Speakers of the Ayurveda Symposium 2016

In 2016, numerous renowned speakers from Europe and India enriched the symposium with a lecture or a panel discussion:

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha (IND)

Secretary to the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha MD (Ayu) is the Secretary of State for AYUSH, Federal Government of India. Previously, he was the Vice Chancellor (President) of the prestigious Gujarat Ayurved University in Jamnagar. He is the founder of the Chakrapani Ayurveda clinic and product line in Jaipur. He has received several awards for his work, including the Padmashri Award, the fourth highest civilian award in India.

Prof. Dr. Tanuja Nesari (IND) - Guest of Honor

Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA)
Prof. Dr. Tanuja Nesari, BAMS, MD (Ayu), PhD (Ayu) Director, All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA). She is the Chair for the Health Sector sub-skill Council for AYUSH and a member of Governing Council of IMS, BHU. Dr. Nesari is also a member of the General Assembly of ICCR, a Member of the Board of Governors, CCIM and serves on the academic board of various universities like ITRA, Jamnagar & National Academic and Research Bodies.
She serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of CCRAS and domain expert of the Technical Screening Committee (TSC) of NMPB. Her influential leadership has brought more than 20 MOUs into the credit of AIIA. She played a key role in converting AIIA Hospital, New Delhi into COVID Healthcare Centre, where the patients are being provided holistic Ayurveda treatment.

Dr. Manoj Nesari (IND) - Guest of honor

Ayurvedic Physician, Consultant (Ay) Joint Secretary Rank, Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India
Dr. Nesari MD PhD advises the Government of India at the Ministry of AYUSH on strengthening the health system and integrating Ayurveda and other Indian traditional systems of medicine into public health care. He is the Head of the International Cooperation Division in the Ministry of AYUSH and holds a PhD in Policy Research. As an Ayurvedic physician MD, he specializes in internal medicine (Kayachikitsa).
He has also successfully completed the Post Graduate Diploma in Disaster Preparedness and Rehabilitation' from Guru Govindsingh Indraprastha University, Delhi.
Dr. Nesari has 30 years of experience in Ayurvedic science and clinical practice as well as in policy planning, international cooperation and public health. Many new initiatives to expand Ayurvedic services and their use in public health etc. are to his credit. Prior to his current role, he served as Director of the National Academy of Ayurveda and Chief Medical Officer in the Central Govt. Health Scheme.

Karin Bachmaier (D)

Physio- and Ayurveda therapist, alternative practitioner (physiotherapy)
Karin Bachmaier is an Ayurveda, Kalari and Sukshma Marma therapist as well as a non-medical practitioner for physiotherapy. As a lecturer, the trained physiotherapist enriches the European Academy of Ayurveda with her over 25 years of experience in manual therapy patient care, including from her own practice in Eichendorf/Lower Bavaria.

HP Oliver Becker (D)

Master of Science in Ayurvedic Medicine, certified educator, alternative practitioner
Oliver Becker has been practicing Ayurvedic medicine in his own practice for many years. At the European Academy of Ayurveda, he works as a lecturer, module leader, educational coach and interpreter in the Ayurvedic Medicine course. In addition, he teaches in various other training courses of the Academy. His professional focus as a lecturer includes pharmacology and internal medicine of Ayurveda. In addition to Ayurvedic medicine, he has profound knowledge of yoga, Vedic knowledge systems and Sanskrit.

Dr. Jorge Berra (ARG)

Doctor and Ayurveda physician
Dr. Jorge Luis Berra is a physician and director of the Fundacion de Salud Ayurveda Prema, Argentina, a collaborative centre of the Gujarat Ayurveda University and seat of the Ayurveda Chair of the AYUSH Ministry. For the last 20 years he has been the director of postgraduate courses in Ayurvedic Medicine at the Argentine Medical Association and at various universities. Dr. Berra has been invited as an expert by the World Health Organization and the AYUSH Ministry in 2018 and 2019, at the National Institute of Ayurveda and at the Gujarat Ayurveda University.

Dr Narendra S. Bhatt (IND)

Ayurveda Physician
Narendra Bhatt MD (Ayu) BSc has received several medical awards. He has over 39 years of experience in practice, teaching and research. He also brings his deep knowledge to bear as a member of various committees, including the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha under AYUSH, as President of ISCAM, but also in the European Benefit Initiative for the quality assurance of Ayurvedic products. He is a member of the scientific advisory board of INDRA.

Dr. Dr. Ute Boeddrich (D)

Chairwoman of the medical society for empirical medicine
Dr. med. Dr. h.c. Ute Boeddrich is chairwoman of the Medical Association for Experienced Medicine and author of books. She has her own private practice for naturopathy, homeopathy, acupuncture and Ayurveda. In addition, she holds offices as chairperson of the Hessian Medical Association - Naturopathy - e.V. and as deputy chairperson of Commission D of the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices in Bonn (BfArM). She is a regular speaker and author.

Petra Brattinger (D)

State-certified masseuse, medical lifeguard
Petra Brattinger completed her Ayurveda training at the European Academy for Ayurveda in Birstein and at the Ayurveda Clinic Nadiad (India). She has a wealth of experience from her many years of work in prevention as well as in the spa industry in Germany, Italy, India and Switzerland. She was head of an Ayurveda department in a renowned spa and wellness hotel. Currently she is leading the manual therapy department at the AyurSan Clinic in Rotthalmünster.

Petra Eich-Mylo HP (D)

Swiss Certified Naturopath for Ayurveda Medicine
Petra Eich-Mylo is one of the selected alternative practitioners and specialists for Ayurveda therapy and herbal medicine in Germany. For many years she has been leading the Ayurveda Pancakarma Cures at the Rosenberg Ayurveda Health and Spa Centre together with Dr. Gupta. Here she accompanies the patients in their intensive cure process to holistic health and healing. In Zurich she runs her own Ayurveda practice.

Sandra Grünes HP (D)

Practitioner of alternative medicine
Sandra Grünes is an alternative practitioner, physiotherapist and medical Ayurveda specialist. She completed her studies of Ayurvedic Medicine with Dr. S.N. Gupta, combined with several years of Ayurveda and Yoga studies in India and Sri Lanka. She is also trained in clinical acupuncture and as a yoga teacher and has specific further training in holistic gynaecology.
Since 1998 she has been running her own naturopathic practice for Ayurveda medicine and yoga therapy in Freiburg. Since 1999 she has been leading Panchakarma cures. She is also a lecturer at the European Ayurveda Academy and the Yoga Academy Freiburg.

Prof. Dr. Shivenarain Gupta (IND)

Ayurveda Clinic Director, Professor, J.S. Ayurveda College, Vice Chancellor, Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat University, India
Prof. Shivenarain Gupta MD (Ayu) is a physician and professor of Ayurvedic medicine from Nadiad (India). He earned his doctorate degree from the famous Ayurveda University of Jamnagar. Today he heads the Department of Internal Medicine at the P. D. Patel Ayurveda Hospital. As a professor of the affiliated J. S. Ayurveda College, he has succeeded in establishing one of the most prestigious pancakarma clinics in India, where patients from India and Europe receive help. He was awarded by IASTAM (India) for his achievements in teaching and appointed as Vice Chancellor, Maganbhai Adenwala Mahagujarat University in 2022. At the European Academy of Ayurveda, he has been one of the key teachers and academic head of training in Ayurvedic Medicine for many years.

Dr. Mihir Hajarnavis (IND)

Professor and head of Svasthavritta
Dr. Mihir Hajarnavis MD (Ayu) is professor and head of the department of Svasthavritta and deputy headmaster at Tilak Ayurved Mahavidyalaya in Pune. He is also a member of the study commission PG Paraclinical Subjects at the Ayurved Maharashtra University of Health Science in Nashik. He has been teaching in his special field of Svasthavritta for two decades and has extensive experience in research.

D.M.D. Annette Jasper (D)

Holistic dentist, Ayurveda specialist
D.M.D. Annette Jasper has been running her own practice in Munich for 20 years. Already at the beginning of her career she decided to work holistically and, if possible, not to use metal. Her special expertise lies in the fields of implantology and CMD (cranio-mandibular dysfunction). She deals with functional disorders and their effects such as tinnitus, back problems and headaches. Accordingly, she regularly lectures on the topic of tinnitus as a guest speaker in ENT clinics. In Dr. Japser's practice, factors from naturopathy and Ayurveda flow into the highly modern dental medicine.

Daniela Kanoun (AT)

Ayurveda health and nutrition consultant, coach
Daniela Kanoun has worked as a management consultant and coach since 2001. She also practices as an Ayurveda health and nutrition consultant. For her, the principles of Ayurveda are related to the economy and its laws. In her work, she brings together Ayurvedic, human and economic aspects to form a unity and thus initiates new development processes in companies.

Dr. med. Uwe Kehnscherper (D)

specialist in orthopedics
Dr. med. Uwe Kehnscherper is a resident orthopaedic specialist and specialist for pain therapy in Rostock. In his practice, he successfully focuses on Ayurveda medicine, with emphasis on manual therapy and Panchakarma cures. Thus he puts conservative (non-operative) orthopaedics in the centre of his work and attaches great importance to the holistic treatment of his patients. He studied Ayurveda during many study trips in India.

Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Christian Kessler (D)

Internist, researcher, indologist
private lecturer Dr. med. Christian S. Kessler, MA is senior physician and research coordinator at the Immanuel Hospital Berlin and is scientifically active at the Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin on Ayurveda and many other topics. He has a master's degree in Indology and is the medical director of the advanced training for doctors "Ayurveda as complementary medicine" in Berlin.

Ulrich Koch MD (D)

Medical doctor
Ulrich Koch is a doctor, yoga teacher and head of the homeopathic practice in the Psychiatric Institute Outpatient Clinic in Hofheim. He is a pioneer in the research and clinical application of yoga and meditation for people with mental disorders.

Dr. med. Ludwig Kronpaß (D)

Chief Physician
Dr. med. Ludwig Kronpaß has been Chief Physician of the Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the Rotthalmünster Hospital near Passau since 1988. His focus is on holistic birth models and tumor therapy for breast cancer. He studied Ayurvedic medicine at the European Academy for Ayurveda and in India. He is the vice-chairman of the VEAT e.V. - Association of European Ayurvedic Doctors and Therapists. Since 2004 he has been managing the "Ayur-San Clinic" and thus makes a valuable contribution to the clinical application of Ayurveda in Germany.

Prof. Dr. Abhimanyu Kumar (IND)

Ayurveda doctor, former general director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda
Prof. Dr. Abhimanyu Kumar MD (Ayu) MSc PhD is Vice Chancellor of the Uttarakhand Ayurved University in India. Previously, he was Executive Director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi, the new Excellence Initiative of the Indian Ministry of Health AYUSH for Postgraduate Education and Specialist Medicine in Ayurveda. He also holds the position of Director General of the CCRAS Central Councils for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences for several years. Prior to that, he was active for many years as Head of the Department of Ayurvedic Pediatrics, NAI, Jaipur. He holds a PhD in Pediatrics and a Master in Applied Psychology. He has also published three books and more than 60 scientific articles.

Marco Lebbing MD MSc (D)

Specialist in general medicine, additional qualification in naturopathy
Study of Ayurveda medicine in Germany and India. During his further training as a specialist in general medicine and neurology, he worked for many years in the field of integrative medicine, including classical European naturopathy under Prof. Dobos at the Knappschaft Hospital in Essen and Ayurveda under Prof. Przuntek at the Protestant Hospital in Hattingen. Currently working in the integrative medical fasting clinic Buchinger-Wilhelmi. Research on the role of the bacterial intestinal flora in neurodegenerative diseases while working in Hattingen as well as in the master's program at the European Academy of Ayurveda. Training in classical European naturopathy in Bad Wörrishofen, obtaining the additional title of naturopathic medicine, as well as various further training courses in the field of integrative medicine and nutritional medicine.

Prof. Dr. S.K. Mishra (IND)

Ayurveda doctor, former professor for postgraduate studies at the Gujarat Ayurved University
Prof. Dr. S.K. Mishra MD (Ayu) PhD was for several years professor and physician at the Faculty of Internal Medicine at the renowned Gujarat Ayurved University in Jamnagar (India). As a founding member of various Ayurveda colleges and associations, he looks back on a long and successful teaching and practice of Ayurvedic medicine. At the European Academy of Ayurveda he lectured on his specialties of Kaya-Cikitsa and Rasa-Shastra as part of his studies of Ayurvedic Medicine.

Prof. Dr. Martin Mittwede (D)

Indologist and religious scholar
Prof. Dr. Martin Mittwede is head of the Master of Science in Ayurveda Medicine at the European Academy of Ayurveda. The indologist and religious scholar habilitated already in 1996 with a research project on Ayurveda and has many years of experience in further medical training. He also teaches at the University of Frankfurt/Main and has published numerous works on Ayurveda medicine.

Dr. med. Annette Müller-Leisgang (D)

General practitioner and Ayurveda physician
Since 1998, Dr. med. Annette Müller-Leisgang has been working with her own practice for Ayurveda and nutritional medicine in Munich. In addition, she specializes in travel and occupational medicine. She has more than 30 years of experience in Ayurveda and heads the Ayurveda Institute Munich.

Dr. med. Kalyani Nagersheth (D)

Specialist for physical and rehabilitative medicine, medical psychotherapist
Dr. med. Kalyani Nagersheth has been working as an Ayurveda doctor since 2000 and was head of the Ayurveda department at the Habichtswald-Klinik, Kassel. Today she runs her own practice for Ayurveda medicine in Frankfurt. She also takes over the medical supervision of Panchakarma cures at the Rosenberg Ayurveda Health and Spa Centre. One of her specialties is Western and Ayurvedic Phythotherapy. She is a book author and has many years of experience as a lecturer in Ayurvedic medicine.

Dr Vinayak Nair (AT)

Ayurveda Physician
Vinayak Nair MD (Ayu) in Dravyaguna, Diploma in Yoga and Naturopathy. Practises in India since 2002, in Austria since 2009, specialist for metabolic and stress-related disorders. Founder/Managing Director of Ayurkaya.

Dr. med. Daniela Passani (D)

anaesthesiologist
Dr. med. Daniela Passani is a specialist for anaesthesia, additional qualification "special pain therapy" and "emergency medicine", study of Ayurveda medicine at the EAA. Currently working in the Clinic for Naturopathy and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg/Essen and in her own practice for holistic pain therapy in Spain.

Prof. Dr. Manish Patel (IND)

Ayurveda Physician
Manish Patel MD (Ayurveda), PhD in Kayachikitsa, works as Professor and Head of the Postgraduate Department of Kayachikitsa, J. S. Ayurveda College, Nadiad, India, where he works closely with Prof. Dr. S.N. Gupta. He has more than 20 years of clinical experience and has been actively teaching since 2007. Among other things, he gives practical/clinical training to students of the European Academy of Ayurveda and other institutions from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Numerous publications about his research in areas that were only sporadically present in Ayurvedic clinical research, such as chronic renal failure, nephrotic syndrome, liver cirrhosis, ulcerative colitis, diabetic neuropathy and Parkinsonism.

Prof. Dr. med. Valdis Pirags (LV)

Professor of internal medicine
Prof. Dr. med. Valdis Pirags heads the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Latvia. He is also Chairman of the Latvian Association of Endocrinologists and Council Member of the European Association for Diabetes Research.

Vaidya P. Rammanohar (IND)

Ayurveda doctor and pharmacologist
Vaidya Rammanohar MD (Ayu) is a doctor of Ayurvedic medicine and pharmacologist. He is currently serving as Director of Research at Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Kollam, Kerala. He also serves as a research advisor for the National Institute of Ayurveda and for History of Science at the Indian National Science Academy. He is an expert member of the World Health Organization Committee on International Standardization of Ayurvedic Terminologies. He served on the Kerala State Government Task Force for AYUSH response to COVID-19. Further, he is a member of the Interdisciplinary Research and Development Working Group for COVID-19 at the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. His special interest is psychology and spirituality from Ayurvedic perspective.

Stefan Ries HP (D)

Practitioner of alternative medicine, Ayurveda physician, physiotherapist
Stefan Ries is a non-medical practitioner with a degree in Ayurveda medicine (certified Ayurveda specialist), physiotherapist, yoga teacher, lecturer and trainer for Ayurveda. With his holistic knowledge he enriches the cures and retreats at the Rosenberg Ayurveda Health and Spa Centre. In addition, he runs his own naturopathic practice in Heidelberg according to Ayurvedic principles.

Kerstin Rosenberg (D)

Specialist for Ayurveda nutrition
Kerstin Rosenberg runs the European Academy for Ayurveda together with her husband. The internationally renowned specialist for Ayurveda and nutrition has been training people in Ayurveda nutrition and health counselling, psychology and therapy throughout Europe since 1996. She has 25 years of practical experience in Ayurveda and is in daily contact with patients, training participants and spa guests. As an author, she has published numerous Ayurveda books, which are among the best known works of Ayurveda literature.

Mark Rosenberg (D)

Director of the European Academy for Ayurveda
Mark Rosenberg heads the European Academy for Ayurveda and is managing partner of the Rosenberg Ayurveda companies. He has many years of experience as a management consultant, Vastu expert and Yoga teacher BDY/EYU. He is also Chairman of the Board of Directors of VEAT - Berufsverband Europäischer Ayurveda-Mediziner und -Therapeuten e.V. He was awarded the prestigious Vaidya Sundarlal Joshi Memorial Management Award by MGMS (India) to honour him for his outstanding management achievements in the field of Ayurveda. He also received the IASTAM Pandit Shiv Sharma Oration Award.

Franz Rutz (CH)

Oath. Dipl. naturopath (AM), university lecturer
Hans Rutz is a qualified educator and naturopath with a federal diploma in Ayurveda medicine and meditation trainer. Since 1991 he has been running his own Ayurveda practice in Pfäffikon. In his numerous offices in the field of alternative medicine (focus on Ayurveda) he promotes and demands the recognition of Ayurveda as a medical system: President of the Association of Swiss Ayurveda Doctors and Therapists VSAMT, Advisory Board of the Indo-Swiss Ayurveda Foundation, Geneva ISA, board member of the Organisation of the Working World of Alternative Medicine Switzerland OdA AM (responsible for the professional regulation in alternative medicine), school advisor and long-time cantonal parliamentarian.

Anica Schmid

Anica Schmid is a naturopath specializing in Ayurvedic medicine. She holds a federal diploma and has been working in her own practice for 20 years. She is also an examination expert for the higher professional examination (OdA AM) in the "Organization of the Working World of Alternative Medicine Switzerland".

Vaidya Ram P. Sharma (D)

Ayurveda physician and yoga teacher
After completing his Ayurveda studies in 1974 in India and six years as a doctor in Himachal Pradesh, Vaidya Ram P. Sharma came to Germany in 1980. With great enthusiasm he teaches Yoga and Ayurveda, both in India (Bharati Vidyapeeth University Pune) and in Germany. Through Prof. Dr. Joshi, Haridwar, he specialized in the teaching of marble. Since 2007 he works as a freelancer at the Ayurveda Institute Munich. He is a member of ANME e.V. Schöneck, BLLF New Delhi, International Arya PS New Delhi, Hindu Swyamsevak Sangh Munich and chairman of the German-Indian Society of Upper Bavaria.

Win Silvester MA (D)

Ayurveda physician and health trainer
Win Silvester MA holds a master's degree in health management and heads the Q-Fitness Academy in Bonn. He completed a three-year study of Ayurveda medicine, supplemented by study visits to India and Sri Lanka. He also teaches the South Indian martial art Kalaripayattu, in which movement, meditation and massage come together. With his many years of training and course-leading experience, he enriches the Ayurveda Academy as a translator and specialist lecturer.

Prof. Dr Oleg V. Sorokin

University professor and developer
Dr. Oleg V. Sorokin PhD is Professor at the Novosibirsk Medical University and CEO of Biokvant LLC, which develops an interface between modern technology and traditional medicine with an electronic pulse diagnosis method. Since 2003 he has been running his own Ayurveda practice. He also conducts intensive research in the field of neuro-immunology and bioelectrography.

HP Elmar Stapelfeldt MA (D)

Practitioner of Ayurveda medicine and indologist
Elmar Stapelfeldt is an alternative practitioner, master of indology and author. He is currently active as a non-medical practitioner, nutritionist and scientific assistant at the Immanuel Hospital in Berlin. He has extensive experience in the application of Ayurvedic medicine. Among other things, he was a long-standing lecturer at the European Academy for Ayurveda, including 5 years as head of the department of Ayurvedic Medicine.

HP Ralph Steuernagel (D)

Practitioner of alternative medicine and editor-in-chief of the Ayurveda Journal
Ralph Steuernagel has dedicated 20 years to the interdisciplinary cooperation of western and eastern medicine. He runs his own Ayurveda practice and academy in Bad Homburg (D). In addition, he is the editorial director of the Ayurveda Journal.

Dr Anup Thakar (IND)

Professor at the Gujarat Ayurved University
Anup Thakar MD (Ayu) PhD is Professor and Departmental Advisor Panchakarma at the Institute for Postgraduate Ayurvedic Education and Research at Gujarat Ayurvedic University in Jamnagar. He specializes in Panchakarma, Kayachikitsa and Vajikarana. Extensive research activities, including several WHO projects.

Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. Rolf Verres (D)

Professor Dr. med., certified psychologist, specialist for psychotherapeutic medicine
Rolf Verres studied medicine and psychology in Münster, Heidelberg and Stanford, USA. After graduation he became a specialist for psychotherapeutic medicine. From 1987 to 1991, he was Professor of Medical Psychology at the University Hospital Hamburg-Eppendorf and at the same time co-founder, scientific advisor and lecturer at the Institute for Music Therapy at the Hamburg College of Music and Theatre. Afterwards, he headed the Institute for Medical Psychology at the University of Heidelberg as full professor until his retirement in 2013. His research focuses on the psychological aspects of life-threatening diseases, the importance of atmosphere in institutions of professional medicine, music therapy and psychoactive substances. He was a board member of the German Society for Medical Psychology and the European College for Consciousness Studies.

Dr. med. Oliver Werner (D)

Managing Director Maharishi Ayurveda Products BV, 1st Chairman APTA Europe e.V.
Dr. Oliver Werner has been working with Ayurveda since 1980. Around 1987 he founded the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Centre Seelisberg in Switzerland. He is president of the Swiss Association for Maharishi Ayurveda and director of Maharishi Ayurveda Products Europe BV, Herkenbosch in the Netherlands.