:: January/February 2006 Volume 5/Number 1

Workshop Reports:
Ayurveda is Healthy in the U.S.
But its leading Association may be asleep

By Julie Deife

Ayurveda is expanding in the U.S. You wouldn’t know it from the recent NAMA Conference in Las Vegas. The Third Annual National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) conference in October raised important questions about the status of Ayurveda today, more questions actually than answers. This is particularly true when it comes to looking at the ability of the national organization to advance the field overall while it attempts to manage an organization and accommodate the varied interests of its individual members.

If this national healthcare conference is a snapshot of the progress of the association, there is reason for concern. The board members filled many of the slots as featured speakers rather than rounding out the program with a representative sample of Ayurvedic professionals. Additionally, turnout was low, a sure sign that something is amiss - only 200 people attended, and a significant number of the participants were speakers, exhibitors or board members. (The membership itself is just 350 after seven years.)

Those new to Ayurveda and curious about it – perhaps those from other healthcare professions – were presented with an impression of Ayurveda in the U.S. that, while quite traditional and even somewhat nostalgic, does not accurately reflect the rich and varied traditions and practitioners that comprise the practice of Ayurveda in the U.S. today.  Although spirituality is an important and integral part of Ayurvedic philosophy and practice, the image of spirituality at the conference was not inclusive. For instance, although the conference printed materials featured Ganesha, the Hindu god responsible for the removal of obstacles, and the lecture rooms included shrines, not everyone who practices Ayurveda is a Hindu, nor do they only speak in Sanskrit or dress in saris.

Business First

It was a big step taken in March of 1997, when NAMA founders Dr. Kumar Batra, Cynthia Copple, Dr. Marc Halpern, of California, and Wynn Werner of New Mexico saw their vision for a national professional trade organization take form as a 501 c(6). Standards for licensing were needed, they said, as well as educational standards for Ayurveda schools, the ability to raise money for lobbying purposes and a forum for networking in the community.  With the nonprofit professional association designation, the association would need to hold elections and have an annual meeting.  But for the first three years, the organization worked behind closed doors via monthly conference calls.   The board agreed that NAMA would be a virtual association, without headquarters or anyone to man the phones or talk directly with members of the profession or the general public. The website would be the main portal for communication

In 2001, the first new board members were added, without elections.  At that time the first conference was planned and a newsletter launched, but there were still no standards developed and little money raised aside from new memberships.  Few inroads into the medical community had been made and the yoga community was next to ignored.

Four years and three conferences later, association progress is inconsistent: there are more new board members, three of the founders are still at the helm, membership is flat (although new practitioners are being continuously trained), there are limited membership benefits, educational standards have finally been adopted (although not publicized), Ayurveda not licensed in a single state (with unclear progress reported), qualified practitioners around the nation are still not posted on the NAMA website, but the yoga community is being recognized (Yoga Alliance and the International Association of Yoga Therapists presidents’ Hansa Knox and John Kepner, respectively, offered collaboration with their organizations).  With a record like this, a joyous gathering called “Rejuvenation: Ayurveda and Yoga in the Desert” without a clear plan is not enough for this profession nor its  nascent organization..

All conference attendees, members or not, were welcome to sit in on the annual business meeting at Friday night’s dinner – if one chose to dine at the conference (and most people did because one of this year’s highlights was Ayurvedic chef Nancy Galotti’s menus).  The recent election results were announced followed by an eruption from the audience with many saying they had not received ballots. A brief report was delivered by most board members, all ending with the plea “we need your help.”  Hundreds have volunteered their time and services over the past seven years, and maybe it’s time to say to NAMA “we need your help.”  It seems time for Ayurveda’s national organization to provide clear vision and leadership to a growing profession.

The Ayurveda Profession – The Reality

No one knows how many Ayurvedic practitioners there are in the U.S. today.  Increasing numbers of Ayurveda schools are swelling the ranks of those qualified to practice Ayurveda. Add to those numbers, Ayurvedic doctors (degreed with a BAMS) coming from India to live in the U.S., practice Ayurveda, teach in schools or at workshops and conferences, or consult emerging and existing herb companies (much like western medical doctors consult pharmaceutical companies).

Yet, it is still difficult for a lay person to find qualified practitioners because many of them are concerned about maintaining a viable and legal practice.  Shradha Patel, BAMS, RN, BSN attended the conference.  She’s an RN at Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia, having moved from India seven years ago with medical credentials to practice Ayurveda. Friends told Patel not to practice Ayurveda in the U.S., it couldn’t be done here yet due to lack of licensing, so she went back to school for her RN.  This is the first time Patel has told anyone she is an Ayurvedic doctor.

Patel gained confidence to share her story following one particularly compelling discussion titled ‘Integrative Medicine Panel.’  The panelists were two MD’s, an osteopath and a chiropractor/Ayurvedic doctor.  These people are all primary care physicians in the new world of healthcare characterized by an integrated approach. Existing momentum already definitely favors this direction and the question is: what will or can NAMA do to participate in bringing Ayurveda into this population of healthcare providers? 

The area of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is growing in this country. Not only is Ayurveda expanding, but other traditional and holistic medicinal systems are coming into the fore.  It is where professionals of various healthcare modalities share their skills and knowledge to enhance diagnosis and treatment. Western medical doctors, nurses, physical therapists, chiropractors and acupuncturists are also part of the population learning about – and implementing – Ayurveda into their practices.

The Yoga Connection

An obvious foothold for Ayurveda would seem to be within the yoga community since both have roots in the Vedic sciences and it can be assumed that yoga practitioners are interested in health. But this conference did not adequately integrate the two traditions. Some terrific asana classes were taught by renowned teachers including members of the Las Vegas yoga community, but there were not enough substantial yoga-related programs for teachers seeking continuing education or practitioners seeking deeper knowledge. Few yoga practitioners (from outside of Las Vegas, who weren’t already involved in Ayurveda) attended. One person I talked to before the conference said he wasn’t going because “there’s really not any yoga on the schedule.”

This should be a lesson to NAMA that just adding the word ‘yoga’ to the title and slipping in a few asana classes won’t bring the yogis. Yogis don’t necessarily have to attend an Ayurveda conference anymore to be educated in Ayurveda, since it is popping up everywhere.

Ayurveda is a grassroots medical system by its very nature of uncovering the cause and deeper issues in unraveling an imbalance. It is not a top-down medical system. After seven years, this association is operating from a top-down structure, without communication with membership. After seven years this association still has no executive director, no support staff, no face-to-face meetings aside from the annual conference, no physical headquarters, very little communication with its membership – and no long-term plan.  The present challenges and opportunities of the current environment of the Ayurvedic profession today are not being addressed by NAMA with a realistic picture of Ayurveda as it actually exists in this country.

Hopefully this conference served as a wake-up call and next year’s annual report presented in New York will reflect a better understanding of the reality of the profession and offer more than a virtual voice.  In the meantime, there are three options: join NAMA and make it better, get involved in your state organizations or operate outside the system.

 

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