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Part 1: Welcoming Address and Valedictory Session on Yoga for Wellness A very good morning to everyone present here. Honourable Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, Shri Nitin Gadkari Ji. Honourable Minister of State, Independent Charge for Ayush, Shri Sripad Yeso Nayak Ji. Honourable Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ashwani Kumar Chaubey Ji. Professor Nāgendra, Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa, Vaidya Rājeś Koṭecā jī, dignitaries in this auditorium, ladies and gentlemen. It is my pleasure and privilege to welcome you for the second day. We are today extremely honoured to have with us Shri Nitin Gadkari jī as our chief guest for the valedictory session. On behalf of all of you, I welcome him. We have had two fruitful days, sir. Yesterday’s discussion was particularly productive, and we will continue with some unfinished agenda today. We are indeed happy to report that it looks like we will be able to accomplish what we set out to do in these two days. Yoga for wellness is this year’s subject. As I mentioned yesterday, it is one of the most apt subjects for the simple reason that it is not just about the practice of yoga, but also about using it in the lives of every human being for achieving better health and wellness. Earlier, yoga was practiced for generations by Indians. Recently, it has acquired an international presence and global acceptability, thanks largely to the great efforts and leadership of our Honourable Prime Minister. We also now have the International Yoga Day. With this global acceptability, I feel that the Indian responsibility is far greater than it was ever before. This conference and the views expressed here will help us find policy parameters to guide us in the global arena. We are all aware that yoga is not just about a cure. It is about health, overall well-being, and wellness. In the two days of this conference, sir, there are two striking features I would like to mention. First, we have, in a holistic manner, talked about the integration of yoga. Second, we have had session after session discussing the specific impact of yoga on various disease profiles. Regarding integration, we need to leverage the wealth of knowledge we have in the traditional medicine field in India and integrate it with modern medicine. I say this also because I have the privilege of looking after both departments. That integration is extremely critical if we really want to build a happy, healthy nation. So far, our approach has been of co-locating. The approach must move from co-location to integration, where we actually cross-flow. Cross-referrals must happen. It is not just a matter of choice; wherever the need arises, we should be able to send the patient to either side. But more important than that, we should use yoga to ensure that we have very few patients at the end of the day. That is the ultimate aim. The second aspect is the specific impact on diseases. We need to popularize yoga, which is very well said and accepted. But we also need to generate scientific evidence about the value of yoga if we want true acceptability. In this world of science today, merely saying does not mean much. It is conferences like this, with personalities like you who are so well-versed, that we need to take this forward. It is extremely heartening, sir, to see that in this hall today, we not only have great practitioners of Āyush of international level, but also extremely well-known personalities from modern medicine of the Indian stream who are well recognized. This is the kind of integration we aim for. I am so happy to welcome all the doctors here because they will now become a part of this integration in the future. I am sure future events will address this, but let me today have the privilege—a proud privilege at that—of welcoming the Honourable Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shipping and Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Sir, we look forward to your speech today, largely as guidance on where we need to take this sector, and also for your views on how we need to work on integration for a healthy India. On behalf of the Ministry and all of us present here, a very warm welcome, sir. We would also like to welcome our Minister of State for Āyuṣ, Śrī Śrīpāda Yesso Nāyak jī, who, as I mentioned yesterday, has been at the forefront of whatever has been happening in Āyuṣ. We are extremely happy to have him here and welcome him on behalf of everyone. We are also honoured by the presence of Śrī Aśvinī Kumār Caubey jī, the Honourable Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, who has been kind enough to spare his time to join us. A very warm welcome to you, sir. I also have the privilege of welcoming Professor Nagendra, a doyen in this field of yoga; Shri Balakrishna jī, who has spread this message far and wide; and Swami Maheśvarānand jī, who is here with us. All have contributed to the spread of yoga, not just within India but across the globe. I welcome all of them on behalf of everyone here. We hope you will contribute a lot, not just to today’s deliberations but also to future guidance. I do hope that the half-day left for discussion will bring more scientific knowledge into what we are discussing, and we will be able to have, at the end of the day, a policy parameter which the government can use to shape its policies. A very warm welcome to all of you, ladies and gentlemen. I hope we have good deliberations today. Thank you very much. Thank you, sir, for highlighting the government’s perspective, not only towards promoting yoga and Ayurveda but also integrating it with other medical sciences for the greater benefit of mankind. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to request Shri Nitin Gadkari jī for his valedictory address, as he has another pressing engagement but has taken time to be with us. Valedictory Address by Shri Nitin Gadkari Not only to India, but also to every corner of the world. That is why he is a very good person, and I thank him very much. After our government came, the Prime Minister decided that we would pay special attention to promoting the science of yoga. Naturally, World Yoga Day started. When we go abroad, the kind of response we get from people there for yoga is a great achievement for the Indian government. One thing has been proven: this has not happened only because of publicity. Due to the experience of yoga, the improvement in health is naturally a reason for people supporting it. My weight was 130 kg. Now I am at 90 kg. I had surgery in between, but I was stagnant at 95 kg. Now, every day I go to a Kerala organization, and in the morning I do oil massage and a steam bath. I have done about ten to twelve sittings. My weight was stagnant at ninety-five, now it is ninety. By reducing weight, health parameters improve. In the morning, I do Vyāyam and Yogāsana. Then I felt a great improvement in my health, nature, and energy. That is why I have so many departments and so much work. I start work from 9 in the morning and keep meeting people till 1 in the evening. But I can work until the end. Energy can remain. Because of this exercise I do, the yoga I do, health is good. I feel there are no side effects of this. Nāgendra jī and Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa jī are present here. They have proved that problems of different types of health can be improved by doing yoga regularly. Today, allopathy has its side effects. Yoga has no side effects. That is why Āyurveda and Yoga are our heritage. We can give our brothers and sisters from all over the world a happy and prosperous life. They can get a healthy life because of Yoga. People have understood this importance. But I have a few suggestions from my point of view. When I go abroad, there is a shortage of authentic yoga teachers who can teach all this. I should not say this, but if there are good yoga teachers who are perfect in all ways, then many people can get a job. This yoga teacher construction work can be done in India. I will request the department that a syllabus should also be prepared for this: first year, second year, third year. Like, Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa jī is sitting here, Swāmījī is sitting here, our respected Nāgendra jī from Bangalore is here. I feel this is like we have done in our road construction, that we have done gradation. Like in Yoga Prasāra, there is a working organization. Like we have graded contractors who make national highways, charitable trusts should be graded based on their work, experience, and education. These organizations can be given affiliation. Through these organizations, if trained manpower is created from our courses, then they will definitely be able to work in the world of yoga, and they will also get employment. The lives of many lakhs of people will be healthy and good. There are different types of people working on making the syllabus. To make the syllabus, what should be there in the primary form? What should be there in the secondary form? What should be there in the final form? What should be there in research? This should be done in the same scientific way as the academic council or the board of studies at the university. In a professional approach, we have been able to reach out to many people in the world. For example, knowledge is described as innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, and research. Along with that, there is science, and there is yoga. So nowadays, we say that conversion of knowledge into wealth and welfare is the mission for the government. Conversion of knowledge into wealth and welfare. The big meaning of welfare is the welfare of the world. Our Indian culture, history, and heritage show us that we pray for the welfare of the world, the welfare of everyone, tolerance... This is the specialty of our Indian culture. We never said that what we say is right, that it is the best. Our Lord is the best, and the rest of the best have never said this. We have only said that all the Lord is the best, and all the ways of worship are the best. And further, we have only said that, "Ākāśāt, Pṛthivī, Toyam, Yathā, Gacchati, Sāgaram, Sarva, Deva, Namaskāra, Keśavam, Prati, Gacchati." In the same way, the water of the rivers is given to the ocean while flowing. In the same way, if we worship any God, then ultimately he is given to God. So this exemplary perspective of ours is the specialty of our culture. But our culture, history, heritage, and our value-added lifestyle need to be described in coordination, communication, and cooperation, in professional language, in the age of today’s science, technology, and innovation. Because when we take anything in the world, there is a way to accept it in the countries and people there. To prepare that method, and through that method, our important things—those societies, in their language, they understand in that form—through direct knowledge, and from the point of view of business, to reach them effectively, this work is going on for a long time. Our government’s Prime Minister has a lot of support for this, and it has a lot of potential. Taking this into consideration, the responsibility of the Āyuṣ Mantrālaya is also very big. Today, in three to three and a half years, in popularizing Yoga Day all over the world, due to the initiative taken by our foreign ministry and Āyuṣ ministry, India’s reputation has definitely increased. I feel that if the welfare of the world, if the people of the world get good health, "Sarvae pi sukhināḥ santu, sarvāḥ santu nirāmayāḥ," this is our culture. Then why not for all those people, we especially spread this and make their lives and their health good, and make their lives happy, prosperous, and successful. On the one hand, the things that have come from the past have been proven. People have accepted it after it has been proven over time. Along with this, new research is also being done. One thing, Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa jī is here, and I would like to especially thank him that research should be carried out continuously. The way the flow of the river flows, research should continue to flow. Research is the biggest capital for any country in the future. To do research, in many places, the organization working from the government’s side, which is a charitable trust, which is working on this mission in particular, we should help them with various schemes for that work by the government, so that it becomes more professional research. If this research is done, then what our saints have already told us is a very precious asset in the form of wealth. But along with that, if new research is done, then due to the computer, a bigger revolution has taken place. Today, if we put one thing on our website, then in a very short time, we can reach the world. So, about our yoga practice, yoga training, yoga research, various types of health problems, successful practices, successful experiments, by standardizing them by the Indian government, by recognizing them, by popularizing those practices, we will take them to the world. I feel that we will be successful in improving the health of the world. I am happy that this effort is being made. But sometimes I am not saying professional, i.e., industrial. Professional means management-wise perfect. This arrangement is very important for the role of Āyuṣ in all languages, in all countries. By preparing all kinds of such teachers, by recognizing their courses in the right way, and by doing new research training based on that... In training also, as we say in handloom and handicrafts, that the master is the trainer, who is the most important. Then his layer goes down. It is his responsibility to prepare the rest. Because one thing is true: the one who has been born, his death is certain. There is no such person among us. So, a person who studies so much, gets so much knowledge in life, after his death, that knowledge also goes away. That knowledge, through him, he will also educate the rest of the people of his opinion. On the basis of that knowledge, he will do a better job. The number of many dedicated people who will work like this will also increase. In the end, I would like to say that a philosopher has said that no philosophy can be taught to an empty stomach. Vivekānanda jī has said this. So, no material knowledge can be taught to an empty stomach. If we teach this knowledge to thousands of young people in the country, and they do it with their professional discipline and life approach, then we can do the same with the training: training, education, and research and development. If we take forward this program based on these three principles, then the world will also be blessed, the name of Indian culture will also be high, the number of people who accept yoga will also increase. The most important thing I want to say, with a little courage, is that especially the allopathy disorder sometimes gives relief, but its side effects are also very much. Due to those side effects, many people’s lives have been disturbed in a way that has been seen closely. Our method of treatment does not have any side effects. That is why we develop research about it, develop websites, develop programming, develop its videos, use its technology to prepare its presentations, use it in different languages, make its courses, academic council, board of studies, and notify it. Based on that, first year, second year, third year, training up to a minimum graduate level, then after that, training of postgraduate, then after that, training of research. This itself is a university. Now, Rāmdev Bābā jī and Bālakṛṣṇa jī want to open a very big research and university on Āyurveda. In that only, they can do the work of Yogic science. It is not a necessity; it is a necessity given by the government. If the government does a fast-track decision-making process to control it properly, keep transparency, keep the decision-making process fast, and to fulfill the objectives made by their advice, encourage such charitable trusts and organizations. Encourage them to cooperate with the government as much as necessary, give them recognition, give them respect, and reward the good workers once a year. I think this will also be a big celebration. Because once someone asked me, "What is the biggest problem of the government?" So I said that the good workers do not get respect, and the bad workers do not get punishment. I think if we honour the good workers once a year on a national level, this will increase motivation and inspiration, and the number of people who will work will increase, who will move forward with this thought and work. This work will definitely move forward. The Ministry has established a very good base under the leadership of the Minister. There is complete support of the Prime Minister and the government. I am sure that in the world there is a responsibility to fulfill all these dreams. Today, everyone from the world has come. This dream will be fulfilled. This is my belief. I am leaving a little earlier because today at 12 o’clock there is a program on the Ganga. A very big program announcement is also going to take place there. I need to go there. Thank you very much. Closing Remarks and Thanks Thank you very much, Minister, for sharing your experience and your message with us. I would like to present a small token of our gratitude and appreciation to you. May I request Śrī Śrīpāda Yesso Nāyak to kindly present the memento. Ladies and gentlemen, the Honourable Minister inspired everyone—people who are practising yoga—by sharing his own experiences since the time he has practiced yoga, the change which he has experienced in himself. He inspired the researchers and academicians to continue with the research work; their contribution is going to further promote yoga and take it to the world. He also brought in many suggestions and recommendations regarding training, research, and effective communication to take yoga more global, and assured everyone of the hand-holding by the government, the support by the government towards encouraging people who are working in the field, not only by recognizing them through awards, but also whatever support in terms of funding or other support which they require. Coming from the Honourable Minister, this definitely inspires and motivates everyone who is working in the field. Now I would like to request Professor H. R. Nāgendra jī, the Chancellor of S-VYĀSA. Once again, ladies and gentlemen, a very simple person who, with his renunciation and sevābhāva, is doing a human service to humanity. What a great delight it is to have great personalities with us in this valedictory program. Particularly, we are very happy that we have Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa, who has been pioneering the field of Āyurveda and Yoga with such great measure. Each time he comes up with big books and encyclopedias, the tremendous amount of work he is doing is something most commendable in the whole country. I congratulate him and also his entire organization for being there, taking the time, coming all the way from Haridwar, driving here, and again after this program he is going back. We are so grateful to you, Bālakṛṣṇa jī, for your wonderful presence. I was wondering as to why we have to bring this dimension of yoga and Āyus into the health field, because allopathy has grown to such great heights. We have such skyscrapers, tertiary hospitals, specialists, super specialists, and such fantastic diagnostic tools and surgeries after surgeries—5,000 types of surgeries which can replace every part of the body. We are racing ahead to even change our genes, gene therapy. With all this achievement, why do we need all other things like yoga, Āyurveda, Naturopathy, Siddha, Yūnānī, all these things? Why do we need that? That’s the question that often used to raise in my mind. Then, when you look at the scenario, what is happening? In the last century, allopathy had the greatest achievement. People were so enthused that the WHO announced, "We are going to bring health for all by 2000." But as we reach the end of the last century, then came the new challenges, challenges of the modern NCDs that we call asthma, diabetes, hypertension, heart problems, epilepsy, migraine, irritable bowel syndrome, cancer, and what not. It has beaten all imaginations to bring health for everybody. It has come to pass that once you are diabetic, you are diabetic. Once you have hypertension, it is for life. Once you have asthma, you must go on taking medicines for life. Once you have cancer, your days are numbered. It has come to pass. Why? It is here. There is a fundamental reason as to why this has happened. Modern medical science, allopathy, is based on modern science. The modern science which started 400 years back in the West has brought a tremendous amount of achievement. Over 400 years we have understood everything about this physical world. You know that every object is made out of molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons, electrons, fundamental particles. What are they made of? Everything is made of packets of energy, and everything is nothing but energy. You can calculate precisely how much energy is in a given matter: E equals mc². We also understood the laws that govern them: Newton’s laws of motion for normal speeds—the deterministic approach, classical mechanics. But when you go to extremely high speeds, like an electron spinning around the nucleus, Newtonian mechanics will not hold. We have to go to the higher laws: quantum mechanics, the special theory of relativity. All that we have done. Therefore, about our physical world, we know almost everything. Anything physical, we have been a big success: putting man on the moon, building skyscrapers, underwater tunnels, fantastic pharmacological intervention, and surgical interventions. Everything we have... in a big success. But what is happening to science? Science is going beyond the physical to understand the subtle dimensions of our universe. Is there something like prāṇa? What is that we call as mind? Can mind exist even without the brain and the body? What is that we call as consciousness? The difference between the mind and the emotions and the intellect—what are the differences? Into this region of subtlety and causality, modern science is moving. Therefore, our knowledge base related to the entire subtler and causal dimensions of this universe is almost zero. We are in a very embryonic state. Therefore, any challenge that we face today, which is related to the prāṇa, mind, intellect, emotions, and others, we have no solution. Modern NCDs belong to this category. Stress belongs to this category. Stress is not merely physical. Mental restlessness, emotional upsurges, deep-rooted psychological conflict, all are at the base of the stress, and the stress induces the events. Part 2: The Multidimensional Challenge of Modern NCDs and the Ancient Wisdom of Yoga Modern Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) are multi-dimensional. They represent the most sophisticated, multi-dimensional challenge we face today. Our solution in modern science, however, is only one-dimensional. Therefore, we have no true solution. How can you solve a multi-dimensional challenge with a one-dimensional approach? It is here that India, and the entire wisdom base of our ancient seers, comes into the picture. Thousands of years ago, our ancient seers, spiritual masters, and yoga saints brought forth a complete understanding of creation. They understood that we are not just a physical body. This is called the Annamaya Kośa. Beyond this, we have four more layers, or four more bodies: the Prāṇamaya, Manomaya, Vijñānamaya, and Ānandamaya Kośa. Our people understood that all ailments begin in the Manomaya Kośa. As Adhi (the mental/psychological affliction) comes down, it becomes Vyādhi (the physical disease) at the body level. Unless you tackle the Adhi, you have no solution. What we do in modern medical intervention is essentially at the body level—the best we have, perhaps at the gene or brain level. But what happens to the prāṇa, the mind, the ādhi? We have no solution. It is here that our ancient wisdom base, containing the Āyuṣ consciousness-based approach, can provide a complete solution because yoga is multidimensional. Its effects are not only at the physical body; it works at the prāṇa level, mind level, emotional level, intellectual level, and across all five kośa levels. Therefore, we have a multidimensional challenge, and we have a multidimensional solution. This is the basic factor on which the Āyurvedic system can address the entire NCD challenge. But we must show evidence. We are in the age of research. If we say Ayurveda can cure cancer or yoga can solve diabetes, they will ask, "Where is the evidence?" We began this evidence-based approach almost 40 years ago at our university. Swami Kaurananda started this research in the 1920s and ’30s, bringing a scientific research dimension to understand this total approach. Fortunately, today there are thousands of papers demonstrating the effectiveness of yoga, not only for dealing with ailments and reducing secondary effects but also as an effective adjunct to modern science. Now we must go a step further. As the AYUSH Ministry has stated, we must mainstream AYUSH. Can we bring these dimensions into the mainstream? Should the modern medical system become the secondary alternative adjunct to mainstream Āyush? Dr. Gangadhar, Director of NIMHANS, always says that before this modern medical system came, we had yoga, āyurveda, and similar systems as the only solutions. Therefore, that should be the mainstream, and the modern system that came 400 years ago should be the adjunct. That is what we are heading for. We need more research, and conferences like this highlight the wonderful dimensions of ongoing research. Updating research is very necessary. I am very happy that modern medical experts and big institutions like the Institute of Medical Sciences have come forward to examine with an open mind whether yoga is truly useful, whether Ayurveda can meet gold-standard randomized controlled trials, and to understand its mechanisms. Scaled-up models have started. We have shown yoga is useful for diabetes for a large number of people. Our Prime Minister gave a mandate to control diabetes throughout the country. A big project was taken up through the Indian Yoga Association, tracking 2.5 lakh people across 60 districts. A three-month study has yielded wonderful research; we are analyzing and publishing papers. I place on record the help and support from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Ministry of AYUSH for funding this project. All yoga institutions joined together to make this a reality. This year, we are taking the next step: a cancer control program. I call on all yoga institutions to come forward to uncover the tremendous secrets hidden in our ancient texts to see if we can alleviate and substantially contribute to controlling cancer. We have been doing this work for 35 years at our university, collaborating with MD Anderson Cancer Center and others, publishing nearly 28 papers. We are forging ahead with a randomized controlled trial, with top international experts forming a committee to give the right direction to the research. We will have a big, scaled-up model, a new direction to control cancer. We will also focus on prevention, promotion of positive health, big randomized control trials, and palliative care, which is very important. All AYUSH hospitals should come forward to set up palliative care centers. In our country, we have 13,000 AYUSH hospitals. If we can establish palliative care in every place, we can provide great support for cancer patients. Unfortunately, only 2 to 3 percent of metastatic cancer patients currently receive palliative care. This dimension is coming up, and I am hopeful our entire team of researchers will contribute—whether in homeopathy, siddha, unani, yoga, naturopathy, or ayurveda. Everyone will find wisdom in their base to mitigate the dimension of cancer, forging ahead to give a new direction to the entire world. I congratulate all members who contributed through their sessions here, updating what is happening at various levels, particularly regarding cancer, depression, yoga for women, and others. I wish the Ministry of Health will forge ahead with greater dimension, which needs more funding. I am sure at the Health Ministry and PMO level, there will be greater funding for big projects. Thank you. Thank you, Professor Nāgendraji, for inspiring us. As you said, we need to take this knowledge of yoga from the books to the masses, mainstream it. Towards that, a lot of research and evidence-based work must be done. India has so much to offer the world, and research will further substantiate it. Thank you, sir, for your guidance. Now I request Swāmī Māheśvarānandajī for his blessings. Salutations to the cosmic light, Lord of our hearts, omniscient and omnipresent. In the presence of the divine, all my dear sisters and brothers, all dignitaries, great scientific researchers, scientists, and doctors researching Āyurveda and allopathy, etc. I was wondering—for the last three years, I was a little confused. Why do we declare Ayurveda 5,000 years old? In Satyuga, when the ocean was churned to get Amṛta, and Bhagavān Dhanvantari brought the Amṛta Kalaśa, that was only 5,000 years ago? I was not born at that time. But I think we must bring this correction. Otherwise, Ayurveda, as well as—I read in articles from our yoga conferences and from Āyush—yoga is said to be 5,000 years old. It is not Swayambhu; Śiva, the first yogī, brought the science of yoga for the physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being of not only humans but all creatures, vegetation, and humanity. These two things—for 46 years I have been traveling the world, 45 times around the globe. Everywhere I preach, people accept and see in our granthas that yoga is so old, Ayurveda is so old, that allopathy came from Ayurveda. But when I come to my country, I was disappointed. Did I lie when I said it was from Satya Yuga? When I come to the country of yoga and Śiva, the Dharma, I think we must research this point and give the right, good information to all people who come from different parts of the world. When we hear "yoga is only five thousand years," perhaps they are counting from Maharṣi Patañjali. But before Patañjali, yoga was there, dear brothers and sisters. Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said, "Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam." Our yoga sādhanā is when we do the right karmas. My Gurujī used to say, "Yoga mānav ko yogyatā detā hai, yogyatā banātā hai." Yoga agni, karma dagdhani, yog sādhanā ke dvārā ham hamāre karmoṁ ko bhasma kar sakte haiṁ. I will say only this much and give a pause to my speech, due to lack of time and because our Minister Modijī should speak. I don’t know; I got the chance to say it three times. So I had today’s chance, because the third time I came to make clear that Yoga and Āyurveda are from before Satyuga. Thank you. We have been talking about mainstreaming yoga, discussing its potential and healing power. But as I say, seeing and hearing is more believable. So I would now like to invite someone who has experienced it personally. Madhyam se apne aap beati ke madhyam se, yahāṁ par hamāre sāth bāṁṭ kar kis tarah se yoga aur yoga unke jīvan mein parivartan layā. Ladies and gentlemen, a young damsel, a dusky beauty who took Indians by storm with her magnetic performance in a Bollywood movie. She became the heartthrob, the Āśikī of millions. Bathed in glory, it seemed she was there to conquer the world. Then destiny had something different planned. A near-fatal accident left her in a coma for 29 days; it seemed her life had ended. But her determination and her sampūrṇa samarpaṇa to yoga allowed her to get back on her feet. Now she spreads the power of yoga among the people, working with street children. We now unfold this magical, mystical story by the person who experienced it all, a live example of the healing power of yoga. I invite Miss Anu Agarwal, an actress turned sannyāsī and yogī. Thank you so much, Vimi, and thanks to AYUSH for having me. I am a living example of research, my own guinea pig through yoga, which gave me life today. I want to tell you my story. In 1999, on a rainy late night, I had a near-death experience and went into a coma for 29 days. At the hospital, doctors said they didn’t know if I’d survive the coma. But magically, 29 days later, I woke up as a child again—an experience of being reborn, a child in an adult body that was well-known. It took me years to walk, stand, and learn who Anu Agarwal was, with whom I had no association—name, color, property, anything. That’s when I understood I’m not just a movie star, but a star in the galaxy, and so is everyone else. My connection with everyone became so strong that I became one with all. The story starts with Āshiquī. That was in 1990; it was a blockbuster, a runaway hit that made Anu Agarwal a household name. Launching MTV in India, becoming the first brand ambassador as India’s first international supermodel—all this came. Three years down, I had everything as a young achiever. But was I happy? I realized, no, I am not happy. I had all materialistic wealth, everything people dream of, on a silver platter, and I wasn’t happy. With all the wealth, I just wanted more. When I had a Mercedes, I wanted a BMW; with a BMW, a Lotus. It was a never-ending stream of desire. I decided to shut shop. To everyone’s surprise, at the peak of my career, I locked my house and discovered yoga. I didn’t know what yoga would do, but I read that a human uses less than one-tenth of their potential. I wanted to give yoga a try, thinking it might show me how to use more. Suddenly, I found myself at four in the morning by the Gaṅgā doing Sūrya Namaskār and observing Maun the whole night, when I used to go to sleep in the city. I started to understand "Yogaḥ citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ." I understood the vṛttis, the defilements, are in my own mind. Nothing else causes unhappiness; it’s me who doesn’t know how to manage my emotions, psyche, and mind. I fell in love with yoga. Soon, in the city, a Swami said, "You’re ready for sanyās." I said, "Really? Why?" He said, "Because you’ve got detachment and renunciation." I thought, for me it just meant changing the dress code, shaving my head—I’m still an actor, an award-winning one; I can play that role. Then came the near-fatal experience. But more than anything, what happened after: I was living with the stars, I became one of the stars. Certain knowledge came, difficult to share as the human mind’s frequency may not allow it. Simply, I understood there is one super being, a universal lotus, a huge field of energy from which all of us come as sparks. We are immortal in a mortal body. Because we associate with the mortal body outside, we don’t realize the immortality within. One minute. Thank you. Somebody is asking a question. Yes, no fire can burn me. I am a fire that cannot be extinguished by water. I am part of that divine being, and so is everyone else. That’s when I thought, "This is something I need to share. Why is everyone suffering?" Yoga, if you call it a union, a meeting of the individual soul with the universal soul—ātmā kā paramātmā ke sāth milan—that is the definition of yoga. Actually, we are born a part of the Paramātmā, so we already are that. Why don’t we realize it? This prompted me to start. I had started research because doctors had given up on me. Even after the coma, they called me a miracle but said my gestation period was three years; I’d be bedridden, a vegetable case. But my research began with handling my body—ruptured, broken, bleeding, with multiple fractures from skull down, cognitive loss. I had to work with the mind, psychically. I was already connecting with the universe, but my emotions and immunity were zero. I put all this into yoga and mindfulness, creating a module called Anufan to create happiness. The research began. I want you all to know you are already into yoga, which is heartening. Each of you is a spark of the Supreme Being. Carry forward with yoga; it will take you to your ultimate belonging. Thank you. Namaskār. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I invite our Honourable Minister of Āyurveda, Śrī Śrīpād Yesu Naik Jī, for his address. Namaskar. Dignitaries for today’s function: Mani Shri Aśvinī Kumār Chaubey Jī, Minister of State, Department of Health and Family Welfare; Shri H.R. Nagendra Jī, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhāna Saṃsthāna, Bangalore; Pūjya Svāmī Śrī Māheśvarānanda Jī; Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa Jī, Managing Director, Patañjali Āyurveda; our Special Secretary of Āyuṣ, Śrī Rājeś Koṭeśa Jī; dignitaries on the dais; respected yoga gurus, experts, officers, delegates, press media, and my yogī brothers and sisters. It is a great pleasure to be part of this program, a momentous occasion. We have reached the end successfully. The overwhelming global response forces us to think of organizing a bigger event next year. This was an apt gathering of scholars and practitioners interested in the subtle dimensions of yoga, particularly wellness. Yoga, a scientific and traditional knowledge, is the greatest concept given to the world by our country. Its practice is believed to have started with the dawn of civilization. Seals and fossil remains of the Indus Valley civilization with yogic motifs and figures performing yoga sādhanā suggest yoga’s presence in ancient India. Phallic symbols and Mother Goddess idols suggest Tantra yoga. Yoga is present in folk tradition, Vedic and Upaniṣadic heritage, Buddhist and Jain traditions, Darśanas, epics like Mahābhārata and Rāmāyaṇa, and theistic traditions of Śaivas, Vaiṣṇavas, and Tantra. This was when yoga was practiced under the Guru’s direct guidance, with special importance given to its spiritual value. Many sages and yoga masters contributed generously through well-documented practices and lectures. As per yogic scriptures, yoga leads to the union of individual consciousness with universal consciousness, indicating perfect harmony between mind and body, man and nature. The aim is self-realization, to overcome all suffering, leading to liberation. It is one of the oldest sciences, originating in India, useful for preserving physical and mental health and spiritual evolution. Western countries show much interest. In the USA alone, nearly 20 million practice yoga, increasing by 5% yearly. The U.S. military has adopted yoga in training. Many other countries like the UK, European nations, and Southeast Asian nations practice yoga. Several modern medical institutions have adopted yoga as an alternative and adjuvant treatment. In India, yoga is gradually gaining popularity as the best alternative therapy to modern medicine. In past decades, the health aspect has become more popular. People fed up with medicine find yoga a good alternative. Many medical practitioners, scientists, and researchers have studied and seen that yoga has immense health benefits and brings positive physiological changes. This enhanced its popularity; now yoga can be a better adjunct or even a stand-alone healthcare system, especially for lifestyle disorders. Our Prime Minister’s efforts, with the UN declaration of International Day of Yoga, have accelerated yoga promotion and propagation greatly. I am sure the enthusiasm shown in celebrating the last three International Days will further improve, making yoga a household name. Our government is committed to developing AYUSH, especially yoga, both in India and abroad. I am sure this conference’s objectives are largely fulfilled. I hope delegates benefited immensely from the knowledge and experience shared. I appeal to all participants to carry the message of true yoga in its original form and spread it as far as possible. I extend heartfelt thanks to Honorable Nitin Gadkari Jī for sparing time to address this conference with a well-detailed address. It was his vision that conceptualized a separate ministry for Āyush. I place on record my sincerest thanks to him. I also thank my cabinet colleague, Śrī Aśvinī Kumār Chaubey Jī, for spending time with us. I extend thanks to Śrī Ācārya Nāgendra Jī, Maṇi Ācārya Bālakṛṣṇa Jī, and Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarānanda Jī for guiding this conference. I thank all who worked hard for its successful organization. Hoping to see you all next year again. Thank you very much.