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From cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and depression, many physical and mental conditions have not only been escalating for decades, they are accepted as a natural progression of aging by conventional medicine, which treats chronic conditions with drugs or surgery.

In this presentation, IYI certified yoga teacher and research scientist Larry Scherwitz will describe the scientifically validated, therapeutic approach that can prevent, halt, even reverse the underlying causes of chronic conditions: the yoga-based Lifestyle Medicine program inspired by Swami Satchidananda and developed by Dean Ornish, MD.

As Director of Research on the “reversal program” for 18 years, Larry will present the yoga-inspired clinical trials by Dr. Ornish and colleagues, which showed that comprehensive lifestyle changes can halt and reverse CAD, hypertension, prostate cancer, and Alzheimer’s–without drugs or surgery. Throughout the presentation, Larry will shed light on the healing power of such yogic lifestyle ‘ingredients’ as a predominantly plant-based diet, exercise, group support, asanas, yoga nidra (progressive relaxation), pranayama, meditation, and more.

You will learn the specifics of each modality of Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, and how, and how much practice is necessary to achieve the benefits of the practice.

Everyone is welcome to share a simple vegetarian meal and tea afterwards. Recommended donation $5-10.

Satsang is a special time for us to come together as a community. In Sanskrit, Sat means truth and Sangha means community. Satsang offers an opportunity to come together to share spiritual teachings. The philosophy of Integral Yoga is explored often through an informal discussion. Although our spiritual paths may diverge, the act of sharing spiritual teachings with others is inspiring and creates a solid foundation for continued practice.

People of all faiths are welcome.

Larry Scherwitz, PhD, C-IAYT is a behavioral medicine scientist with a doctorate in social psychology. He is also a certified Integral Hatha yoga teacher, who first met Swami Ramananda while being trained at IYI in 1989.
As an assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, Larry met fellow yoga practitioner, Dean Ornish, who was a medical student at the time. Based on the suggestion of Dean’s guru, Swami Satchidananda–that heart patients adopt a yogic lifestyle–Dean was then in the process of conducting a pilot study to see if the yogic lifestyle could halt and reverse heart disease. As Dr. Ornish’s Director of Research over the next 18 years, Larry conducted three clinical trials at Dr. Ornish’s Preventive Medicine Research Institute (PMRI) in Sausalito, California, showing that the yoga lifestyle could reverse heart disease as well as related risk factors, such as high cholesterol. Based on the success of these studies, Larry became a Guest Professor at cardiovascular clinics in Germany, where, for two years,
He conducted clinical trials on Ornish Lifestyle Medicine in both Germany and the Netherlands. During this time, he did two keynote presentations in New Delhi, India, about the yoga-based heart disease reversal program.
Larry is the co-author of four books on diet and health, and Co-Founder of the Whole Person Integrative Eating dietary lifestyle–a science-backed program about the power of food to enhance physical, emotional, spiritual, and social well-being (ergo, ‘whole person’ integrative eating). He is married to nutrition researcher Deborah Kesten, MPH, who was the nutritionist on Dean Ornish’s first clinical trial for reversing heart disease.