Press Release
Our rigorous, 80 day journey came to an end on the 21st of June 2023, alongside the completion of the Health 2.0 Conference 2023 in Inter-continental Dubai Festival city between the 19th to 21st of June. The journey commenced on the 3rd of April starting with the delivery of a 75-day series of daily yoga sessions to commemorate International Day of Yoga 2023. The series included daily yoga practice on weekdays and lectures/workshops on weekends. To close the journey, we conducted our grand finale and 75th Day of International Day of Yoga on the 18th of June, which included a 3 hour special yoga program as well as the big reveal of our new official PJF logo. It goes without saying that the entire journey was a major success thanks to our team members, teachers, volunteers and guest teachers who have worked vigorously, full of sewa bhav and the omotenashi spirit.
Let us fast forward to the evening of the 18th; our chief sewa officer Ashutosh Sensei and co-organizer of IDY Yumi San from 合同会社HANA began preparing and heading for the next grand event: the Health 2.0 Conference in Dubai. The Health 2.0 Conference is an acclaimed event shedding light on the latest developments within the field of health and wellness, where some of the most renowned and respected experts unite.
The event is also held in hopes to recognize professionals and business leaders who contribute in improving the quality of life of others. It is with pleasure to share that our chief sewa officer and founder of PJF Ashutosh Sensei was invited to receive the Outstanding Leadership Award for his contribution in promoting and practicing the traditional approaches of Yoga and Ayurveda in Japan.
Day 1
The flight from Haneda to Dubai lasted roughly 10 hours. After many sleepless nights, Ashutosh Sensei asserts “it was the best flight of his life filled with a great sense of accomplishment following the grand finale, where so many participants from various nationalities and backgrounds came together”.
On the 19th of June 6:30AM, members reached Dubai and cleared immigration before settling down for a long-awaited cup of coffee, then headed towards the hotel via a taxi which was, to their surprise, driven by a lady. Ashutosh Sensei changed into his traditional Bhartiye attire, feeling as though he was representing his country on what was such an exciting, global platform.
The first day of the event consisted of three concurring conferences; Health, Education, and Real Estate and attendees were free to join any topic of preference. Members found the conference intriguing and Ashutosh Sensei commented that the topic on the relationship between health and technology was especially insightful. Proceeding the conference, members met up with fellow panelists Mia and Dr. Mohita to prepare for the panel discussion that was to happen the next day.
The second half of the day was planned for the award recognition ceremony (7:14:06 to 7:16:58) in which many other Japanese individuals had been invited to receive their awards. Ashutosh
Sensei mentions the following regarding his experience on winning his award:
“When my name was called for the recognition ceremony, I felt a little emotional as well as a sense of responsibility for my work. I feel that I need to care more for my members in order for them to grow and expand their skills more, and I would like my members to receive these types of awards in the future too”.
When called on stage, he reemphasized the goal of PJF and our hopes to promote and achieve zero stress, zero depression and zero suicide for the Japanese society, through the power of routine. The day finished off with an interview and dinner with fellow Japanese attendees and by the end of the evening, the little community had been named “Dubai Japan Club” (DJC). The group conversed on the possibilities of future projects and events together, as well as their plan to meet up at BTOGO cafe, run by Yumi San.
Day 2
Day 2 began with a morning stroll down a riverside road, which Atsushi San from DJC had kindly joined too. In addition to the walk, members enjoyed a 15 minute session of suryanamaskar, kapal bhati, and bhramari pranayama to start off what was another busy day ahead. The first few hours consisted of attending various panel talks and seminars including topics on Novel Health Technologies, Care Delivery Models, Marketing for Medical Breakthroughs, etc. During morning breaks and lunch hours, PJF members once again compiled meetings with Mia, Dr. Mohita, Aamer and Dr. Zeina to prepare for their soon-coming panel discussion on the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Yumi San comments that she was able to notice the relationship between Ashutosh sensei and his fellow panelists grow tighter which she recognized was an important step in delivering a successful panel discussion. During the meeting, Ashutosh sensei came up with the idea of including a short pranayama session during the panel discussion - the idea was received greatly by the team and there was a noticeable air of both excitement and nervousness as time got closer.
Fortunately, the panel discussion (5:26:59 to 6:21:50) was a great success. Under the guidance of moderator Mia and thoughtful questions thrown in by Azab, the discussion was delivered in an orderly manner. Topics included personal experiences surrounding mental health and ways in which one has tackled stigma around conversations on mental wellbeing (especially within the male population).
Ashutosh Sensei spoke particularly of the issues of suicide in Japan and how the organization advocates for alleviating such issues. Yumi San could witness the change of air in the room when Ashutosh Sensei began his delivery of the pranayama when asked about his daily routine. After a successful panel discussion, members attended a few more seminars and greetings here and there, and headed back to their room for a night of much needed rest.
Day 3
The third day began with another morning stroll and yoga, once again joined by Atushi san who seemed to be particularly interested in the practice. In the hopes to promote the idea of bringing the conference to Japan, members prepared souvenirs for the organizers. Yumi San shares that holding the conference would be a great opportunity to raise more awareness on the recurring issues of mental illness in Japan and spark interest in yoga as its solution, which is ultimately the prime goal of PJF (Patanjali Japan Foundation).
Whilst not in the original plan, Ashutosh Sensei joined another panel discussion (5:57:00 to 6:46:47) with Dr. Andrew and Dr. Trishal. Panelists shared their conversation on quality assurance methods in designing and evaluating healthcare education initiatives.
The day was packed with many other engaging keynote presentations and thought-provoking seminars for abundant networking opportunities. In the afternoon, PJF members enjoyed another lunch with the “Stigma-Free” group (i.e fellow panelists from Day 2) where they discussed plans to conduct their own workshops on “crushing the stigma society”.
Remaining Days and Reflection
The remainder of their stay in Dubai consisted of many more meetings, planning and envisioning the future of the organization. There were many takeaways from the conference that would be helpful for PJF in providing for a wider audience. Ashutosh Sensei and Yumi San enjoyed their free hours shooting a range of photos for their portfolio. For Ashutosh Sensei, the conference allowed his first ever encounter with the word “stigma” which he realizes is perhaps another important aspect to bring into PJF’s work. He reflects on ways the organization can further create a close-knit community where one feels safe to share their personal issues. Yumi San reflects that the conference has so far been a great opportunity to gain new energy and life-long companions. She also realized the importance of not being biased towards tradition and being open to novel approaches to healthcare.
PJF would like to express our immense gratitude for the organizers of this inspiring and uplifting event and we hope to be involved in many more events like such.
Thank You.