Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram: From UK to VK

Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram is the Medical Director of Arogyadhama, a holistic health centre in Prashanti Kutiram, Vivekananda Yoga Anusandana Samsthana Arogyadhama, Bengaluru. Had she restricted herself to Allopathic practice, she might have well settled with a roaring practice in the United Kingdom (UK). No, it wasn’t so in her case. For, she refused to tread the usual path like everyone else and opted to return from the UK to VK or Vivekananda Kendra to foray into the application of Yoga for treatment of several ailments.

An MRCP turned Yoga researcher, advisor, teacher and guide: She did her MBBS from the prestigious Bengaluru Medical College (BMC) in 1967 and MD in General Medicine from Mysuru Medical College (MMC) in 1972. As Dr HR Nagendra, her elder brother and Chancellor-S-VYASA points out, she completed the two years duration MRCP program at the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, the UK within nine months!

It was no big a surprise as she had a successful academic career all along. She was a recipient of a Gold medal for securing the first rank in Surgery in the final MBBS (1966) and a Silver medal for coming second in ophthalmology in MBBS (1965). Despite such an impeccable track record she chose to transform herself into a Yoga researcher, advisor, teacher and guide.

UK experience leads to new insights: After completing the MRCP, she returned to India for a brief period only to go back again during 1977-78. For having done her MRCP in Geriatrics and Infectious Diseases, she was treating a large number of patients in the UK. This stint paved way for her to think aloud about the ailments human beings come across, the possible reasons and a way out beyond the typical prescription, medication and treatment.

Our own body fighting our own body…: It was at such an early stage of her career, she found out that-“Our own body is fighting against our own body, destroying, deforming, apart from a lot of interventions’. But the phenomenon of why the immune system gets confused was discovered during the 60s…

…Impact of the nervous system on the body: This sort of confusion was also attributed to the nervous system and its impact on the body. It is just like the body gearing up on its own whenever a foreign body (enemy) attacks. If the body is controlled by the nervous system so is the latter by the mind”, explains Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram.

Like cutting the trees, leaving the roots: “In the UK, about 20-30 people underwent surgeries for replacement of joints. Yet they didn’t feel like being normal later. The effect was like cutting the trees and leaving the roots (of diseases) intact”, she recalls.

The teaching of Yoga technique: Thanks to being enthusiastic since childhood towards learning Yoga from the revered Ajitkumar, the inclination of getting acquainted with philosophy by attending Vedanta classes, regular visits to the Ramakrishna Ashram and Satsanga meetings came in handy to the young Indian doctor in the UK. For being aware of the fact that Yoga is a technique for mind management she started speaking a little bit of Yoga.

Yoga can as well cure diseases: Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram began teaching the technique of Yoga. She started giving instructions for practising Shavasana. Some staff members also learnt Yoga by attending the classes. At this juncture, she jocularly remarks:” We had to change the name of Shavasana to “Deep Relaxation Technique”, as learners felt amused when told to lie down like a corpse in the Shavasana posture!” But it was during such an exercise that it stuck to her mind that Yoga can cure these days. Such a revelation changed her mind against staying back and thus she returned to India in 1978.

Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram

She gives up the Neurology seat to go to Jigani, Kanyakumari: By the time she returned back, she had been selected for a seat to DM (Neurology) in NIMHANS. However, at the suggestion of her elder brother Dr HR Nagendra, she went to Jigani and later to Kanyakumari.

Eknath Ranade suggests setting up a Yoga centre: In Kanyakumari, Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram attended a workers training program. For being a professional doctor she set up a small clinic at the nearby village to serve the poor villagers. But, again there were a few takers. It was at this stage, Eknath Ranade, Founder of the Vivekananda Kendra wondered: “What are you doing here?” Both, Eknath Ranade and elder brother Dr HR Nagendra suggested Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram set up a Yoga centre on the model of CMC Vellore.

Across the country to understand Yoga therapy: “As Dr HR Nagendra had already thought of utilizing my medical knowledge coupled with the suggestion of Eknath Ranade, the journey was set for making efforts towards evolving an amicable Yoga treatment strategy. Following the advice of Dr HR Nagendra and Eknath Ranade, visited Yoga centres across the country to study and understand the modules of therapy. It took six months to complete the task”, recalled Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram.

Yoga is mind management: She also remembered-“Dr HR Nagendra gave advice about patients being cured through Yoga therapy. Then suddenly I realized that although all practitioners were dealing with it differently, they were all doing Yoga. So I felt, Yoga is nothing else but mind management. Hence, the goal should be mind calming down. The concepts of Patanjali, Vashista, Tejas and Lord Krishna, among many a other came handy to develop a technique for treatment”.

Happy and lucky: When asked how she felt, looking back at the hazardous uphill task all along and the accomplishments later, Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram just smiled to say-“I am happy and lucky to be in this family, atmosphere, amidst so many teachers, elder brother, husband, son...”

Family of Rams: She also jovially felt that theirs is a Ram family. “My father Ramarao was a Radio Engineer at the SJ Polytechnic. My mother Lalithamma was a housewife. My sisters Dr Rama and Dr Uma are both gynaecologists’. I lost Dr Uma and my brother Dr Venkataram succumbed to the pandemic. NV Raghuram is my husband. Our son Dr Amrithamasthu Ram did Ph D in Yoga for cancer and is practising at the HCG hospital. Our daughter in law, Dr Nidhi Ram from Rishikesh has done Ph D in Women's problems and our granddaughter is now five years old”.

A resident of the first modest building: Although the S-VYASA boasts a host of modern, ultra-modern buildings apart from the luxury suites Dr Ramarao Nagaratna Raghuram loves to stay in a most modest and simplest building. The reasons, she reminisces: “This was the first-ever building built on this premises wherein my aunty Lakshmi Amma lived. My father’s sister Lakshmi Amma who never married was a motivating source for all of us”.

-Manohar Yadavatti