Share Ayurveda Conference 2022
June 24- June 26
University of British Columbia & Online
This conference brought Ayurveda to the Canadian public health conversation.
Conference Summary
Now that the long-awaited Share Ayurveda Conference has come and gone, here is your summary:
- The conference brought together attendees from Europe, Eastern Canada, Alberta, and various parts of BC, all for either the Professional Forum to meet with Ayurveda colleagues or the weekend Conference event itself for professional development.
- Live-streaming attendees were in the US & Canada.
- All were uplifted to meet and share in-person greetings, strengthening our bonds as committed Ayurvedists.
- The Professional Forum was in-person only with no live streaming.
- Online attendance included the US and Canada.
- The weekend began with the Professional Forum on Friday, June 24 to bring together practitioners, manufacturers, students, and all those interested in co-creating our Ayurveda community in Canada.
- It was a time of commitment to contributing to the quality of support we wish to enjoy and offer through the Ayurveda Association of Canada.
- A wealth of experience, knowledge, sincerity, and depth was revealed through the introductions of each participant, revealing the scope of Ayurveda in Canada today.
- Erica Mueller and Neelam Toprani represented the Ayurveda Association of Canada and described its breadth, needs and invitation to join to co-develop Ayurveda across Canada.
- Volunteers came forward to contribute to the fabric of Ayurveda’s development outside India.
Dr. Vasant D. Lad
After opening prayers, Saturday began with a pre-recorded welcome message from Dr. Vasant Dattatray Lad, a Keynote Speaker at the 2018 Share Ayurveda Conference event. Dr. Lad recalled that event and brought well-wishing for this year’s program. Watch Dr. Lad’s welcome message here:
Micheline Wong, P.T.
Saturday’s program continued with a wonderful presentation by Micheline Wong, P.T. on the C.A.R.E. Foundation’s MS & AYURVEDA program. Micheline created an excellent PowerPoint presentation for those interested in discovering the benefits of Ayurveda management for self-healing MS and all neuro-muscular conditions. Micheline is a passionate Physiotherapist, a steady meditator, and a first-time writer, spreading her wings for Multiple Sclerosis patients who can benefit from the Ayurveda lifestyle.
Check this link for work completed together on this topic in recent years: https://www.facebook.com/Multiple-Sclerosis-MS-and-Ayurveda-A-4-Week-Study-Group
Neelam Toprani
Neelam is the founder of the Sewanti Series and Padmashri Nationals. She had appeared with two other Ayurveda professional women just before the event on RED-FM Radio, our local Punjabi Station, with journalist Jasmine Kaur.
Check out this link to her easy-to-follow bilingual interview with professional guest colleagues and distinguished experts, colleagues and speakers: Neelam Toprani, Preeti Syal, and Navjeet Kaur. https://www.facebook.com/REDFMVancouver/videos
Neelam’s presentation on the Health Canada regulations governing Ayurveda is a critical compilation for all those interested in Ayurveda product approval in Canada. Please view her PowerPoint presentation below: (click on the arrows to scroll) Neelam is also a founder and chief volunteer for the Ayurveda Association of Canada. For more information and to join the A.A.C., please click here https://www.ayurvedaassociation.ca
Dr. Eduardo Cardona-Sanclemente
Dr. Eduardo presented his Keynote talk on Ayurveda & Cancer, elucidated in such a way that we all understood the dynamic of how many ways abnormal cells can occur and how to manage the consequences from an integrative medicine perspective. Such a wealth of information and understanding was a lot to take in and digest. Still today, I hear messages of wanting to hear more from Dr. Eduardo and this critical topic of our time.Dr. Eduardo combines an emphasis on Western science and integrates his later life experiences of Ayurveda.
For more information, please check out https://www.pacesconnection.com/blog/the-healing-place-podcast-dr-l-eduardo-cardona-sanclemente-dsc-phd-msc-ayurveda-an-integrative-approach-to-healing
He also gave a superlative talk on the topic of Ayurveda & Depression, also the title of his most recently published book, elucidating the doshic alignment of psycho-spiritual symptoms and their logical treatments. For instance, Vata psychosis of worries, anxieties, terrors, forgetfulness, doubt, and paralyzing fears must be treated according to Vata-pacifying protocols such as a regular daily schedule especially sleep, Vata-pacifying food program, yoga, pranayama, Vedic counselling, and suitable livelihood. To purchase the book, please go to https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/645678/ayurveda-for-depression-by-eduardo-cardona-saclemente
Glynnis Osher
Saturday afternoon also included a wonderful session with the inimitable Glynnis Osher, our dynamic program M/C. Her engaging teaching style and experience came through her experiential presentation of the Five Senses and Five Elements of Creation according to Ayurveda. It was an insightful adventure into the return to the basic Pancha Maha Bhutas or Five Great Constructing Elements of the macro and micro creation. Glynnis is a born teacher and experiential educator. Her role as M/C kept us all on a good time track while highlighting the vast range and depth of qualifications and experiences among our presenters and participants!
For more information and to track Glynnis’ wide range of design & marketing talents, as well as her excellent product lines, amazing classes and events, please check out https://thousandpetallotus.com and www.academyaromatica.com
Dr. Arun Garg
Dr. Arun Garg’s presentation on the simplicity of a Yogic approach to life revealed proof of how much can be accomplished in life such as his exemplary journey, by staying to the basic foundations of Yoga. Simplicity in relationships and marriage, family life as a foundation for professional greatness based on a daily practice of yoga, sound meditation and spiritual priorities. In Dr. Garg, we saw a representative of how humility and respect render outstanding, exemplary attainment and citizenship.
For more information, please click here:
https://pathology.ubc.ca/faculty/arun-garg || https://www.sfu.ca/fhs/about/people/profiles/arun-garg || https://www.fraserhealth.ca/bios/arun-garg
Sunday’s program began like Saturdays with the Yoga & Meditation session. Our two expert Ayur Yoga teachers, Jessica Kruse (https://lavidaveda.ca) and Natasha Jyoti Samson (https://natashasamsonyoga.com/) both shared their dedication to the craft, deep knowledge and mastery of individualization of Ayur Yoga Therapy. Both offer superlative online Ayur Yoga support.
Check out their sites!
Ismat Dhalat-Nathani
Ismat Dhalat-Nathani, D.N.M., spoke on the history and future of Ayurveda education in Canada. Her discussion of professional licensure for Ayurvedists in Canada is a must-see for all practitioners and newcomers. Her power point-presentation was clear, concise, and very well-researched, informing us about the importance of licensure in Canada, which she noted is quite different from the US.
Dr. Ramkumar Kutty
Dr. Ramkumar Kutty spoke so eloquently and inimitably on Ayurveda as Future Integrative Medicine from his home base near Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. He had been a keynote speaker in 2018 and provided a Zoom pre-recorded Zoom interview with insights that must be heard, again and again, I feel.
Watch Dr. Ramkumar’s video below.
For more information about his profound work for Ayurveda and transformative community building, please check out this video from 2018
Jaisri M. Lambert
Jaisri M. Lambert has been practising & teaching natural therapies since l983 after her own debilitating migraine headaches kindled her interest in alternative therapies. Her exploration led her first to Polarity Therapy, in which she became certified in 1985. As interest & demand for natural healing classes increased, Jaisri founded the Westcoast Polarity School & later the East-West Polarity School, teaching innovations in Polarity Therapy internationally.
In 1989 she met renowned Ayurveda physician & author Vaidya Vasant D. Lad, B.A.M.S., MA.Sc. in Victoria, B.C., an event that deeply influenced her life. Dr. Lad taught “Healing is love plus intelligence”, validating Jaisri’s experience that spirituality & physical life are not separate.
Thank you for the Share Ayurveda Conference (2022)!You have brought in all the nice speakers and presenters. Very good! It’s good to see everybody together. It was an opportunity for everybody to get connected in our field. I’m grateful to all the volunteers!
I had the good fortune to attend the Care Foundation’s Share Ayurveda Conference in 2018, and to hear the wonderful Dr Vasant Lad and the equally wonderful Ram Kumar Kutty speak in person. That conference opened up a most important dialogue on the future of Ayurveda in the West.
The 2022 sequel most certainly progressed that conversation in the most acute and appropriate way, addressing pivotal issues around certification, training, supervision, and access to herbal medicines.
Four years in, and post pandemic, one understands even more clearly the geo-politics and constraints around access to healthcare and the extent to which Ayurveda has as, an yet unrealized role in alleviating needless suffering.
As an Ayurvedic Practitioner, educator, student and devotee of the Ayurveda path, I was so nourished and inspired by attending and participating in the 2018 Share Ayurveda Conference.
It is always so important to the deepening of our practice to attend a community event of like-minded souls who understand and enjoy the wisdom and benefits that Ayurveda and Yoga bring to our wellbeing and consciousness.
For me, it felt like drinking from the well, with such incredible Ayurvedic keynote speakers as Dr. Vasant Lad, and Dr. Ramkumar Kutty amongst other generous wisdom teachers and healers.
The depth of Ayurvedic knowledge and practical insights coming together in the conference filled me up and brought the Ayurvedic community together to celebrate, learn, share, and connect.
If you are committed to your healing path in any modality, and especially in Ayurveda and Yoga, I highly recommend joining the next conference, to fill your own cup and pass that light along sincerely to others.
Fragrant Blessings.