The 2022 Colorado Ayurveda Conference took place October 8-9 at the Millennium Harvest House Hotel in beautiful Boulder, Colorado.
The theme of Manas: Integrative Approaches to Mental Health brought together a diverse collection of speakers and experts with a wide variety of experience.
The resurgence of research into the efficacy of psychedelic-assisted therapy was a major focus. The conference represented a convergence of ancient and modern approaches to entheogenic medicine, as well as a wealth of support for mental health maintenance and enhancement.
The complete recordings of the conference are now available for public benefit and NAMA PACE credits.
Schedule
Attending the Conference is worth 12 NAMA PACE credits.
SATURDAY
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7:00am — Registration Opens
7:30-8:45am — Breakfast & President's Welcome Address
9:00-10:00am — Keynote Speaker Dr. Will Van Der Meer, "Current Advances with Mental Health and Psychedelics"
Skyrocketing rates of depression, PTSD, and suicides have been aptly called a global pandemic. We urgently need better tools to reverse these trends. Psychedelic compounds have been in use in Ayurveda and other ancient medical traditions for millenia. A resurgence of academic research on MDMA, psilocybin, and ketamine is beginning to show how effective these interventions can be, when combined with psychotherapy and provided in a controlled setting. This talk will provide updates on the current state of research, and explore links to the traditional uses of psychoactive plants in the Ayurvedic tradition.
10:00-11:00Am — Presenter Dr. John Douilliard, "We Are Circadian Beings - Let's Act Like Them"
According to Ayurveda, both dina and ritucharya are lifestyle guidelines designed to sync our biological clocks with nature's circadian rhythms. New research has linked the vata, pitta and kapha times of day to the sun and its daily and seasonal fluctuations of ultraviolet, visible and infrared light. Light causes a seasonal shift in soil microbiology as well in our microbiome. Exposure to daylight boosts melatonin and the energy we need for deep sleep and nocturnal rejuvenation. Activities such as digestion, detoxification, mental clarity, mood and physical energy are all driven by our connection to the light dark cycles. Learn how the body can manipulate light to treat the cause of disease (pragya paradh) by restoring the memory of pure consciousness in each cell of the body.
11:00-12:00Pm — Presenter Dr. Bharat Vaidya, "Marijuana in Ayurveda and It's Uses in Manas"
Through the psyche or Manas, we know the past, present and future. Psychology and psychopathology is the root cause of all the diseases. Due to wrong use, no use or excessive use, the vitiations are being created in mind and body. The education of Ayurvedic Manas Shastra and its use in practical life is very useful.
Marijuana has been used since Vedic times and mentioned as one the five most sacred plants on Earth. Marijuana is also referred to as a "source of happiness" or a "liberator". We will explore the various ways Marijuana is used as per Ayurveda to treat Manas or Psychological ailments. We will also review how you can protect us from Marijuana’s side effects and maintain Sattva Guna.
12:00-1:00pm — Lunch
1:00 - 2:00pM — Presenter David McConaghay, "Relationship Between Jyotish and Mental Health"
Internal Family Systems is an elegant, evidence-based therapeutic model developed by
Richard C. Schwartz which presumes that the psyche of each individual is, just like the
physical body, an innately whole organism composed of many parts.
A wise physician recognizes the interconnected nature of the body and applies treatment at
the point of greatest leverage to heal the system as a whole. Likewise, although many
people tend to identify as just one sign or another, a wise astrologer sees how each sign and
planet relates with every other in an interwoven web of mutual influence. Just so, a wise
psychotherapist knows that the liberation and reintegration of even one exiled part can
create a cascade of beneficial outcomes impacting every area of the client’s life.
Putting theory into practice, this presentation uses case studies to demonstrate the efficacy
and efficiency of an IFS-informed approach to the clinical practice of both Jyotish and
Ayurveda.
2:00 - 3:00pM — Presenter Dr. Nita Desai, "The Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal Axis (HPA): An Ayurvedic Perspective"
Nita Desai, M.D., is a Medical Doctor in Integrative Medicine, who practices in Louisville, Colorado. After starting her career as a family practice doctor, she realized she was only treating symptoms and not providing real solutions to people with chronic illness, and so, began her journey into studying Integrative Medicine. She is a certified Ayurvedic Practitioner from Alandi Ayurveda Gurukula, a certified Yoga teacher, and Tibetan Cranial practitioner, and has also studied Western Nutrition, and Integrative/ Functional Medicine. Some of her teachers included Dr. Vasant Lad, Dr. Deepak Chopra, Dr. Datis Kharrazian, and Alakananada Devi. She studied the spiritual sciences including meditation and Kundalini science for over 15 years with Swami Chandrashekaranand Saraswati.
3:00 - 4:00pM — Presenter Sonia Massoco, "Addiction and Drug/Herb Interactions in Ayurveda"
During the presentation you will learn what Ayurveda has to say about addiction. You will also have an overview of the range of actions of stimulants, hypnotics, hallucinogens, opiates, steroids and sedatives, learning their qualities and their drug-herb interaction. Our aim is to give you a better understanding between the outcomes of THC and CBD as well as to know the nuances and side effects of various addictive substances and also understand the mechanism of action of alcohol, fentanyl, tobacco, psilocybin, peyote and ayahuasca to better formulate your Ayurvedic approach to integrated management
4:00 - 5:00pM — Presenter Dr. Vivek Shanbhag, "Subtle Therapies for Mental Health in Ayurveda"
During this presentation, Dr Shanbhag will discuss therapies like Sattvavajaya, Daiva-vyapashraya, Asana, Pranayama, Dhyana, Music therapy and Art therapy. He will share mental health case-studies from his 35 years experience as a Primary Care Provider specializing in Ayurveda & Naturopathic Medicine.
5:50 - 7:00pM — DINNER
SUNDAY
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7:30-8:45am — Breakfast & President's Address
9:00-10:00am — Presenter Alakananda Ma, "Ayurvedic Approach to PTSD"
In this presentation we will learn what PTSD is, how to recognize when your patient might have this condition, and how it can be approached and managed with Ayurveda
10:00-11:00am — Presenter Dr. Desmond Wellington, "Ayahuasca's Role in Mental Disorders"
Traditional psychedelic drugs, psilocybin and MDMA, are currently being evaluated by the FDA and if approved it will mark the first time that the agency gives its seal of approval to a form of psychotherapy. However, not all psychedelics lend themselves to a secular medical model. Ayahuasca traditionally takes place within a religious context and offers a psychospiritual approach to mental health disorders like PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Although Ayahuasca ceremonies typically do not take place in a laboratory setting, there is budding research about the benefits of the ceremony and the active ingredient: DMT.
11:00-12:30Pm — Presenter Anupama Vaidya, "Food and Mood in Ayurveda"
Come and learn about the impact of food on our mood as per Ayurveda. We will explore various food, diet and food combinations as per Ayurveda which affect or improve our ojas, tejas, prana and balance mind and body. Are you curious about numerous ways how you can ground yourself in postpartum, old age, vata diseases or when dealing with anxiety, menopause, depression, mood swings, etc? We are welcoming all audiences who can get the nuggets of Ayurvedic wisdom by joining us in a hands-on workshop where we will cook Ayurvedic recipes and share our dishes with you all.
12:30-1:30Pm — LUNCH
2:00-3:00Pm — Presenter Hansa Knox, "Yoga, a Bridge to Mental Health"
Today we have growing mental health concerns. The life path of being okay with being "who I am" is defined by the measurement of achievements and then a label such as mentally deficient, sensory compromised, neurotic, bi-polar, depressed defines a person. Rather than address the source, the separation of self from Self and learning tools to address the dynamics of the mind, a pill is given.
Yoga, as a tool of awareness combined with the āyurveda understanding of one’s prakṛti and vikṛti helps a student/client know, mature and address their innate nature and live their dharma. Using yoga tools offers awareness and the opportunity to practice on the mat. Then the client can practice awareness and mental stability in their life and the world. Hansa will present an overview of yoga tools and adaptations for the doṣa for practitioners as they support the mental diagnosis of modern society.
3:00-4:00Pm — Presenter Todd Caldecott, "Magic Mushrooms in Clinical Practice"
The therapeutic use of so-called “magic mushrooms” – medicinal fungi that contain a variety of psychoactive tryptamine alkaloids including psilocybin – has become increasingly popular with the general public, and is undergoing something of a renaissance in the research community. Medical herbalist and Ayurveda practitioner Todd Caldecott has been working with magic mushrooms in his clinical practice for more than 20 years, and has developed a comprehensive approach to their use, including both macrodose (psychedelic) and microdose (sub-psychedelic) applications. This lecture provides a review of magic mushrooms, including their ethnomycology, mycochemistry, mycopharmacology, indications and contraindications, preparations, and dosage.