservation of ojas on a personal and global level, how to view epidemics, what to do when plants don't deliver the virility we expect, and tips on thriving during difficult times.

The Maharishi Ayurveda Approach to Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease: Consciousness, Mind, Body, and Environment in a Scientific Framework
Presented by Robert H. Schneider, MD, FACC, FABMR
Three domains contribute to cardiovascular health: mind, body and environment. These in turn have their basis in consciousness, also called Atman or the Unified Field. This holistic view of Ayurveda includes a comprehensive theoretical framework based in Vedic and modern science and diagnostic and therapeutic technologies for each of these domains. This presentation will review scientific research that supports the theoretical paradigm and specific effects of this model for psychological, physical, and social health - contributing to cardiovascular health with prevention and treatment. Discussion will include meditation, herbal preparations, panchakarma, Vastu, Jyotish, and collective consciousness - all a part of a comprehensive program for cardiovascular and total health.

AyurYoga and Ojas: Sustaining Healthy Lives and Healthy Communities Through the Practice of Yoga
Presented by Chitra Giauque
Our senses are often overwhelmed by the culture's unrelenting stimulus. Dispersal through the senses depletes our immunity and can leave us susceptible to unhealthy bodies, negative emotions, and a lack of connection to the whole. This lack of connection fosters feelings of isolation, scarcity, and fear. Yoga gathers the disparate aspects of ourselves into a unified whole. Opening our hearts to an honorable and balanced relationship with life nourishes ojas and the communities we live in. It allows us to engage the body's natural intelligence, transforming rasa into vital tissue that then yields the refined fluid of ojas. Yoga also eliminates ama and transforms negative emotions. Practiced in the spirit of surrender and acceptance, we're offered yet another way to nourish our essence and enhance our connection to life. In this active practice session, we cultivate ojas on the mat.

Please bring a mat and dress for active practice for this session.

Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Research as a Sustainable Resource in the Ayurvedic Community

Presented by Jennifer Rioux, PhD
Research literacy within the Ayurvedic/Yogic practitioner community is critical for the sustainable development of the profession. Further, integration of research exposure and basic research skills transmission with Ayurvedic/Yogic educational institutions is pivotal in facilitating the legitimacy and advancement of the discipline/career trajectories. Involvement of Ayurvedic/Yogic practitioners in research activities and collaboration of Ayurvedic/Yogic experts in the mainstream academic research process will ensure the relevance and proper design of Ayurvedic medical research over the long-term. Dr. Rioux will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this important research in terms of design, methodology, implementation, analysis, and report of findings.

Plants and People, Mystical Relationship for Total Healing in our Daily Lives
Presented by Vasant Lad, BAMS, MASc
Humankind and the plant kingdom share a synergistic role in healing. The nature of these two communities was designed to interact for the optimum of health and wellbeing. Dr. Lad will discuss how and why this mystical, yet very practical connection contributes to healing. Covering the comparison of the anatomy of plants and people, he will delve into the relationships of the seven dhatus as well as which plants relate to each tissue and organ within the human body. He will address the connection of rasa, virya, vipaka, and prabhava to help attendees gain understanding about the the journey of consciousness taken by both humans and the wonderful world of plants. Armed with the knowledge that plants love human beings, Dr. Lad will show the healing that results from this special relationship.

Sunday Educational Presentations

Morning Breakout Sessions

Live Long and Prosper: Ayurveda and Gerontology
Presented by KP Khalsa, LMT, NCTMB, DN-C, RH, CC
The American population is aging. As Ayurveda comes of age in our society, more elders are seeking our services. They have special needs. Therapists themselves are aging. We must take care of ourselves. Even though any one of us might not yet be elderly, the time to learn these things is now. As baby boomers age, we will see an avalanche of clientele with lives unlike those we have treated before. They will be self aware, health aware and demanding. They will want non-drug solutions to their health needs. Ayurveda provides the perfect platform for a healthy old age. The presentation will cover what it means to be an elder today, the special needs of elders and specific Ayurvedic therapies for the elderly client. We will get a holistic Ayurvedic perspective on the needs of elders and develop a strategy for addressing their lives and situations with herbs, lifestyle and a few social clinical insights, including some novel herbal approaches. We'll cover A to Z for treating the geriatric patient.

Holistic Wellness: A Vedic Approach to Personal and Professional Healing Through Ayurveda and Vastu
Presented by Michael Mastro
At its basic level, everything is energy and vibration. Everything is interconnected in a constantly shifting balancing act whose goal is ideal harmony. From the level of the tiny atom to the vastness of the cosmos, the same laws of nature are reflected. Our human bodies can be seen as electromagnetic tuning forks seeking to vibrate in harmony with the larger world. To thrive and experience good health and balance, stress-free living, healing modalities that support and enhance our well-being are essential to create a strong connection within Self and, ultimately, to one another. In this presentation, we will explore Ayurveda and Vastu and the power tools and practices these complimentary modalities offer to create balance, well-being, and self-discovery.

Transition and Transformation: Ayurvedic Counseling Principles and Practices
Presented by Paul Dugliss, MD
Ayurveda is unique in its holistic approach to creating balance and relieving suffering. Ayurveda provides modalities that go far beyond standard counseling. The understanding of consciousness and how to support the transformation of stress and emotional challenge in times of transition makes Ayurvedic Counseling a potent healing approach. This presentation will explore the principles that clinicians can use in helping clients transform crisis into bliss. It will focus on concrete application of principles to assist practitioners in assisting their clients with emotional challenges. Cases will be presented to demonstrate the consciousness model and how Ayurveda understands the root cause of suffering.

Dying, Death, and the Dance of the Pancha Mahabhutas
Presented by Robert Sachs
In the process of dying, our body, mind, and spirit go through a dissolution of the doshas via natural progression in the breakdown of the five elements (pancha mahabhutas). In this two-hour presentation, Robert Sachs, author of Tibetan Ayurveda and Perfect Endings: A Conscious Approach to Dying and Death, will explain this process and how, if managed and supported, can become a profound opportunity for spiritual growth for both the dying patient and her/his loved ones. Death need no longer be something we do not discuss or embrace. It can become part of life and a healthy, healing part in community growth and sustainability.

Makin' Mama Happy - How Traditional Relationships and Native Ayurvedic Practices Heal and Strengthen Women, Community and the Environment
Presented by Niika Quistgard
A healthy, happy woman brings great value to her family and community, whether East or West. This presentation explores a model of healing and strengthening women and community through the practice of Ayurveda in Kerala, South India where Ayurveda is not only utilized as a clinical approach to curing disease, but where the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga and Jyotish permeate daily life. We will address the questions: How does this support patient healing in the clinical application of Ayurveda and sustain a woman's wellbeing in personal, family and community life? How does a healthy, happy woman bring benefit to her family, society and the environment?

Practicing With Heart: How Your Ayurvedic Business Can Feed You and Your Community
Presented by Lisa Jeck, MBA, EA
Training to become an Ayurvedic practitioner is the first step we take towards bring healing to our world. The learning will last a lifetime fueled by a passion to open ourselves to the wisdom of Ayurveda. We have a responsibility to both live our practice and to share these teachings with our community. Creating a thriving, profitable and sustainable business is within our reach. The business aspects of running a practice can feel foreign, frustrating and difficult to embrace. This presentation will provide valuable information about business formation and development, taxation and marketing. Awaken to the importance of intuitively bringing your unique gifts and talents to others. Build a business with clarity and intention guided by soul.

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