This announcement was made by Dr. H.R. Nagendra, Vice Chancellor of Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana at a touching farewell function for one of the prominent yoga teacher-couple, Rama Rao and Meera, here, on Friday, April 16.

Rama Rao is going back to India to take up the important post of International Coordinator with a worldwide assignment to popularize Yogic therapy and naturopathy under the S-VYASA plan.

The function held at Keshav Smruti in Houston was also attended by scores of yogic teachers that the Rao couple helped to get certification, community activists and supporters.

Rama Rao and Meera, both are very prominent and active in promoting Yoga, yogic therapy and naturopathy and have bagged several awards and honors from hospitals and community organizations. They are both graduate-instructors from S-VYASA and their close friendship started while at the University. Both are dedicated to their field and have helped numerous people who were suffering from various ailments.

Dr. Nagendra said S-VYASA has collaboration with MD Anderson Cancer Center and UCSF (San Francisco) in the research project.

He narrated how three decades back he worked alone in India's remote north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh where distance was not measured in miles but days and he had to walk for 25 days to reach the place to set up a yoga center and clinic. Now things have changed considerably and S-VYASA has a sprawling 100-acre campus just outside Bangalore (Bangaluru) with 500 plus students, 50 of them doing their Ph.D. There are more than 45 faculty members at this deemed-to-be University declared by the government of India.

He said S-VYASA is committed to Research for the propagation of Yoga. Systematic, scientific research is the approach for social transformation in the areas of Yoga for modern society, medical applications of Yoga, using Yoga for stress management too. There are educational applications also. S-VYASA is conducting research to examine the efficacy of Yoga, to unravel the hidden mysteries of Yoga, to apply the principles and techniques of Yoga to various aspects of modern life.

Yogic therapy has demonstrated its efficacy in treating several ailments like Hypertension, Diabetes and Arthritis also, among many others.

Ramesh Bhutda, a prominent community activist and philanthropist said the S-VYASA and the Rao couple are dedicated for a higher cause. Rama Rao and Meera have set an example of passionately working for the cause of health and yogic therapy. Rama Rao retired from his job as an engineer-architect and has totally devoted himself to this noble cause. He narrated his own experience of beneficial efficacy of yogic healing.

Jugal Malani, another prominent activist and philanthropist said that Yoga has helped him physically, mentally, emotionally; now with his wife, Raj, he truly believes in and promotes Yoga. Malani paid a tribute to Rama Rao and said India has a Baba Ramdev, we Houstonians have Baba Rama Rao who is a simple, unassuming person always out to help others.

Dr. Sudha Rajan and other speakers all said the Raos would be missed and that Houston would always be ready to receive them back.

Rama Rao complimented his wife Meera for being with him in the challenging task of devoting a life for teaching Yoga and yogic therapy. He acknowledged tremendous help from Ramesh Bhutda and Guru Nagendra for encouraging and helping him to render service to humanity which, he termed as, service to God.

Rao said yoga therapy has also helped treating Hypertension, Bi-polar Disorder, loss of eyesight, and several other ailments.

He said he and his wife are overwhelmed by the affection and appreciation showed. He said he would be traveling to various countries on the coordination mission and so will not be based in one country but would return to Houston in September for some time.

At the outset Pratima Desai, the MC of the evening, introduced Dr. Nagendra, and the Rao-couple with light-hearted humor in her intimate, personal style. She said this is a great couple, both great teachers and great companions whose life is their message. She told the audience that Rama Rao had become a student at S-VYASA where Meera was a teacher and it was there that Rama Rao used to just keep looking at Meera whom he ultimately married. This had the audience roaring with laughter.

Over 175 yoga practitioners were also present on the occasion. The function started and ended with Om dwani and Sanskrit prayers and rounded off with a sumptuous dinner for all.

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