Deepak Chopra, MD, is a world-renowned expert in the field of alternative medicine and Ayurveda. Time magazine hailed Dr. Chopra as one of the top one hundred heroes and icons of the twentieth century and credits him as “the poet-prophet of alternative medicine.” He frequently travels around the world helping thousands of people restore balance to their lives and change their outlook on all aspects of wellness. He is a best-selling author with over 50 books, more than 100 audio, video and CD-ROM titles which have been translated into 35 languages with over 30 million copies sold worldwide.

“We are pleased that Dr. Chopra could arrange his schedule to attend our convention,” says Andrew Mangeris, Vice President of Marketing. “Those who have heard him speak know what a great opportunity this is to have him come to Salt Lake City. We hope that as many people as possible will join us in June; coming to hear Dr. Chopra is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for those who appreciate wellness.”

In 1996, Deepak Chopra, M.D. and David Simon, M.D. opened The Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California at the La Costa Resort & Spa to help people experience physical healing, emotional freedom, and higher states of consciousness. Thousands of people visit the Center every year. Additional Chopra Centers are located in New York City, with a future Colorado location under construction.

The FICCI-EY report, titled Wellness- Exploring the untapped potential, highlights that the growth is expected on the back of favorable market demographics, consumerism, globalization, changing lifestyles, increasing availability across categories and regions and rising awareness among people.

Says Farokh Balsara, Partner, Advisory Services, Ernst & Young “Given the favourable demand and supply dynamics, wellness presents strong business potential. With this report, we have sought to present a comprehensive picture of the complete wellness economy, comprising users, service providers and the facilitators, the challenges faced by each one and the way forward for each of these stakeholders, to successfully ride this wave.”

The Report has classified the wellness industry into seven core segments within different products & services, such as Allopathy, Alternative therapies, Beauty, Counseling, Fitness/slimming, Nutrition and Rejuvenation. Of these, rejuvenation services such as spas, alternative therapies, ayurveda treatments and beauty services are expected to show growth rates as high as 30%. At the same time, fitness comprising gyms and slimming centers are expected to grow by more than 25%. Nutrition products, including dietary supplements, health food and drinks have shown a growth rate of 8-10%, whereas allopathy as a segment was not classified due to its traditional linkage to healthcare.

According to the report, the increasing level of activity is arising from the entry of several providers such as organized Indian and international players; expansion by existing companies to new product categories and regions; strategic alliances across the value chain, interest by private equity investors and also players in allied industries like hotels and real estate entering the wellness segments. The report also points to a trend of players moving towards offering a ‘one-stop-solution’ for all Wellness based needs by adding more products and services across various segments in wellness.

In terms of payback and gestation periods, products such as health foods & drinks, dietary supplements and alternative medicines require greater investments, normally exceeding Rs25 crore or more, says the report, with paybacks ranging from 3-6 years. At the same time, services such as ayurveda treatment, alternative treatment centers, salons etc require much lower investment and also have lower paybacks of upto three years.

When it comes to regions, the south is much ahead in terms of indicative concentration for the organized wellness-based centres per household (34.4 centres per lakh households), as compared to 13.6 for the north, 12 for west and 10.1 in the east. The report attributes south’s lead to the presence of more alternative therapies based centres. There are also clear customer preferences in each region with regard to each segment. While alternate therapies are the most popular choice of people in southern India, customers in north are inclined towards beauty, while the maximum number of fitness/ slimming centres is in the west.

The report shows that across segments, on an average more than 50% of the market is unorganized and highly segmented with several small and regional players. While ayurveda and alternative treatments are predominantly unorganised; health foods and drinks and dietary supplements are more organised.The larger service providers face a challenge from the presence of the unorganized sector as it puts tremendous pressure on pricing and therefore margins.

Adds Mr. Balsara, “To create a sustainable model for the providers, there is a requirement of three key support pillars, which are media vehicles for generating awareness; skills-based education and training for human resources; and government support to stimulate the development of capacity, introduce quality standards and encourage customers to use accredited industry players..”

Other steps necessary to tap the potential include focus by the service providers to enhance assurance on quality of services provided, building collaborative distribution models to enhance depth and breadth of coverage and reach, a balanced product portfolio and deliver high standards in customer relationship and experience management.

At the government level, the report has called for better integration among different government entities; industry status for wellness so all the players can collectively work under one industry body; identify regions that are strong on wellness and integrate the state governments to take up collective efforts to make India a preferred wellness destination.

HOLLYWOOD, Calif.,  — New Earth, a 501(c)(3) charity, announced today its annual all-day health and wellness immersion Good Medicine will feature a keynote speech by bestselling author Byron Katie, and special musical guest, award-winning composer/recording artist Steven Halpern.

Good Medicine will be held Sunday, September 14, from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. at The Music Box @ Fonda (Henry Fonda Theater), 6126 Hollywood Blvd. in Hollywood, Calif. The expanded space will hold 100-plus licensed and accredited practitioners administering more than a dozen natural healing modalities, educational sessions in integrative medicine led by experts in the field, sound healing, and merchandise from dozens of natural products and services vendors so attendees can go green, local and pure to make their dollar count.

“Addressing the causes of suffering in our bodies and minds requires awareness, and events like Good Medicine 2008 provide a wonderful opportunity for people to find clarity about their physical and emotional suffering, learn, and grow in a supportive and nurturing environment,” said Katie.

Health and wellness therapies represented at Good Medicine include acupuncture, yoga, massage, reiki, Qigong, Tai-Chi, sound healing, nutrition, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, guided meditation, hypnotherapy, and holistic health. So that undeserved communities throughout Southern California can experience these techniques, Good Medicine attendees will receive hands-on treatments from licensed/certified and insured practitioners as part of their admission to the event – far less than going to the practitioners’ offices.

Educational sessions at Good Medicine will include:
– Ratziel Bander: “The Miracle of Hsin Tao”
– Arnoux Goran: “Why You Don’t Lose Weight and How You Can”
– Dr. Tudor Marinescu: “The Divine Makings and Workings of the Human Temple”
– Dr. Dorine Karlin: “Naturopathic Principles in relationship to Women’s Healthcare”
– Dr. Payam Hakimi: “Chakras and their connection to alternative medicine”
– James Bailey, LAc, MATCM, MPH, Dipl Ayu: “Living in Connection to Swasthavritta”

In addition to Halpern, whose healing music has established a ‘quiet revolution’ and a new genre in contemporary instrumental music, musical guests scheduled to appear include:
– Donna De Lory Band (world music)
– Christo Pellani (ambient music and sound healing)
– Larisa Stow and the Shakti Tribe (L.A. Music Awards’ Singer/Songwriter of the Year)
– Preeta and the Peacemakers (progressive pop, rock, and reggae)
– J Brave (conscious hip-hop)
– Stefani Valadez (Latin guitar)

“Our intention with Good Medicine is not just to have people coming away feeling good after being pampered and serenaded all day, it is to present people with knowledge, tools, resources and hands-on experiences of natural medicine and how their own bodies have the power to self heal,” said Harry Grammer, Founder of New Earth. “Few of us have been empowered to actively engage in making healthy decisions and lifestyle choices that create overall physical, mental, emotional and spiritual wellness, particularly in communities that are most affected by chronic but preventable diseases.”

Admission pricing and policies:

Tickets range from $35-$65; children under 12 are free and group discounts are available. Ticket prices are 100% tax deductible; sales benefit New Earth’s community-based services. To reserve tickets in advance, call 310-455-2847 or visit http://www.thegoodmedicine.org.

About New Earth:
New Earth is a 501(c) (3) public charity whose mission is to provide programs and services under the pillars of Wellness, Education, Expression and Environment that empower people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures to tap into their unrealized creative potential. New Earth’s work includes outreach programs in high schools, youth detention centers and foster/group homes, plus a community organic garden project. For more information about New Earth, or its fundraising event Good Medicine, please visit www.newearthlife.org or http://www.thegoodmedicine.org.