July - September 2019 Transformation by American Meditation Institute

Transformation American Meditation Institute

July - September 2019

Bringing Yoga Science to Life

americanmeditation.org

DNA Does Not Have to Be Your Destiny!

A Lecture Preview by Robert Schneider MD from the upcoming:

Heart and Science of Yoga ® Physicians’ Conference October 22-26, 2019 Cranwell Resort and Spa Lenox, MA • 31 CMEs americanmeditation.org/cme See page 8

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

Sacred Journey

Yoga Psychology

Study of the Bhagavad Gita

Living Purposefully and Dying Gracefully

A Manual for Daily Living p. 6

Morning Yoga

A MI MEDITATION

For 50 Plus with

Melanie Gloeckner p. 6

New!

Transformative Learning

For Mind, Body and Spirit With Leonard Perlmutter, AMI Founder 36 Practical Tools to Experience Physical, Mental, Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being

p. 3-5

Guru Purnima

Veena Chandra Sitar Concert

Sacred Fire Ceremony p. 7

Yoga Science LAB Learning How to

Create Experiments

The Foundation Course of Yoga Science

Free Sunday A MI Meditation Every Sunday 9:30-11:00am

p. 7

Physicians’ CME CONFERENCE

p. 6

A MI Summer Retreat July 18-21, 2019 in Averill Park p. 16

October 22-26, 2019 Cranwell Resort & Spa p. 6, 12-13

Introduction to the AMI Classes

The American Meditation Institute is a 501(c)3 non-profit educational organization devoted to providing comprehensive training in Yoga Science. AMI is a modern link to the world’s oldest holistic mind/body medicine, and to the core principles of every spiritual and religious tradition. Yoga is the ancient science that provides proven benefits by facilitating the union of the superconscious mind with the physical, mental and emotional elements of everyday life.

Founded in 1996, AMI combines ancient Eastern wisdom and modern Western science in a practical, empowering curriculum. The Foundation Course of this study is AMI MEDITATION. This transformative learning experience presents the essential principles 2

and tools of Yoga Science. It is designed to empower you to relieve stress and burnout, reduce pain, boost your immune system, heal relationships, enhance your problem solving ability, deepen your spiritual journey, and find inner peace and unbounded happiness and security.

The components of all additional AMI classes, retreats and conferences are developed from themes presented in the AMI MEDITATION Foundation Course. This perennial wisdom gives you a deep understanding of the principles and practices that have renewed and sustained the best of world culture, and provides you the insight and skills necessary to create a healthy counterbalance to some faulty modern assumptions.

A MI MEDITATION The Foundation Course of Yoga Science AMI Classes for July - September 2019

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE –– CHANGE YOUR EXPERIENCE The Heart and Science of Yoga® Empowering Self-Care Program

Yoga Science • AMI Meditation • Breathing • Yoga Psychology • Ayurveda • Easy-Gentle Yoga

Study with a modern link in the world’s oldest health and wisdom tradition

Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev), AMI Founder

Five to six thousand years ago, certain women and men embarked on a journey of selfinquiry, self-discovery and self-care through self-direction. By experimenting with scientific meditation techniques, they learned how to establish a state of yoga (unity and balance) in mind, body and spirit. By their endeavors, these ancient explorers discovered the secret of happiness, health and security which ultimately evolved to become Yoga Science. Today, that ancient lineage of wisdom is represented by the practices and principles taught in this foundation course.

A MI MEDITATION’s Transformative Learning

What do you see? Two faces in silhouette, or a wine goblet? Both are there, but you can only see one at a time. Most people see only one image unless they’re prompted to look again. The AMI MEDITATION course will enable you to see yourself and your world from a fresh perspective and with a higher purpose in mind. With this new, clearer vision you can begin to reliably access and employ your own inner wisdom from the superconscious mind. As your practice deepens, you’ll soon find yourself becoming more insightful, self-reliant and self-confident to make decisions that creatively resolve challenging situations and relationships.

Purposes of A MI MEDITATION Curriculum

The AMI MEDITATION course will not only teach you how to limit and eliminate stress. It will help you create your own personal philosophy of life, and provide you the practical tools to make conscious, discriminating choices that will positively affect all your personal and professional relationships. The additional purposes of this course include: Strengthening your physical and psychological health Managing, reducing and transforming the energy of stress Honoring emotional and spiritual needs Fostering and sustaining relationships This curriculum is endorsed by medical pioneers

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD, Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD 3

A MI MEDITATION: Case Study Results AMI Classes for July - September 2019

In 2008, AMI conducted a retrospective case study of participants who completed Leonard Perlmutter’s AMI MEDITATION Heart and Science of Yoga ® Self-Care Program. The findings included these positive, reproducible, long-term health-promoting changes:

• Significant reductions in stress and fear • Decreased anxiety and depression • Lowered blood pressure • Lowered heart rate • Improved restorative sleep

• Improved energy levels • Increased creative capacity • Diminishment of migraine headaches • Heals irritable bowel syndrome • Enhanced happiness and optimism

• Reduced cholesterol levels • Diminished or extinguished acute and chronic pain • Weight loss • Increased breathing capacity

Your Personal Yoga Science Tool Bag

The AMI MEDITATION course will provide you with a set of 36 essential survival tools. When you choose and employ the right tool in the situations you face, you’ll be able to transform the energy of stress into positive energy, will power and AMI creativity. The tools you receive will enable you to know the Yoga Science Tool Bag Truth of who you are, and with that profound knowledge, you’ll increasingly be able to make the best choices for reducing stress and enhancing your total well-being. By employing the tools learned in this course, you will be able to fulfill all your personal and professional commitments more effectively and rewardingly.

Curriculum Overview: A MI MEDITATION The curriculum for AMI MEDITATION is based on the award-winning book, The Heart and Science of Yoga® by Leonard Perlmutter

Seated AMI Meditation • Mantra Science Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga Lymph System Detox • Nutrition • Ayurvedic Medicine

YOGA SCIENCE––WEEK 1 How to use the mind for the best choices How to create new, healthier habits Understanding pain as an agent for healing Increasing energy, will power & creativity Antidotes for worry, stress and depression AMI MEDITATION––WEEK 2 Systematic procedure for AMI Meditation Diminishing distractions with mantra science Learning the one-minute meditation Building focus, fearlessness, and strength BREATHING TECHNIQUES––WEEK 3 Breath as Medicine How breathing irregularities foster dis-ease Complete (three-part) yogic breath

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY & AYURVEDA––WEEK 4 How the mind supports optimal health The power of the present moment Building and healing relationships Introduction to Ayurveda EASY-GENTLE YOGA EXERCISES––WEEK 5 Yoga stretches to benefit: muscles, joints, glands and internal organs Physiological benefits of yoga postures MIND /BODY CARE PLAN––WEEK 6 The healing power of prayer The practical benefits of contemplation Creating a therapeutic care plan for yourself Learning to budget your time Integrating spiritual beliefs into daily life

Leonard Perlmutter AMI Founder

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

The AMI MEDITATION Foundation Course was developed and is taught by Leonard Perlmutter. Leonard is a noted educator, philosopher, Yoga scientist and founder of The American Meditation Institute. He is the author of The Heart and Science of Yoga® and the mind/body medicine journal, Transformation. He has studied in Rishikesh, India and is a direct disciple of Swami Rama of the Himalayas––the man who, in laboratory conditions at the Menninger Institute, demonstrated that blood pressure, heart rate and the autonomic nervous system can be voluntarily controlled. Leonard’s lectures are enlivened by his inspiring enthusiasm, vast experience, humor and clear teaching style. He has taught at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, The New York Times Yoga Forum, Kaiser-Permanente and the U. S. Military Academy at West Point.

Inner Wisdom

Superconscious Mind

YOGA SCIENCE UNION

Outer Action

Thoughts Words Deeds

At the first class you will learn to create and employ your own “Bridge of Yoga.” Then, as your outer actions (thoughts, words and deeds) are based on your inner wisdom (conscience), you’ll always be led for your highest and greatest good. And there will be no cause for worry.

A MI MEDITATION Class Schedule and Accreditation

Medical Accreditation PHYSICIAN ACCREDITATION (15 CMEs)

americanmeditation.org/physician-cme This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education through the joint providership of Albany Medical College and The American Meditation Institute. Albany Medical College is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Albany Medical College designates this Live activity for a maximum of 15 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits TM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

NURSING CONTINUING EDUCATION (15 contact hours) americanmeditation.org/nursing-continuing-education This continuing nursing education activity was approved by the American Nurses Association Massachusetts (ANA MASS), an accredited approver by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

UPCOMING CLASSES TUESDAY EVENINGS:

American Meditation Institute 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY

Jul 23-Aug 27, Sep 3-Oct 15 WEDNESDAY EVENINGS:

Except Oct 8

Ellis Medical Center second floor 103 Sitterly Road, Clifton Park, NY

Jul 24-Aug 28, Sep 4-Oct 16 Except Oct 9

6:30-9:00pm, $595.

(6 WKS)

Physicians $895; PAs, NPs: $795; RNs: $695

Required Texts: The Heart and Science of Yoga ® The Art of Joyful Living

Registration Includes: Lifelong support, a 20-minute CD & digital Guided Meditation, a copy of The Physiology of EasyGentle Yoga, and a complementary subscription to AMI’s quarterly publication, Transformation, the journal of meditation as mind/body medicine.

HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE

Call us to discuss how your Health Insurance plan might cover this program.

STILL NOT SURE? Call Leonard for a free personal consultation at (518) 674-8714. 5

americanmeditation.org • Tel. (518) 674-8714

2019 PHYSICIANS’ 31 CME CONFERENCE

Breath Exercises from AMI’s 2018 Conference

Explore the natural beauty of autumn in the Berkshires. Enjoy scenic views & breathtaking foliage. Reinvigorate yourself with luxurious spa treatments and other amenities. Learn how to rediscover your love of medicine and life from a renowned faculty. Cranwell Resort & Spa, Lenox, MA

OCTOBER 22-26, 2019 For Details: (518) 674-8714

americanmeditation.org/cme Delicious Gourmet Plant-Based Vegetarian Cuisine

Meditation • Mantra Science • Chakras Diaphragmatic Breathing • Neuroplasticity Yoga Psychology • Ayurvedic Medicine Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga Lymph System Detox • Yoga Nidra • Nutrition

Practices to Relieve Physician Burnout The AMI Core Curriculum is also endorsed by:

Dr. Oz (Mehmet Oz MD), Dean Ornish MD Bernie Siegel MD, Larry Dossey MD

Directions to A MI • 60 Garner Road

I-90 Exit #8 (Rt. 43 E). Take Rt. 43 for 4 1/2 miles. In W. Sand Lake, turn right at light onto Rt. 150. Go 1 mile on Rt. 150. Turn left turn on Cnty Rd #52/Sheer Rd (at stone wall). Go 1 mile on Sheer Rd and bear left at fork onto Garner Rd. AMI is the 3rd house on the right.

Ne w ! YOGA SCIENCE LAB

How to Practice Meditation-in-Action

Valerie Chakedis, Bob Iwaniec DC, Doreen Howe Mary Holloway MT and André Tremblay

Prerequisite: Completion of AMI Meditation

LEVEL II: In this new, interactive workshop you’ll take all the tools and knowledge you learned in the AMI Meditation course and put them into practice by conducting your own “Meditation-In-Action” experiments. Using a game board to facilitate learning, you’ll discover how easy, rewarding and fun this process can be. This is a supportive environment where you’ll receive continual, positive feedback from group leaders and participants. As you experiment with the Truth of the conscience (buddhi), you’ll develop decisionmaking skills that will enhance your confidence in all relationships. The course provides a Yoga Science notebook, handouts and practical insights for daily living.

THURSDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $125. (2 WKS) SEP 12 AND 19

YOGA PSYCHOLOGY BHAGAVAD GITA STUDY

*LEVEL II: This course presents the profound Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness Perlmutter

Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning)

teachings of the Bhagavad Gita as a handbook on the science of life and the art of living. If you are seeking a manual or guide for the supreme task of living in the world today, this class is invaluable.

MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, $150. (6 WKS) AUG 12 - SEP 16; SEP 23 - NOV 4 EXCEPT OCT 21

MORNING YOGA FOR FIFTY PLUS Melanie (Uma) Gloeckner RYT

Level I: Yoga for healthy aging focuses on developing increased flexibility and strength, improved balance, endurance and breath, reduced stress, relaxation and greater energy. WED. MORNINGS, 9:45-11:15AM ($40-$50/MONTH) JUL––SEP No experience necessary. Drop-Ins $15.

GURU PURNIMA

The Village Blacksmith

Tuesday, July 16th, 7:30-10pm

Under a spreading chestnut-tree The village smithy stands; The smith, a mighty man is he, With large and sinewy hands; And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands.

AMI Classes for July - September 2019

Full Moon Fire Ceremony & Sitar Concert

FREE: Veena Chandra Sitar Concert Love Donations Accepted

Please join us for Guru Purnima, the auspicious full moon celebration when students visit their teachers and rejoice in the wisdom and blessings they have received through the practice of Yoga Science. The public is invited for this FREE event. RSVP required.

SACRED JOURNEY

Living Purposefully and Dying Gracefully

Leonard and Jenness Perlmutter

*Available by CDL (Computer Distance Learning)

Level II: To understand the purpose of life, we must try to understand the relationship between life and death. The two are partners––each providing a context for the other. Death is not the end, but merely a pause in an ongoing journey. When both birth and death are understood and accepted as parts of the human journey, the fear of death subsides and life can be lived more fully and joyfully. Based on the ancient Katha Upanishad, this course reveals how to organize your life in a way that leads to expansion and growth. Every student with a body is encouraged to attend.

Required text: Sacred Journey, by Swami Rama

MONDAY NIGHTS, 6:30 - 8:30PM, $150. (6 WKS) JUL 1 - AUG 5

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

His hair is crisp, and black, and long, His face is like the tan; His brow is wet with honest sweat, He earns whate'er he can, And looks the whole world in the face, For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night, You can hear his bellows blow; You can hear him swing his heavy sledge, With measured beat and slow, Like a sexton ringing the village bell, When the evening sun is low. And children coming home from school Look in at the open door; They love to see the flaming forge, And hear the bellows roar, And catch the burning sparks that fly Like chaff from a threshing-floor. He goes on Sunday to the church, And sits among his boys; He hears the parson pray and preach, He hears his daughter's voice, Singing in the village choir, And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds to him like her mother's voice, Singing in Paradise! He needs must think of her once more, How in the grave she lies; And with his hard, rough hand he wipes A tear out of his eyes. Toiling,––rejoicing,––sorrowing, Onward through life he goes; Each morning sees some task begin, Each evening sees it close Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose.

Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought.

DNA Does Not Have to Be Your Destiny! by Robert Schneider, MD

Robert Schneider MD is a leader in mind/body medicine and integrative medicine, and the author of “Total Heart Health.” Dr. Schneider serves as Dean of the College of Integrative Medicine and Director of the Institute for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University. In his upcoming lecture on “Epigenetics, Meditation and Lifestyle Choices,” Dr. Schneider will join the AMI faculty at the 11th annual Heart and Science of Yoga ® conference October 22-26, 2019, at the Cranwell Resort and Spa in Lenox, MA.

The cutting edge of modern medicine is coming to the place where mind meets body; where mind meets DNA; where we have control over DNA; where we can modify effects of our genes from the inside out. And this development of modern medicine much parallels the science of meditation and its description and technologies for developing the mind/body connection. The latest research in modern medical sciences says your DNA is not your destiny. The old paradigm––that your genetic code was fixed, has been superseded. New scientific discoveries show that your lifestyle choices–– what you think, and how you use and develop your consciousness, can change your genes. Examine the paradigm of modern medical science and you will see the representation of physiology from the surface level of organs, systems, tissues, cells, proteins, and, on the finest level of human physiology, there is one molecule: the DNA molecule that contains all of the intelligence that governs your whole physiology throughout your entire life span, as well as much of your behavior and personality. According to Dr. John Hagelin and leading quantum physicists, DNA is governed by the laws of biochemistry, chemistry, physics, and ultimately, at the most subtle level: the least excited state of physiology, which can be identified as the unified field of all the laws of nature. Modern medicine has progressively followed this pathway, probing from the surface 8

Robert Schneider, MD FACC

to the subtle over the past several decades. Surgery operates on the more physical, mechanical level of changing your body parts, by sewing them up, for example. And that’s important in some cases. Pharmacologic medicine works on the cellular level of receptors and molecules, changing those cellular components. Molecular medicine works at an even deeper level attempting to manipulate on the protein level. Genomic medicine attempts to understand the code contained within the DNA––the information that governs your life and life span––and attempts to engineer on that level to change one’s DNA, to reverse disease and promote ideal health. Quantum medicine works on the most fundamental level of the quantum mechanical laws of nature. The quantum field theory identifies a unified field of all the laws of nature, which some physicists call The Theory of Everything. Now let’s look at the science of meditation using the example of Transcendental Meditation. In this practice of meditation, individuals begin at an active level of thinking. As the meditation continues, they experience quieter, more refined levels of thinking. According to mind/body medicine, each of these states of excitation of the mind (or consciousness) corresponds to a state of excitation of physiology––until a person transcends their everyday active thinking process and experiences a least excited state of mind and body. If our mind and bodies are truly connected, when we enliven each of these

levels and transcend active thinking, thereby creating orderliness and settledness on that deepest mental level, we should also create orderliness and coherence in each of the corresponding states of physiology. From this model we should be able to balance our DNA––if this connection is true, and if this form of meditation technology is effective. So, let’s look at the evidence. We’ll start with the basics, and then move forward. The core paradigm of modern medicine is called the “central dogma” of molecular biology. It’s not religious. It’s scientific. The central dogma of molecular medicine is that DNA contains all the information in your physiology, and that the information contained in the DNA is transcribed to RNA. Little RNA molecules then leave the cell nucleus––traveling to the outer portions of the cell while carrying DNA information to the parts of the cell called ribosomes. That process then creates proteins which, in turn, go out to the rest of the body to create the building blocks of human physiology. So, DNA to RNA to proteins is the central thesis or central dogma of modern genomic medicine. When you examine a depiction of DNA, you’ll discover that your DNA resembles a double helix. A helix is an object having a three-dimensional shape like that of a wire wound uniformly in a single layer around a cylinder or cone. A helix takes the shape of a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It’s wound around itself and has some proteins in the middle. This protein/DNA complex is known as a chromosome. Then the portions of the DNA which carry information for different parts of the body are called a gene. These are your genes that code for the different parts of your body and physiological behavior. That description is all part of what is now becoming the old paradigm. The new paradigm, as has been discovered in just the last several years, indicates that there are control mechanisms on the DNA. The protein in the center of the DNA (called histone protein) and a methyl molecule on the outside can actually regulate the DNA. This regulation can both open up the DNA spiral or helix to express itself into RNA and proteins in the body, or these regulatory proteins can close up the DNA causing it to coil back on itself to inhibit the expression of certain

information. The information is there of course, but it can either open up and express itself, or close down and not express itself. This is the new science of epigenetics–– that means the next advancement of science of genetics, showing these regulatory mechanisms. Now what triggers these regulatory mechanisms? It’s been found that the entire process of development: in utero development, the amount of love we experience throughout our lives, the drugs and chemicals we are exposed to, our food and diet, the aging process, our behavior and our thoughts all have chemical effects that cause these regulatory proteins (epigenetic factors) to change in order to open up or close down the DNA. These are ways that the DNA expression can be modified after birth––in everyday life through our daily experiences and choices. And it’s been found that many diseases are caused by or contributed to by these epigenetic mechanisms. Heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and the chronic disorders of aging have all been related to these epigenetic mechanisms that are affected by our thoughts and lifestyle. In a study undertaken in California and published in the major medical journal, Lancet Oncology, subjects with prostate cancer were taught to adopt radical lifestyle changes in their diet and exercise. As a result of these changes in lifestyle, some of the genes were opened up or up-regulated, and other genes were down-regulated or closed down. This was just about the first time it was shown that healthy behavior can affect these epigenetic mechanisms and change our gene or DNA expression. If you’d examine an electron micrograph of your genes, you’d be able to see the chromosomes that are formed by the long, double helix strand of DNA which wraps itself around proteins. The ends of those chromosomes are called telomeres. They’re like the end-caps of your shoelaces. In a similar way, the telomeres form an end-cap on the DNA to protect those ends from getting frayed. In that way they protect the whole DNA molecule from destruction and disrepair. In fact, it’s been found that these telomeres are vital to maintaining health and integrity of the DNA and your entire body. 9

However, these telomeres degrade with age. They actually get shorter, giving less protection to your DNA, and eventually, the DNA suffers disrepair and malfunctions. That process is what brings about the chronic diseases and disorders associated with aging. There is one more very important molecule that needs introduction. There’s an enzyme that takes care of the telomere so it can take care of the DNA. That enzyme, known as telomerase, has been related to aging and chronic disorders because it repairs and maintains the telomere which, in turn, maintains the integrity of the DNA. Our colleagues at Howard University Medical Center and our Center for Natural Medicine and Prevention at Maharishi University of Management Research Institute, with funding from the National Institutes of Health, studied this molecule telomerase. This was the subject of the PhD thesis of Dr. Shanti Lakshman. In this study, 45 individuals were randomly assigned to either practice meditation, in this case the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique, or they attended health education classes to learn about the value of lifestyle changes. Because all these subjects had high blood pressure, this study was an attempt to treat their high blood pressure condition without drugs. The team measured their gene expression for telomerase before and after 16 weeks. At the end of the study the lifestyle modification group had increases in their telomerase gene expression. This replicated what was already found in the literature: that telomerase can be affected by intensive lifestyle changes. But the real news showed that the TM practicing group who were rested for 20 minutes twice a day experiencing the state of least excitation of consciousness (not making major changes in their diet, exercise patterns or lifestyle) showed major changes in their telomerase gene expression after 16 weeks. The conclusion was that the meditating group used their minds over their DNA to increase their telomerase. It is generally accepted that this change in the DNA has a lot to do with heart disease. We also conducted a large study with National Institutes of Health funding in heart disease patients practicing meditation compared to controls. It took 10 years and about 5 million 10

dollars to conduct this study, and what it showed was that people who meditated with the TM technique and who had heart disease had significantly lower levels of death, heart attack and stroke after an average of five years meditating, compared to controls. This was published in a major American Heart Association Journal. The Wall Street Journal did a story on this study and their headline read, “Doctor’s Orders: 20 Minutes of Meditation Twice a Day.” The actual data showed that the event rates of death, heart attack and stroke in the mantra-based meditation control group were actually reduced by 48 percent. These findings reflect a relationship between the subtle levels of physiology and the gross levels of physiology––consciousness correlating with changes in the DNA, correlating with changes in the organ systems, as well as cardiovascular health and longevity. In summary, the old paradigm was the primacy of DNA. You had the DNA going to RNA, and the RNA in turn, going to proteins. They are fixed. Cell biologist Bruce Lipton states the new paradigm: our environment, our behavior and our consciousness can affect DNA regulatory proteins or epigenetic mechanisms, and they in turn cause the DNA to express or not express––changing the RNA and the protein. In effect we can change the effects of our DNA. Scientific research shows that psychological stress can reduce telomerase and changes in telomere length. So, the negative side of our everyday thoughts has been very well shown, but the technologies on the positive side of thoughts have not yet been well shown. The most powerful technology that I have found is transcending meditation for operating at the deepest, most powerful level of thought. When you look at the positive side of stewarding the energy of thoughts, this is the most effective method for making holistic changes in mind/body health. Time magazine proclaimed that we all have the “God gene”. That means we all have the potential to unlock the full intelligence within us––but it’s our choices in lifestyle, behavior and technologies of consciousness that can change our DNA and create more ideal health and longevity. This is our conscious future.

YOGA SCIENCE NEWS Physician Burnout Costs $4.6 Billion Annually That’s $7,600 Per Physician Per Year Physician burnout is costing the U.S. health care system a lot—roughly $4.6 billion a year, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Study co-author Lotte Dyrbye MD at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota states, “Everybody who goes into medicine knows that it’s a stressful career with a lot of hard work and, even though we want to deliver good quality care, our systems get in the way.” Tracking the World Health Organization’s newly-updated definition, the study defines burnout as substantial symptoms of “emotional exhaustion, feelings of cynicism and a low sense of personal accomplishment.” To put a pricetag on burnout, the study authors utilized data from recent research, including direct or inferred findings on doctors cutting back hours or quitting as a result of burnout. They ran a mathematical model to estimate the costs associated with burnout, focusing on the costs of replacing physicians and lost income from unfilled positions. A previous study, which shares some of the same authors, found that 54% of doctors reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout from the Maslach Burnout Inventory, a validated tool for measurement. Dyrbye says research indicates that doctors find meaning in helping patients, but are taxed by systemic burdens they consider tangential to patient care. “Cumbersome,

inefficient reporting requirements and hectic, irregular schedules cause doctors to feel socially isolated and lacking autonomy. There’s a general sense of loss of meaning [to the work],” she concludes. The study calculated that for health care organizations, the cost of burnout amounts to $7,600 per physician per year. The study notes that their cost estimate is conservative, only taking into account lost work hours and physician turnover. But other research shows burned out doctors are also more likely to make medical mistakes, have less satisfied patients, and get sued for malpractice––all of which have indirect costs. A separate editorial addendum to the study by Edward Ellison MD, executive medical director of Southern California Permanente Medical Group, states that burnout is associated with “anxiety, depression, insomnia, emotional and physical exhaustion, and loss of cognitive focus.” But most concerning for Ellison is that the physician suicide rate is much higher than the general public rate, and even exceeds that of combat veterans. “We cannot underestimate the urgency, severity, and tragedy of the human cost,” he writes. The bottom line, Dyrbye says: addressing burnout is not just a moral responsibility, it could also be dramatically cost effective. 11

Rediscover Rediscover your your Love Love of of Medicine Medicine & & Life! Life! Comprehensive Training in Yoga Science as

Holistic Mind/Body Medicine Comprehensive Training in

Yoga Science as Holistic Mind/Body Medicine 11th Annual Conference for Physicians • PAs • NPs • RNs

31 CMEs

11th Annual Conference for Physicians • PAs • NPs • RNs

The Heart and Science of Yoga

Immerse yourself in the beauty of autumn in the Berkshires and reinvigorate yourself with luxurious spa treatments––while learning 36 proven Yoga Science tools to relieve burnout, enhance creativity, and find fulfillment in today’s medical culture and at home. ®

31 CMEs

AMI MEDITATION • Mantra Science • Diaphragmatic Breathing • Yoga Psychology • Mind Function Optimization • Easy-Gentle Yoga Lymph System Detox • Chakra System • Yoga Nidra • Ayurveda • Food as Medicine • Epigenetics • Resilience • Neuroplasticity Yogic Mind/Body Research • Positional Therapy

OCTOBER 22-26, 2019 Albany Medical College

Brining Yoga Science to Life

5 1/2

Hour Online Video Course & Book

FREE !

Lenox, Massachusetts

The only 4-Diamond Resort in the Berkshires

Space is LIMITED

Please Register EARLY!

Supportive Environment • Renowned Faculty • Clinically Proven Curriculum REGISTER ONLINE:

americanmeditation.org/cme • Tel. (518) 674-8714

Curriculum Endorsed by: Mehmet Oz MD, Dean Ornish MD, Larry Dossey MD and Bernie Siegel MD

CONFERENCE AGENDA: 31 CMEs

The ONLY Comprehensive and Integrated CME Curriculum of Yoga Science Monday, Oct 21 6:00pm-7:30pm Tuesday, Oct 22 7:30am-9:00am 7:30am-9:00am 9:30am-9:45am 9:45am-10:30am 10:30am-10:45am 10:45am-11:45am 12:00pm-1:00pm 1:30pm-2:30pm 2:45pm-4:45pm 4:45pm-5:30pm 5:30pm-6:30pm

Early registration Olmsted Business Oﬃce Registration Olmsted Business Oﬃce BREAKFAST – Music Room, Mansion Welcome and Introductions, Ballroom, Mary Holloway Overview: Yoga Science, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK/Yoga Stretches Changing Your Perspective, Leonard Perlmutter LUNCH – Music Room, Mansion Meditation-in-Action, Leonard Perlmutter Easy-Gentle Yoga I and II, Leonard Perlmutter FREE TIME DINNER – Music Room, Mansion

Wednesday, Oct 23

7:30am-8:30am 9:00am-10:00am 10:00am-10:30am 10:30am-11:30am 11:45am-12:30pm 12:30pm-1:30pm 2:00pm-2:15pm 2:15pm-3:45pm 3:45pm-4:00pm 4:00pm-4:30pm 4:30pm-5:30pm 5:30pm-6:30pm

BREAKFAST – Music Room, Mansion Introduction to AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK/Easy-Gentle Yoga I Exercises Guided AMI MEDITATION Practice, Leonard Perlmutter Food as Medicine, Susan Lord MD LUNCH – Music Room, Mansion Guided AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter Diaphragmatic Breathing Practices, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK Nadi Shodhana & AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter Yoga: Mind/Body Research, Sat Bir S. Khalsa PhD DINNER – Music Room, Mansion

Thursday, Oct 24

7:30am-8:30am 9:00am-9:30am 9:30am-10:30am 10:30am-11:00am 11:00am-12:00pm 12:00pm-1:00pm

BREAKFAST – Music Room, Mansion Nadi Shodhana & AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter Yoga Nidra, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK/Easy-Gentle Yoga II Culture Trumps Everything, Gustavo Grodnitzky PhD LUNCH – Music Room, Mansion

1:30pm-1:45pm 1:45pm-3:15pm 3:15pm-3:30pm 3:30pm-4:30pm 4:30pm-6:00pm 6:00pm-7:00pm 7:00pm-9:30pm Friday, Oct 25 7:30am-8:30am 9:00am-9:30am 9:30am-10:30am 10:30am-10:45am 10:45am-11:30am 11:30am-12:30pm 12:30pm-1:30pm 2:00pm-2:15pm 2:15pm-3:45pm. 3:45pm-4:15pm 4:15pm-5:30pm 5:45pm-6:45pm 5:45pm-7:15pm

Guided Breath Meditation, Leonard Perlmutter Yoga Psychology, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK/Easy-Gentle Yoga I Reimagining Medicine: R. Goodemote MD, J. Zamer MD; J. Ritvo MD, T. Santilli MD; A. Burock MD, J. Pardo MD, K. Kaelber MD FREE TIME DINNER – Music Room, Mansion Peaceful Warrior Movie and Discussion BREAKFAST – Music Room, Mansion Nadi Shodhana & AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter Ayurveda: The Science of Life, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK/Easy-Gentle Yoga I Relieving Physician Burnout, Tony Santilli MD Meditation-in-Actionpanel: R. Goodemote MD, A. Burock MD, G. GrodnitzkyPhD, T. Santilli MD, K. Kaelber MD, L. Perlmutter LUNCH – Music Room, Mansion Guided Breath Meditation, Leonard Perlmutter Epigenetics/Meditation/Choices, Robert Schneider MD BREAK/Easy-Gentle Yoga II Chakra Psychology, Leonard & Jenness Perlmutter DINNER – Music Room, Mansion ALUMNI DINNER – Birchwood Room, Mansion

Saturday, Oct 26

7:30am-8:30am 9:00am-9:30am 9:30am-11:00am 11:00am-11:30am 11:30am-1:00pm 1:00pm-1:30pm 1:30pm

BREAKFAST – Music Room, Mansion Nadi Shodhana & AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter Contemplation, Repentance & Prayer, Leonard Perlmutter BREAK/Closing Paperwork/Hotel Checkout Yoga for Pain Relief, Lee Albert NMT Nadi Shodhana & AMI MEDITATION, Leonard Perlmutter BOX LUNCHES TO GO

SPECIAL ALUMNI DINNER (for returning attendees)

On Friday, October 25th from 5:45-7:15pm all students who have previously attended this conference will be hosted by Renee Goodemote and Tony Santilli, Co-Chairs of AMI’s Dept. of Medical Education. The group will discuss integrating the AMI curriculum into your medical practice and homelife.

ATTENDEE TESTIMONIALS

1. “This course was life changing. The knowledge, expertise and compassion of the faculty introduced to me a practice and philosophy fundamentally different from the way allopathic medicine views the mind and body.” Steven Lee MD, Psychiatrist, NYC

2. “Life changing! Everyone in every facet of life should experience this. I’m so grateful to AMI and everyone involved for bringing truth to doctors with love and compassion. This is a light the world needs to see.” Pamela Shervanick MD, Psychiatrist, RI

Rejuvenate Learn Network Share Grow

3. “This was the best CME course I ever attended. It gave me a strong foundation to help patients mindfully improve their lives. I learned powerful and practical skills to use for my greater good.” Vi Quach MD, Internal Medicine, NYC

4. “This conference was beyond all my expectations. I can’t thank you enough.”

6. “It has been transformational, inspiring and self-empowering. I highly recommend this conference for every practitioner.” Keyvan Hariri MD, Family Medicine, CA

7. “It’s transformed my life, and I return annually because it’s so restorative. The discussions with peers were inspiring. I recommend the retreat for everyone.”

Jane Harris DO, MI

Kristin Kaelber MD, Internal Medicine, OH

5. “This comprehensive course should be part of all medical (and life) training. Now I have the tools to help make real change.”

8. “Amazing conference! Life altering. The flow of the lectures built on each other and everything was pulled together beautifully.”

Willa Delliere MD, Family Medicine, NY

Colleen Opremcak MD, Psychiatrist, OH

Some of the 2018 conference attendees

Stillness: The Supreme Physician By Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)

This will probably sound like a silly question, but after driving home from a busy day at work, do you leave the car running all night? Of course not. You turn off the ignition. Otherwise, you’d waste gasoline, incur unnecessary wear and tear on moving parts, and probably shorten the life-span of your automobile. It just makes good, common sense not to let the car run when you don’t have somewhere to go. Now here’s a second question. If the answer to the first question was so easy to figure out, why do you let your mind run day and night without offering it some rest? Just about everyone complains about the stresses of modern life that drain us of the time and energy for the small pleasures we’d really like to enjoy. Sometimes things get so difficult that many of us feel that our lives have been hijacked! So how do we respond? We further complicate things by trying to squeeze even more into our lives—external experiences the ego or senses swear will be pleasant. But even if these experiences turn out to be enjoyable, they’re powerless to alter the basic controlling software of the mind that enslaves us to endless desire and stress. Yoga Science, however, offers us an alternative to the habitual ways we live our lives––if we can simply learn to enjoy the therapeutic power of stillness. Yoga Science teaches us that the mind moves first and the body follows. We can’t even lift our hand without first entertaining a thought. The external movements of the body are consequences of what has already happened in the mind. But when the mind is racing at one hundred miles an hour in the passing lane of life, we simply don’t have the option of making conscious choices. Instead, most of our actions are based on our deepest habit patterns (samskaras) rather than the discriminative power of the mind’s conscience (buddhi). This continuous and unexamined stream of habitual thought and activity results in depression, pain and burnout. Just as the mind sends messages to the body, the body also sends messages to the 14

mind––messages that we readily identify with. “A migraine exists in the head,” the body complains. “A pain in the lower back is increasing. The breath is short and difficult. The heart is racing.” When the already beleaguered mind receives an onslaught of such messages, it becomes even more agitated and unfocused as it attempts to integrate the data and ease the problems. The mind cannot remain calm under such pressure. As a result, the body–– sooner or later––will reflect yet another level of dis-ease. In order to experience the pleasures and benefits that a still mind brings, you must first calm the constant babble of the body. “Be still,” the Psalms advise, “and know that I am God.” This process begins when you learn the art of sitting for meditation in a quiet place, every day at the same time. Arrange your body so it’s comfortable and stable, with your head, neck and trunk in straight alignment. Establish the finger and root locks, and then with your full determination (sankalpa), pledge to yourself that no matter what thought, image or sound appears in your awareness, the body will remain still, the mind will be calm, and you will give your full and complete attention to the mantra. “I want to do it. I can do it. I have to do it. I am going to do it––no matter what!” Once you establish a steady and comfortable posture, distractions of the body subside, and you’ll be able to develop a serene breath. A composed, diaphragmatic breath calms the mind and focuses creative energy. Then, as you sit regularly in meditation with complete concentration on the mantra, a quiet joy arises from the stillness. This transcendent bliss or fullness is known as ananda––an integral characteristic of the Supreme Reality within each of us. As you abide regularly in the joy of that stillness, a powerful purification and healing spontaneously take place in both the mind and body. In stillness, physical, mental and emotional dis-ease begins to melt away. But the therapeutic quality of stillness is not associated only with seated meditation

and the absence of movement. It can also be experienced while performing our duties and responsibilities in the world. The calmness, balance and focus of meditation-in-action allow us to make conscious, discriminating and mindful choices instead of being misled by the allure of ego or sense gratifications that conflict with our Inner Wisdom. Real peace of mind and health of body come when we acquire the capacity to live free from the conditioned responses of our fears, anger and selfish desires. Without a sound philosophy of life, the leadership of our mantra, and first-hand experience of the profound benefits and joy of stillness, our consciousness will continue to flow along the deepest grooves in our unconscious mind. This means that we will continue to think, speak and act according to old habits, day after day. We will scurry about in search of pleasant and comfortable objects and relationships we mistakingly believe will make us happy, and we may exhaust ourselves chasing rainbows, never attaining what we seek. In contrast, meditation is a journey without movement that yields the highest blessings. In Sanskrit, the joy of stillness is referred to as shanti. The Bible calls it “the peace that passes all understanding.” This shanti is exactly what Christians call Christ-consciousness, Jews call the land of milk and honey, Hindus refer to as Brahman, Muslims refer to as The Beloved and Buddhists call Nirvana. It doesn’t matter what name is used to identify the bliss-filled, transcendent nature of stillness. The only question for each of us is, “How can we experience it?” As long as we avoid stillness in our lives, we are keeping ourselves apart from this great blessing. Now, let’s face it, most of our thoughts are not that useful. Worry, resentment, jealousy, mindlessly dwelling in the past or future, never lead us for our highest good. So, why not employ practical Western know-how by exhibiting the same respect for our body and mind as we extend to our automobile? Just like turning off the car when we get home, stillness makes good, common sense. Stillness conserves our energy, enhances our creativity, heals the body and ultimately brings us what we are all searching for: unbounded Life, Liberty and Happiness.

CALENDAR

FREE: SUNDAY GUIDED MEDITATION & SATSANG

Sundays 9:30-11:00 AM with Leonard (Ram Lev) and Jenness

JULY 2019

JUL 1- AUG 5: SACRED JOURNEY see p.7 Mon. Nights, 6:30-8:30 PM (6 weeks)

Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:15 AM (5 weeks)

JUL 3- JUL 31: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+

see p. 6

Tues. Night, 7:30 - 10:00 PM

JUL 16: GURU PURNIMA FIRE CEREMONY & CONCERT Thurs.-Sun. see p. 16

JUL 18-21: SUMMER RETREAT JUL 23- AUG 27: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5

Tues. Nights, 6:30-9:00 PM (6 wk) Home Center, Averill Park JUL 24- AUG 28: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5 NEW! Wed. Nights, 6:30-9:00 PM (6 wk) Ellis Medicine, Clifton Park

AUGUST 2019

Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:15 AM (5 weeks)

AUG 7- AUG 28: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+

see p. 6

AUG 12- SEP 16: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.6 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)

SEPTEMBER 2019

SEP 3- OCT 15: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5

Tues. Nights, 6:30-9:00 PM (6 wk) Home Center, Averill Park SEP 4- OCT 16: AMI MEDITATION see p. 3-5 NEW! Wed. Nights, 6:30-9:00 PM (6 wk) Ellis Medicine, Clifton Park Wed. Mornings, 9:45 - 11:15 AM (4 weeks)

SEP 4 - SEP 25: MORNING YOGA FOR 50+

see p. 6

Thurs. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (2 weeks)

SEP 12 & 19: YOGA SCIENCE LAB

SEP 23- NOV 4: GITA/YOGA PSYCHOLOGY see p.6 Mon. Nights, 6:30 - 8:30 PM (6 weeks)

GIVING CAMPAIGN ank you for your generosity. 22nd Anniversary

americanmeditation.org/annual-appeal

American Meditation Institute

americanmeditation.org \ Tel. (518) 674-8714 ami@americanmeditation.org AMI is a tax exempt, non-profit 501(c)3 educational organization. Donations are fully tax deductible.

American Meditation Institute Yoga Science for Modern Life

Tel. 518.674.8714 • 60 Garner Road, Averill Park, NY 12018

“Please join me for our 19th annual summer retreat, as I share how you can experience life’s greatest gifts through the personal practice of AMI Meditation.” Leonard Perlmutter (Ram Lev)

AMI’s SUMMER RETREAT • July 18-21 Call (518) 674-8714 to register, or visit us online:

americanmeditation.org/summer-retreat

For the general public, and Physicians • PAs • NPs • RNs 18 CMEs and Contact Hours

americanmeditation.org

American Meditation Institute