Yoga Research Foundation Virginia

International Yoga Day (IYD) Celebrations in Washington, DC
June 21, 2015

Dr. Dilip Sarkar at the First International Day of Yoga at National Mall in Washington D.C. in June. The event, which was sponsored by the Embassy of India, Washington D.C., and Friends of Yoga, saw Dr. Sarkar and Ambassador of India in US, Arun Singh, opening registration for Worldwide Certification Exams by CYAI (Council for Yoga Accreditation International), introducing Dance Yoga and yoga teacher training for Patanjali Yogpeeth.

Taksha Institute (TI) hosts Distinguished Faculty of SVYASA, India

Left to Right: Drs. Abha Gupta, Adarsh Deepak, Rajan Narayanan, H.R. Nagendra, Dilip Sarkar, and Alex Hankey. (Photo taken by Pat Deepak at the home of Adarsh and Pat Deepak in Poquoson, VA.)

During September 2-3, 2013, Dr. H. R. Nagendra (center), a former space scientist at NASA and Harvard consultant and the current Vice-Chancellor and director of the premier yoga research university, S-VYASA (Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana), visited the Virginia Hampton Roads area to present current research on yoga and health, where he met with some of the editorial team members of Yoga Setu.
Accompanying Dr. Nagendra was Dr. Alex Hankey, a distinguished physicist and researcher of Vedic Sciences at SVYASA.

With the aim of reaching out to the global yoga community, Dr. Nagendra had stopped by Hampton Roads for a day to connect with yoga practitioners and share his wisdom and views on the Integrated Approach to Yoga Therapy (IAYT).

Dr. Nagendra, a former space scientist at NASA, returned to his native India, changing his field from engineering to human engineering “in search of truth, ” as he says. According to him, the search for the ultimate truth through external means (science) did not take him far enough, and that is why he chose to dive deep into his own consciousness in search of reality through yoga. He then proceeded to combine the best of the East with the best of the West, as the venerated yogi Swami Vivekananda had envisioned.

In 1975, with the ideals of Swami Vivekananda in mind, Dr. Nagendra established the Swami Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (S-VYASA), which, by now, has published over 200 research papers on yoga and its applications. Along with its research program, S-VYASA also includes a unique Yoga Therapy Health Center that includes both a residential facility and a Yoga University for student training .

During his visit, Dr. Nagendra shared clinical research reports on the positive effects of prāṇāyāma (yogic restricted breathing) techniques and āsana-s on patients with asthma, diabetes, hypertension, metabolic disorders and cancer. He emphasized a holistic way of treating diseases and preventing ailments to promote positive health.

The thought-provoking lectures presented by Drs. Nagendra and Hankey were truly enlightening for the 25 plus yoga enthusiasts who attended.

Acknowledgements: The visit of Drs. Nagendra and Hankey was coordinated by Dr. Dilip Sarkar, Chairman of TI School of Integrative Medicine (SIM), with the help of Dr. Rajan Narayanan (TI Professor, and Executive Secretary, Life in Yoga) who drove our distinguished guests from Washington DC for dinner and lectures at the home of TI Chairman, Dr. Adarsh Deepak and his wife Pat Deepak, in Poquoson, VA. Our guests were hosted by Dr. Dilip and Shikha Sarkar at their home in Norfolk.