Global wellness issues discussed at PGIMER session

After the brainstorming session on the first day of the expert meeting, Prof. Akshay Anand initiated the second day with his encouraging opening remarks. The meeting commenced with a talk by Dr. Vinod Srivastava from Fort Hays State University, USA, discussing bridging the medical culture and collaboration for global wellness. He emphasized the importance of the social environment in maintaining health, stating that “social determinants contribute to 50% of health impact,” a view supported by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Dr. Aruna Rakha, from the Department of Translational and Regenerative Medicine at PGIMER, addressed reaching out to the scientific community through publishing data in single case studies and case reports, especially in Yoga research. She stressed that any advocacy should have proof of principle.

Further, Dr. Jaideep Arya, Chairman of Haryana Yog Aayog, highlighted the significance of yoga asanas in sports, discussing their inclusion in the Olympics and their role in enhancing sports performance. Dr. Sanjib Patra, Head of Central University, Rajasthan, raised concerns about private colleges distributing degrees in Yoga and emphasized the need for strict policies to address this issue.

Dr. Kashinath G Metri, from Central University, Rajasthan, underscored the importance of medical professionals practicing yoga, suggesting that they could be a good population for achieving adherence in longitudinal studies. Prof. O P Katare from the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Panjab University, encouraged faculty to practice yoga, including meditation, to cultivate a still and calm mind for generating high-quality research.

Dr. Vikram Pai from AIIMS Raipur discussed the importance of qualitative research in yoga, emphasizing that not all parameters can be numerically accessed, as yoga is also experience-based. He urged researchers to plan mixed-model studies that include qualitative research.

The session continued with progress report presentations of funded projects at PGIMER by CCRYN, with each project head presenting their work progress over the past year. Dr. H S Vadiraja, Research Officer at CCRYN, evaluated the project progress and provided final assessments and suggestions for each project.

An open question-and-answer session followed the talks, with experts engaging in brainstorming on the topics discussed throughout the morning. Recommendations were discussed and drafted, including training faculty at their workplaces, increasing awareness of yoga among faculty and patients, raising funds for yoga research, including manpower in proposals, providing yoga protocols for validation by faculty, and organizing outreach yoga programs for the general public.

The expert meeting concluded with the submission of draft recommendations by each expert. Dr. Aruna Rakha expressed gratitude to all dignitaries for their presence and contributions, hoping that the recommendations would contribute to the development of a better policy framework for future research and therapy in the field of yoga in India.