Episode 88
First aired October 3, 2018
East respects continuity while the west likes novelty; Both have a place in medicine.
In this interview, Dr. Ananda Samir Chopra, a medical doctor practicing Ayurveda as the medical director at a conventional medical hospital in Kassel, Germany speaks with Dr. Vijay Murthy about the role of eastern healing system of Ayurveda in medicine. Dr. Chopra explains his experience of learning Ayurveda in India after his conventional medical training in Germany. Dr. Chopra discusses why it is important to integrate Ayurveda with conventional medical care in chronic illnesses including hypertension, cancer and skin conditions. Dr. Chopra reflects on the differences in health paradigms based on his extensive study of history of medicine, especially Charaka Samhita, an ancient medical text book from India.
About our Guest
Dr. med. Ananda Samir Chopra was born and brought up in Germany to Indian parents. He studied Medicine and Classical Indology at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. After becoming a registerd physician in Germany, he went on to study Ayurveda in Kolkata, India, for one year. Since 1996 he has been serving as medical director of the Ayurveda-Klinik at the Habichtswald-Klinik AYURVEDA in Kassel, Germany. About 400-600 in-patients per year and a steadily growing number of out-patients are being treated in this unique clinical Ayurveda-section at a German hospital with authentic āyurvedic medicine (especially the so called Pañcakarma-therapy) in a constant dialogue with modern biomedicine.
Chopra received a doctoral degree in the history of medicine at the University of Bonn, Germany, with a thesis on an ancient Indian medical text. Taking temporary leave from his hospital-duties, he worked from 2009 to 2011 as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Heidelberg in a research-project on the modern history of Āyurveda. Continuing teaching and research on the history of Āyurveda, his research-interests include the history of ancient Āyurveda, the formation of modern professional Āyurveda in India in the past two centuries and the practice and history of Āyurveda in Europe. He has been teaching students of anthropology and medicine as well as conducted courses for medical doctors on theory and practice of Āyurveda. His publications include articles and book-chapters on historical and theoretical aspects as well as on the practical application of Āyurveda.
Since his childhood Chopra has been learning classical Indian (Hindustani) music and has for some time been honorary director of studies at the Tagore-Institute, Bonn, Germany.
