New Year, New Contributor: Welcome Dr. Ram Rao to Yoga for Healthy Aging!

by Nina and Ram Rao

Nina: I’m excited to announce that we’ve added someone new to our staff at Yoga for Healthy Aging: Dr. Rammohan Rao. Ram is a colleague of Brad’s from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. He’s also a certified Ayurveda specialist as well as a yoga teacher. Obviously he'll be able to tackle a wide range of subjects, and, like the rest of us, he'll welcome your questions. But, to start, he'll tell you about himself in his own words....

Ram: I come from a family of Ayurvedic practitioners and Vedic teachers in India tracing back to the illustrious Vedic-acharya Rishi Kaundinya (although I admit I cannot do the Eka Pada or Dwi Pada Kaundinyasana).

I hold a doctorate degree in Biochemistry and Neurosciences, and presently work as a Research Associate Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA, on various aspects of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases.

In addition, I also completed the academic training at the California College of Ayurveda (CCA) and received the certification as Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist. I serve as a faculty member at the California College of Ayurveda and teach the Year 1 program in their Nevada city location. I am also a dedicated hatha yoga practitioner and a registered yoga teacher (RYT) from Yoga Alliance USA. 

In my spare time I offer consultations in YAMP techniques (Yoga, Ayurveda, Meditation & Pranayama), and conduct YAMP workshops, seminars and cooking classes. I have published several articles in major Yoga/Ayurveda journals and have been a featured speaker in several meetings and symposia. I am a member of the National Ayurvedic Medical Association (NAMA) and also serve on the Research Board of the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America (AAPNA). I was awarded the Vagbhata Award for Excellence in Ayurvedic Teaching by the Association of Ayurvedic Professionals of North America in October 2010.

I bring with me a wealth of information that I’d love to share and exchange with you all. I will discuss aging and age-associated diseases and ways to alleviate these problems through what I term as “green therapies,” including but not limited to yoga, ayurveda, meditation and pranayama. In addition, I will keep you all abreast with the latest scientific discoveries pertaining to the above therapies.