This week, the White House hosted a roundtable with faith leaders on President Biden’s call for action on the Unity Agenda to Overcome the Overdose Crisis in the United States
Ishan Shivanand (second from left, second row from bottom) with participants of the White House meeting
The escalating overdose crisis is plaguing millions of lives. Fueled by opioid and drug abuse, it poses a serious public health challenge worldwide. The easy availability of addictive substances makes matters worse by affecting communities at large with life-threatening mental health disorders. Faith is key in the fight against overdose. It provides the individual with the tools to build inner stability and strength – creating a core that grounds them. Faith and spirituality have a direct impact on psychological resilience – offering hope, meaning and purpose, especially to those in urgent need. According to research, meditative practices based on faith and yoga, which are also integrative with modern medicine, are transformative in overcoming drug addiction. Furthermore, faith-based communities provide social support networks that combat isolation and suffering. Therefore, it is imperative that religious leaders help individuals, families and communities affected by drug abuse through awareness and prompt action. Their commitment and promise to mitigate the effects of the problem is often overlooked. On August 21, faith leaders were invited to an important meeting at the White House to discuss efforts to implement President Biden’s Unity Agenda call to action to defeat the overdose epidemic in the United States. States. The roundtable was hosted by senior White House officials – including Dr. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Stephen Benjamin, Director of the White House Office of Public Engagement, and Melissa Rogers, Executive Director of the White House Office of partnerships based on faith and neighborhood. One of the religious leaders on the list of distinguished invitees was Ishan Shivanand, an honored Acharya in Shiv Yoga according to the Sanatan Dharma philosophy of Hinduism, who is also a globally recognized mental health researcher and professor. As the founder of Yoga of Immortals, a non-pharmaceutical meditative intervention program, he works with community members and organizations worldwide to educate and train them in faith-based, as well as non-theological, meditation practices for holistic well-being.
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta (left) with Yoga of Immortals founder Ishan Shivananda (right) after a meeting
White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Director Dr. Rahul Gupta (left) with Yoga of Immortals founder Ishan Shivananda (right) after a meeting Being the first Indian Hindu religious leader invited to a meeting on the overdose epidemic by the Administration Biden-Harris, Ishan Shivanand, in collaboration with other faith leaders, shared strategies to reduce barriers to mental health treatment for addiction disorders, prevent overdoses, address stigma and support addiction recovery. To further support the South Asian immigrant community, he also explored measures to improve access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications, particularly among youth. In the forum, Ishan Shivanand commented, “Drug addiction is a dangerous disease. Substance abuse disorders, raging due to excessive use of drugs, medications, and alcohol, are life-threatening. And faith plays a big role in addiction recovery. It is very important that we understand exactly what overdose sufferers are going through and provide them with the right interventions and meditative protocols that can give them the strength and ability to recover. I was honored to be invited to a White House roundtable on the current overdose crisis. On behalf of American Hindus and the South Asian immigrant community, I express tremendous gratitude to President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Rahul Gupta, and ONDCP, Stephen Benjamin and Melissa Rogers for their tremendous efforts and dedication to building a resilient nation and saving lives.” Currently, Ishan also leads mental resilience trainings with hospice care professionals, cancer survivors and caregivers, geriatric neuropsychologists and medical students on anxiety, depression and insomnia reversal.
Disclaimer: Content produced by Vanyashree Chaudhary
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Source: newstars.edu.vn