Deepak Chopra Revealed

Deepak Chopra was recently named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 icons of the twentieth century - "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine" and Entertainment Weekly call him America's spiritual guru.

His mission to "bridge the technological miracles of the West with the wisdom of the East" has earned him a reputation as one of the foremost experts in modern day healing.

A board-certified endocrinologist, executive director of the Sharp Institute for Human Potential and Mind-Body Medicine, founder and educational director of the Chopra Center for Well-Being in La Jolla, California.

To date, the innovative Deepak Chopra is the author of more than 50 books that have have been translated into 35 languages and have sold over 20 million copies worldwide.  His best-sellers include How to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries, Perfect Health, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, The Return of Merlin and The Path to Love. 

Deepak Chopra's Background 

Born and raised in New Delhi in 1947, Chopra secretly dreamed of a career as a novelist but was persuaded by his father, a doctor, to study medicine in India. 

In 1970, he immigrated to the United States with his wife Rita to complete a clinical internship and residency program.  He taught at Tufts University, served as the chief of staff in several hospitals and formed a successful private practice.  During this time, when he worked long hours for little pay, Chopra describes his chain smoking, caffeine filled life as 'crushing.' 

According to Chopra, many of us are taught to believe that we can only achieve success through hard work and relentless drive.  Although we may eventually fulfill our goals, we are often exhausted by the time we do.  Chopra points out that this strive for material success is unnatural. 

Just as a seed evolves naturally into a tree, we should reach our goals with the same grace and ease by applying, what he calls, the 'Seven Spiritual Laws.'

Chopra's Seven Spiritual Laws of Success are designed to make achieving goals easier through seven practical principles: meditation, giving and receiving, bringing happiness to others, taking responsibility, accepting both uncertainty and freedom, becoming aware of your intentions and desires and seeking your higher self by discovering your unique talents.

Learning From The East

In 1985, Chopra's relationship with Western medicine began to shift even more after Chopra read Krishnamurti and met Maharishi Mahesh, who taught him Transcendental Meditation. 

Deeply affected by patients diagnosed with terminal illnesses who seemed relieved to escape the stresses of life, Chopra also noticed that people seemed to be getting ill because of loneliness, alienation, and what he calls 'predatory instincts' - the desire to over-achieve. 

"I tell them that bringing back the feminine softness and nurturing, a contextual approach to relationships and love, will make their lives easier," says Chopra.

Mind-Body Medicine
 
With his main concepts all firmly rooted in the importance of self knowledge, Chopra advocates Ayurvedic healing, Quantum Healing, a healthy diet and meditation

He believes that experiences in the mind correspond with physical and biochemical shifts in the body, and stresses the importance of meditation, exercise, and a proper diet in order to maintain health and prevent disease. 

Getting Balanced with Ayurveda 

Ayurveda, which literally means to know about life, claims that three biological 'doshas,' (humors) control specific bodily functions.  Nerve impulses, respiration, circulation and elimination are controlled by the 'Vata' dosha. Transformation and metabolism are governed by 'Pitta' dosha, while growth and protection are maintained by 'Kapha' dosha. 

Imbalances in the doshas are caused by stress and unhealthy lifestyles, which, according to Chopra, can lead to illness.  In order to remedy the imbalance, Chopra recommends detoxifying through fasting, enemas, massages, dietary changes, and herbal supplements.

Everything Is Connected 

In order to ensure total or holistic health, Chopra developed what he calls Quantum Healing.  The basic premise is that everything is inter-related and all parts of the body are connected.  Thus, Quantum healing involves shifting fields of energy information in the body in order to bring about corrections in the mind that will thereby heal the body. 

In a similar vein, Chopra describes Ayurveda as the recognition that we are part of an intelligent universe in which human bodies and minds are at one with the cosmos.

Essentially, Chopra explains, Ayurvedic awareness involves being in touch with a deeper reality from whence everything emanates.  For example, this awareness of one's interaction with food exists on many levels, including being conscious of the physical act of eating, of the way the food tastes and how it affects the body, of the chef who prepared the food, and even of the farmer who grew the product.  According to Chopra, canned, processed and pre-packaged foods lack energy.
 
"I am obsessed with the idea of helping to unfold the full range of human potential and self-knowledge. I want to make it available to as many people as possible and I want a day to come when the study of self-knowledge becomes an integral part of the educational system," writes Chopra.  "Then perhaps we will see a world of peace, harmony, laughter, and love."

Deepak Chopra Comes To Israel

In the beginning of January Dr. Deepak Chopra will be arriving in Israel for the first time for two events organised by 'The People' and 'Coaching Interactive.' The first event on January 1st is open to the public and will be about the influence of awareness in our lives. The second event on January 2nd will deal with spiritual leadershiop for people in the fields of leadership, management, business and coaching. For more information call 00972 3 733077 or visit http://www.pac.co.il/chopra

To watch a video interview with Dr Deepak Chopra, click here http://www.eolife.org/videos.php