Why Join CAAM?
To the members of the California Ayurvedic Community,
The California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the promotion, practice and proliferation of Ayurveda in California today. We do this through supporting schools and practitioners, being a clearinghouse for information, supporting the field through legislation, community building and advocating education.
As all organizations experience ebbs and flows, CAAM is currently experiencing a resurgence and a strengthening of our effort and our intention and we'd like you to be a part of creating more community and coming together as a profession in California.
We are not alone. At the moment, a number of state organizations in the US are growing in their visibility and coalescing around the modern practice of Ayurveda, including groups in Colorado and Washington. California was the first state association of Ayurvedic practitioners, founded the same time as the National Ayurvedic Medical Association. Since most action and activity in medical legislation happens at a state level, we feel that CAAM fulfils a vital function in bringing together the community to provide resources, educate the community and strengthen our ability to practice legally.
At the most recent National Ayurvedic Medical Association Conference, Dr. Vasant Lad used his closing remarks to implore the Ayurvedic community to pursue the legal practice of Ayurveda in this country. California is a free practice state, meaning that Senate Bill 577 allows for the legal practice of complementary and alternative medicine by non-licensed practitioners. But for some people that is not enough as we seek greater integration into the healthcare system. We all know the impact that Ayurveda can have on personal and societal health.
Please join CAAM. Your membership dues will help us maintain a website, engage in promotional activities, and pursue activities to strengthen community and our legal standing.
Over the past two years, we have participated in National Ayurvedic Medical Association and International Association of Yoga Therapists' conferences and receptions through popular "doshas and dashas" events collaborating with the American College of Vedic Astrology. We have begun to break ground on an Ayurvedic teaching garden at the Venice Learning Garden in LA through active community workdays and volunteer recruitment. CAAM has maintained our website and updated our legal status and curate a growing Facebook community on the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine "fan page". CAAM actively participates in the NAMA Standards committee to contribute to the conversation of meaningful standards of Ayurvedic education as well as the NAMA board of directors. We have held community education and networking events at the Krishna Temple in Culver City, the Rose Temple in Venice, Yogaglo in Santa Monica and Dancing Shiva in Hollywood. We have launched an active speakers'series at the Sivananda Center in Marina Del Rey as part of their community health project which is held the first Monday morning of every month and has continued now for one year. This only represents a small portion of our potential. As we grow as an organization and receive more financial and volunteer support, we look forward to more projects and practitioner development in the future.
CAAM has also been maintaining a Find a Practitioner directory on our website, which currently receives over 1,400 page views monthly from people looking for an Ayurvedic practitioner in California. One of our goals is to grow this area of the site through promotion and increase the visits as well as offer the resources at events and to the general public. For a long time, members of the organization were listed on the site as a courtesy. We have left these listings up even as we have not done a membership drive for some time.
Please print out the application form and return with check to:
CAAM • PO BOX 3881 • Redondo Beach, CA • 90277-1721
Payment can also be made by PayPal. Please be sure to mail in your application form.
It is only with a united effort that Ayurveda will flourish in this State and this Nation. Let us unite and grow strong!
MEMBERSHIP PAYMENT
Payment can be mailed with the application form or made by PayPal.
If you still have questions, please contact DrMark@drmarkvinick.com for more information.