Dr Schneider, MD, says that Maharishi's perspective on yoga, including the scientific perspective, is viewed as the foundation of the field of yoga, internationally.

Dr Schneider gives plenary talk at conference in India
by Maharishi University of Management, Fairfield, Iowa, USA, The Review
9 Mar 2012

The largest international congress on yoga in contemporary society recently held in Bangalore, India, featured a plenary presentation by Robert Schneider, MD, FACC, dean of the Maharishi College of Perfect Health. He spoke on the Transcendental Meditation technique as the essence of yoga described by Maharishi Patanjali, parallels with modern physics and the research showing the physiological effects and health benefits.

Dr. Schneider was invited to give the presentation by the organizers, who sponsored the trip, because they wanted to include Maharishi's perspective on yoga, including his emphasis on the scientific perspective.

The conference, attended by over 5,000 people, was centered around trying to make the traditional knowledge of yoga practical in contemporary society, and focused on areas such as the scientific study of yoga, its applications in education, and its role in public health.

"There's considerable awareness of our research among this group of people," Dr. Schneider said. "They're proud of the work done by Maharishi University of Management faculty over the years, and they refer to it all the time. They even asked me to greet our pioneering scientists, such as Keith Wallace and Fred Travis. They view the research on Maharishi Yoga—physiological, neurophysiological, and clinical—as being the foundation of the field. And they appreciate that our research program continues to lead the way."

Dr. Schneider explained in his presentation that transcendence or samadhi is the basis of the eight limbs of yoga, and that the Transcendental Meditation technique allows one to experience transcendence. He described the results of the practice and the research that verifies these results.

He was interviewed by a number of TV stations. The Times of India, the country's largest newspaper, printed a major story and interview with Dr. Schneider.

The event provided an opportunity for Dr. Schneider to discuss collaborations with researchers there for a multinational research and demonstration project.

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