Insured by Yoga
Dr. Dean Ornish and Nischala Joy Devi were among the first yogis to win funding from major health insurance corporations. They designed a yoga system as part of the well-known Dean Ornish program to aid the reversal of heart disease “an illness more prevalent in the U.S. than anywhere in the world. There are four components to reversing heart disease: a vegetarian diet, exercise, group support and stress management [yoga], says Lila Crutchfield at Ornish’s Preventative Medicine Research Institute (PMRI) in Sausalito, California. PMRI prescribes a sixty-minute daily practice that incorporates asana (postures), deep relaxation, visualization, pranayama (breathing), and meditation. Meditation is the crowning jewel and we try to increase it as the patients progress, says Crutchfield. The term stress management is used in lieu of yoga because it’s a less loaded term, she says. PMRI’s attempt to blend in has been successful. HMO’s are normally hesitant about funding alternative therapies, but Mutual of Omaha and Blue Cross / Blue Shield have funded the program, which is now offered at seventeen sites in four states.
PMRI is also studying the effects of this program on patients suffering from prostate cancer and is excited about the results. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect about the current testing is that the patients are all middle-aged men or older, not the typical yoga demographic. After dedicating themselves to PMRI’s form of yoga therapy many have had transcendent experiences and are now looking at life in a new way. Crutchfield attests to hearing patients say, though I don’t wish it on anyone, cancer is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.
Air Yoga
Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, the lead teacher and co-owner of Golden Bridge Yoga Studio in Los Angeles, is nationally recognized by obstetricians for her outstanding pre-natal yoga program. She is another individual who has made a successful corporate-yoga connection. Gurmukh has produced videos and DVDs, written a successful book, and was even featured on Delta Airlines’ In-Flight Entertainment System. While flying at 30,000-feet, passengers could hear in-depth descriptions of the chakras, music, mantra, and practice guided meditations. Yoga’s presence in the skies speaks volumes as to its place in Western collective consciousness and Gurmukh does not see it as fleeting. It is not a trend, she says. This is a time of awakening. Yoga has become a main channel to come to know god and ourselves. Because it’s based on breath, it transcends race, nationality, and religion. Yoga is here to stay.
Commerce and yoga are both vehicles through which tremendous growth and strength can be discovered. Commerce is the virtual plaza where Americans of all backgrounds can meet and create new partnerships. Yoga offers increased awareness and patience. If these two qualities continue to become intertwined, perhaps Corn is correct in asserting that businesses will begin to shift due to yoga’s influence on American society. Gurmukh believes it is up to yogis, advertisers, and consumers to design and support products, services, and ad campaigns that benefit the public and are not exploitative. The attraction of Maya (materialism) is eight times more attractive than spirit, she says. Maya is competitive, but in truth I win only if you win, and my happiness is only because of your happiness. That’s what yoga is all about.
Insured by yoga
Dr. Dean Ornish Retreats feature the world-renowned Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease. Whether you want to manage heart disease or learn how to reduce stress and eat more healthfully, the Ornish Program will give you the tools to take control of your health and manage life on your own terms.
Retreat lectures and seminars provide you with the latest scientific information on a variety of health topics to help you make informed, intelligent choices. In an age of endless, often-conflicting health information, the goal is to separate fact from fiction “to identify what works, and what doesn’t.
Just as important, however, is the opportunity to directly experience the Ornish Program by actively participating in daily yoga classes, exercise activities, and group support sessions while enjoying gourmet, low-fat cuisine.
The Ornish Program
Adopting Ornish Program lifestyle changes allows you to see and feel positive results right away. During and after the retreat, most people report:
¢ Feeling calmer, more energetic and more relaxed
¢ Marked reductions in cholesterol, blood pressure and weight
¢ Decreased chest pain
¢ An improved sense of health and a feeling of well-being
The retreat staff includes physicians, registered nurses, exercise physiologists, registered dietitians, certified stress management specialists, and trained group support facilitators. They are dedicated to providing you with the personalized attention necessary to help you meet your goals. Many of these expert health care professionals have worked with Dr. Ornish for more than a decade.‚ ‚ ‚
2003 RETREAT DATES
May 17-18
Marriott Tysons Corner “Vienna, Virginia
Sept. 13-14
Renaissance Club Sport “Walnut Creek, California
Nov. 17-19
The Houstonian “Houston, Texas
To request more information, visit www.lifestyleadvantage.org
address book
For more information on the following individuals and corporations please contact: Seane Corn, www.seanecorn.com; Gaiam, www.gaiam.com; Kathryn Samaltanos, email cosmicyogini@yahoo.com; Dr. Dean Ornish, PMRI, www.pmri.org, (415) 332-2525; Gurmukh Kaur Khalsa, www.goldenbridgeyoga.com, (323) 936-4172
May/June 2003
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