JUNE 21ST 2021
(Samaj Weekly)- Celebrating with UN Member states around the world today, Baroness Verma welcomed The UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) Indian Traditional Sciences, supported by the Indian High Commission and the Sri Lankan High Commission in London, which drew an online international attendance of 1400 participants for the five-hour Yoga and Meditation morning session. Starting in Pacific Rim and continuing through the time zones, participants responded to the invitation “to enliven world consciousness” their practice of the many yoga and meditation techniques rapidly gaining popularity world-wide and ending in the West coast of United States of America.
Organiser and Secretariat of the APPG Indian Traditional Sciences Amarjeet S Bhamra said ” the response today indicates the growing level of interest in the Traditional Sciences and much more so since the pandemic. We have been working diligently since 2014 and while promoting the valuable contribution of our heritage, most importantly, we seek to establish standards of practice and training for the Traditional Sciences in Britain. We see this as meaningful way to collaborate with a global set of standards. WHO and the Ministry of Ayush have been working on these standards for many years. It is essential now to see such standards implemented to gain the level of support for practitioners and benefits to patients.”
The afternoon session presented an online international Symposium bringing together UK and European Parliamentarians, senior diplomats, spiritual leaders, scientists and experts in many Yoga disciplines. The original 2-hour session was expanded to 3 hours from 3pm – 6pm and was still unable to include all the speakers contributing. Mr Bhamra received requests to visit and advise by delegates from several European countries on the call. He responded that ” this is the only All Party Parliamentary Group ( APPG ITS ) in the world representing the Indian Traditional Sciences, we feel that by establishing standards here in the UK will aid others working in this field abroad to establish similar groups.”
The tone of the Symposium was inspirational across a wide range of speakers which included, Her Excellency Saroja Sirisena, the High Commissioner of Sri Lanka, Ms Yamuna the representative from the Indian High Commission, Former Ambassador of Senegal His Excellency Prof Cheikh Dieng, British Members of Parliament and the House of Lords.
The world wide guests were welcomed by Virendra Sharma MP, Bob Blackman MP, co-chair of APPG Indian Traditional Sciences and senior parliamentarians – Tanmanjit Singh Dhesi MP, Baroness Verma, Dino Giarasso MEP from Italy, Mgr. Miloslava Ruteva MP and Margita Balastikova MP from Czech Republic appreciated the much hard work being coordinated by the APPG Indian Traditional Sciences and commended their relentless support for all its aims.
Opening speaker Dr Vandana Shiva PhD, spoke from India with a deep understanding of the “yoga of the earth”, reminding us we are all one and that our health depends upon the health of planet. Chief Guest Dr Tony Nader MD PhD MARR, neuroscientist and global leader of the Transcendental Meditation Organisation, described the simplicity of the effortless techniques of consciousness-based yoga and Transcendental Meditation. Dr Nader was questioned on his latest book ‘One Unbounded
Ocean of Consciousness’. Dr Nader explained “this is really about simple answers to the big questions in life”; explaining that with a deeper understanding of consciousness, we can have a different paradigm from which to understand the many practices of yoga and meditation. Dr Nader said that to “know thyself” is true wisdom and that stress and strain narrow the awareness and restrict optimum functioning of the brain and physiology. Resolving the impacts of stress on the nervous system he said will mean less conflict, less crime and more peace between nations. ” We need to raise consciousness, raise awareness.”
Special guests who addressed this auspicious gathering included: Bibi Inderjeet Kaur of Sikh Dharma International USA, Swami Maheshwarananda from Austria, Daaji Kamlesh D. Patel of Heartfulness from India, Mohanji from India, Sister Jayanti from Brahmakumaris London, Swami Narayanananda from Brazil, Acharaya Vasudevananda from Argentina, Dr Vasant Lad of Ayurveda Institute from USA, Dr B M Hegde, Sukadev Bretz from Yoga-Vidya Germany, Dr Vikrant Tomar from Yoga United Consciousness India, Aravind Chukkala of Project Shivoham from Belgium, Hon. Jaffer Kapasi OBE Consul for Uganda in UK, Ayurveda Ratan Prof Venkata N Joshi, Ayurveda Ratan Dr Avtar Singh, Dr Shantha Godagama of British Ayurvedic Medical Council, and Richard Johnson of Maharishi Foundation from UK.
Several of the medical speakers present, specialising in Ayurveda and Yoga, expressed a deep commitment to work with the APPG ITS, with a major focus on research on Long Covid and building innate immunity to disease. A Planning meeting will be held online Friday June 25th 2021 to discuss creating the proposal for a Natural Wellness Service to serve as an adjunct to the NHS. A major objective to be discussed will be a preventative approach to avoid the constant drain by healthcare on public funds and the inevitable tax rise to fund the current strategies.
