Founded in 2014, the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) – Indian Traditional Sciences organised its second event on Int’l Day of Yoga Symposium 2019 at the Nehru Centre in London on Friday 21st June from 10am to 2pm. There were three sessions of fifteen prominent speakers managed by each panel chair. Amarjeet S Bhamra – Secretariat, APPG Indian Traditional Sciences welcomed all the delegates from both traditional and modern medicines platforms.
The Chief Guest of the Int’l Day of Yoga Symposium 2019 Dr. H R Nagendra spoke on Yoga – a New Revolution in Making. He was a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Centre in the USA and a visiting associate at the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London. Currently he is the Chancellor at S-VYASA Yoga University and serves as Chair and Member for various high-powered committees in the Government of India. In 2016 Government of India honoured him with Padmashree Award.
Guest of Honour Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Sri Swami Maheshwarananda Puriji of Panchayati Maha Nirvani Akhara travelled from Vienna, Austria and is the founder of the International Srī Deep Mādhavānanda Ashram and the originator of Yoga in Daily Life System who spoke on – Goal to create human responsibility towards the world and environment, foster our compassion for all living beings and develop dormant hidden forces.
- First session was chaired by John Porter, a Professor of International Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where he works on the Indian concept of the 4th Tier – population self-reliance in health. He is also the Chair of the LSHTM Research Ethics Committee.
1a. Prof. Kambhampati Subrahmanyam MA (Eng.), MA (Phil), PhD is currently the Pro-Chancellor at the S-VYASA Yoga University, at Bengaluru, India. An advocate of yogic studies, he has travelled on lecture tours both in India and abroad propagating Yoga, Vedanta, and Indian ethical and epic literature and movingly spoke on S-VYASA’s Yoga Movement for Global Well-being.
1b. Sister Jayanti is European Director of Brahma Kumaris. A spiritual leader and teacher for 50 years, she has dedicated her life to self-transformation and service to humanity and has brought spiritual principles to the discussion tables of politicians, economists, business leaders, scientists and nearly every stakeholder of our times and spoke on Raja Yoga Meditation and Climate Change.
1c. Vidhi Sadana is a consultant Yoga Therapist and has completed the first ever UK Yoga Therapy service evaluation in an NHS setting. She is also first trainer in the UK for Imperial Medical Students to teach Yoga Therapy short course modules and spoke on Gentle for Mental Health.
1d. Dr James Mallinson is Senior Lecturer in Sanskrit and Classical Indian Studies at SOAS University of London where he is currently leading a five-year research project on the history of Haṭha Yoga funded by the European Research Council. He has spent time living in India with Traditional Yogis and Sadhus, and elaborated on Yoga Studies – Teaching and Research across the World.
- Second session was chaired by Tomas Pfeiffer supported with translations in Czech and English by Markéta Lacikova, and Ludmila Dolakova. Tomas is a biotronicist, working in the area of spiritual healing for more than 40 years in Prague.
2a. Yogi Ashokananda has dedicated his entire adult life in service to humanity by teaching, writing, mentoring, learning, speaking on yoga, meditation, spirituality and spoke on Yoga and Health.
2b. Today, for most people, the word “yoga” usually conjures up images of twisting the body into impossible postures. The physical aspect of yoga is only one facet of this multi-dimensional science. Arundhati Rajesh addressed the audience and shared her experiences on Isha Yoga.
2c. Dr Antonio Bartolome, is chief administrator of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s organisation in Spain and Portugal, who kindly presented Maharishi’s approach to Yoga. Maharishi Yoga provides level of preparation that progresses sequentially from more active to quieter, from grosser to subtler effects on mind-body integration.
- Third session was chaired by Prof Venkat Joshi, Senior Lecturer, Professor, Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Principal of Undergraduate Studies, Mentor, Academic Consultant. This session was kindly supported with translations in Spanish and English by Joaquín Catalán.
3a. Dr. Miguel Quel Benedicto MD, PHD is a doctor in Mental Health, Neuropsychiatrist and Secretary General of the Illustrious Official College of Physicians of the Province of Valencia in Spain and delivered an amazing speech on Eclectic Medicine.
3b. Joaquín Catalán is a Business Economist, Lawyer, who has been honoured as a Lifetime member of The International Society of Business Leaders. At present he teaches at EDEM University Centre and Business School in Valencia. He addressed the topic of Collaboration between professionals of Contemporary and Traditional Medicines.
3c. Integrative Medicine Applied to Cosmetics and Natural Nutrition was Sabina María Teresa Salvador’s presentation. She is Pharmaceutical Homeopath, Master in Natural Medicine, Integrative Therapist applying quantum principles based in Spain.
3d. Concepción Rodriguez lives in Malaga and works with Vicente Ferrer Foundation which carries out humanitarian projects in Andhra Pradesh, India, bringing aid to over 2.5 million people. She has written ‘Solar initiation in the new Shamballa’, “The wonderful journey of self-discovery” and “The golden key to have good health” and she allured the audience to her deliberations of Food for Yogis.
3e. Maria Dolores Cejudo, finished her bachelor’s degree in Education, and became a teacher of children with special needs, manager of an occupational centre for disabled people and currently presides at the Association of Pepe Bravo Centre which she addressed in her talk.
3f. Stephan Hein spoke on Yoga Nedra: the meditative Heart of Yoga. This practice is an ancient awareness and meditation practice that translates as “the Yogic sleep”. It induces a state of sleep for the physical body and the conscious mind, whilst one maintains illuminating awareness that rises from deeper layers of consciousness.
3g. Distance Healing was Dr Christiana Oware Knudsen’s presentation. Born in the Gold Coast, she holds a degree in Social Anthropology from the University of Aarhus, in Denmark. She has carried out research and published books on Female Circumcision in Ghana.
3h. Our Special Guest Prof Dr Tanuja Nesari from All India Ayurveda Institute in New Delhi which is an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. Prof. Nesari completed her M.D. and Ph.D. in Ayurvedic Pharmacology (Dravyagunavidnyan) from Gujarat Ayurved University, Jamnagar. She is also the Chief Executive Officer at National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH. Her contribution was on Yoga, Ayurveda for Health and Wellbeing.
We gratefully appreciated Vinay Prabhakar Sahasrabuddhe MP in the Rajya Sabha (Indian House of Lords) and his delegation joining us. He also serves as National Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party and recently appointed as President of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. He was accompanied by Namrata S Kumar Deputy Director General of ICCR and Brij K Guhare the Deputy Director of the Nehru Centre – London. Amarjeet S Bhamra offered vote of thanks to all present including the High Commission of India in the UK and the Nehru Centre London for offering relishing mouth-watering sumptuous vegetarian food for all.
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