Why Aabc?

Among Ayurveda associations, AABC has a unique focus on 1) patient centered care with cultural neutrality, 2) development and innovation, and an 3) analytic approach with focus on clinical outcomes.

AABC solves the obstacles to the success & growth of Ayurveda clinicians by

1. Giving Ayurveda professional appeal
   In the West, some associations and schools make Ayurveda appear magical as opposed to analytical. Bundling faith healing practices like astrology into Ayurveda goes against Indian and World Health Organization standards, and gives the impression that Ayurveda is not a legitimate clinical practice. While Ayurveda students may love a magical or inspired approach to medicine, clients and medical professionals simply want to know Ayurveda works, and evaluate clinical outcomes. Pitching Ayurveda as something fantastic or miraculous leads medical professionals to reject it.
2. Focusing on the culture of the client, not the medicine
   Many Ayurveda associations heavily emphasize Vedic culture. Cultural and religious branding makes Ayurveda unfamiliar and inaccessible to anyone lacking a Vedic cultural background. A patient centered practice focuses on the culture of the client, not the medicine. Medicine is universally human, and culturally independent. Note the success of the Chiropractor profession due to cultural neutrality.

   Associations have a special responsibility to represent the culture and faith of every clinician who wishes to participate. Diversity is stifled when associations promote individuals who fit their vision of a culturally "authentic" practitioner, rather than advancing professionals on the basis of their clinical outcomes. Lack of cultural neutrality may cause some individuals to feel like they don't belong in the profession, or that the profession is cliquish or quirky. It can make Ayurveda appear inaccessible to clients of other faiths or backgrounds.

3. Encouraging innovation and development
   In the West, Ayurveda was created by a few schools with a single, specific lineage and vision for Ayurveda. Despite claims to the contrary, these associations oppose innovation, and limit Ayurveda to their personal vision. They exist to protect their tradition instead of encouraging innovation. This greatly hampers the modernization and integration of Ayurveda into our nation's public healthcare system. Because of near religious devotion to ancient texts, associations may include obscure, confusing, or outdated paradigms that have very little clinical value. This devotional aspect frequently undermines the objectivity of the association's organizational culture. The side effect of this inflexibility is the lack of adoption into public healthcare institutions.