2008 Pioneer in Integrative Medicine

Acknowledged as one of the world’s greatest leaders in the field of mind-body medicine, Deepak Chopra continues to transform our understanding of the meaning of health.

Deepak Chopra, MD was born in India in 1946 and studied medicine at the All India Institute of Medical Science. He left his home for the United States in 1970 and completed residencies in internal medicine and endocrinology. He went on to teaching posts at major medical institutions while establishing a very successful private practice.

Smoking too many cigarettes and drinking too much coffee in an effort to relieve the stress of his busy life, Chopra decided that he had to make a change. In 1981, while on a trip to India, he met Brihaspati Dev Triguna, an Ayurvedic physician. Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word meaning "science of life" and focuses on balancing the flow of energy in the body. The benefits to his own life sparked his interest in pursuing an Ayurvedic approach to medicine. This and his new found meditation practice provided the basis for a new path in Chopra’s life.

Dr. Chopra realized there was potential in western medicine to include the fundamental principle that perfect health is more than just the absence of disease. He envisioned a medical system based upon the premise that health is a lively state of balance and integration of body, mind and spirit.

Through his creation of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in California in 1996, Dr. Chopra established a formal vehicle for the expansion of his healing approach. His program focuses on using the integration of the best of western medicine with natural healing traditions in both conventional and alternative healing arts. As one of the first integrative medicine programs in the country, the Institute for Health & Healing embodies Dr. Chopra’s work using a medical model that promotes self-awareness and holistic healing modalities within major medical centers.

Dr. Chopra is known as a prolific author of over 49 books with 12 best sellers on mind-body health, quantum mechanics, spirituality, and peace. A global force in the field of human empowerment; his books have been published in more than 35 languages with more than 20 million copies in print. His books include Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine.

Deepak Chopra’s popularity as a dynamic and international presenter is exemplified in an impressive list of honorariums including keynote speaker at the inauguration of the State of the World Forum, hosted by Mikhail Gorbachev. He is the recipient of the Einstein Award, is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, an Adjunct Professor at Kellogg School of Management and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.

The Institute for Health & Healing is honored to acknowledge Dr. Chopra with its 2008 Pioneers in Integrative Medicine award on Sunday, March 2, 2008. For more information, contact Finola FitzClarence at (415) 600-1562.