Report from the International Ayurveda Congress, April, 2017

I was delighted to attend the 2nd International Ayurveda Congress, held recently in London. Organised by the International Maharishi AyurVeda Foundation, the All India Ayurvedic Congress (New Delhi) and the International Academy of Ayurved in Pune, the subject of the conference was Ayurveda – The Pursuit of Health, Happiness and Long Life through Prevention-oriented Health Care

Along with 300 other delegates from across the world, I joined with other internationally renowned scholars in presenting clinical case studies to showcase the effectiveness of Ayurveda in fulfilling the human pursuit of health, happiness and long life.

The Congress was opened by the Minister of AYUSH of the Government of India, His Excellency, Minister Shripad Yesso Naik who spoke about the growth of Ayurveda outside its traditional home and the steps proposed by the Indian Government, under the dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister Shree Narinder Modi-ji, to promote Ayurveda and Yoga in the western world.

The keynote address to the Congress was delivered by Dr. Tony Nader, MD, PhD, Patron of the International Ayurveda Congress, who spoke about "Consciousness – The Foundation of Health, Happiness, and Long Life.

My own address to one of Congress’s plenary sessions was titled Treating Mental Illness: Ayurveda’s integrative approach, where I had the opportunity to discuss the results of a clinical trial undertaken at Planet Ayurveda to investigate the effectiveness of Ayurveda in treating clients with stress, depression and panic attacks.

The trial consisted of a 30 day Ayurvedic programme that included changes to diet, lifestyle and selected Ayurvedic therapeutic treatments, including Massage and Shirodhara, guided meditation and Ayurvedic Counselling and Emotional Healing Programme. Of the 50 patients that completed the study, all reported marked improvements in their mental health, which re-in-forced the power of Ayurveda and its holistic approach to health.

I was humbled by the response to my presentation, with many delegates coming to offer their personal congratulations.

The Congress concluded with a strategy meeting between the conference participants and members of AYUSH to map out a strategy for the promotion of Ayurveda around the world.

I believe the Congress was very successful, both in offering a prestigious platform for scholars from around the world to showcase the latest research in Ayurveda as well as developing a strategy so the world can experience the benefit of this ancient healing science.