Madan Bali

I was born in 1923 in Northern India (Punjab), and I was exposed to Yoga from an early age. There were signs, even when I was very young, that I was on a spiritual quest. I was always seeking spiritual guidance to find the true meaning and purpose of life.

As a young boy, I remember witnessing my grandparents’ failing health, and other elderly people in the neighborhood afflicted with pain and discomfort. From that moment on, I made a vow to never let my body reach that state -- and so began my journey to find the ultimate way of life for optimal wellness. Luckily, my own practice of Yoga, coupled with my ever-deepening understanding, has helped me to keep my vow — I am the example of good health at the ripe (young) age of 91!

I began practicing Yoga during my high school years. Throughout my teens and early twenties, I spent time visiting Swamis and Yogis and became curious (my parents would have said obsessed) with Vedanta — a philosophy relating to cosmic consciousness and self-realization.

When I was in my twenties, my family moved to New Delhi, India. I visited numerous ashrams and spent much of my time with saints and sages to soak up as much of their wisdom as possible. While most young adults my age were looking for external entertainment, I was searching for the next spiritual gathering. During these important years, I developed deep insights about the power to find freedom from human conditions by discovering one’s true nature. I realized then that the purpose of life was to discover this ‘truth’ — a truth that can set us free. It has been my lifelong mission to share this truth.

My next move took me to Bombay, where a one-week visit turned into a 20-year stay! There, I studied with and followed Swami Chinmayananda.

My journey led me to Canada in my forties, where I have been specializing in using Yoga as a complementary treatment for psychosomatic conditions and degenerative disorders. I am currently involved in a study of the physiological and psychological benefits of Yoga for oncology patients. I continue to work with medical doctors exploring the premise that working with external, pharmacological means and resources is not a complete solution.

I believe that tapping into our infinite inner reserves through Yoga and meditation is required alongside conventional medicine. In looking at health and wellness in our society, I am amazed. We have the finest medical diagnostic technologies and treatments, we spend billions of dollars in research, and we have copious amounts of information about health. Despite this, millions of people still suffer from psychosomatic and degenerative disorders, and the numbers are increasing every day. Chronic diseases are also rising at alarming rates. This is where the Yoga method can help.

Alongside external medicine and information, I teach how to tap into your inner intelligence. The intelligence of your body has evolved itself over millions of years. It has an amazing system that orchestrates itself around the clock, nonstop, with absolute and unfaltering precision.

In over forty years of teaching, studying and researching, I feel I have been able to solve this puzzle of how to merge the body’s inner healer with the scientific and medical technology. The secret is to be able to find peace, joy and love in the midst of our busy lives full of adversity and stress.

In my new book, Yoga for Taming the Mind, I’ll point to the answers discovered long ago by the masters of Yoga and make them relevant to our modern world, to your world. You can take advantage of these time-tested methods by putting the ancient practice of Yoga, which I have integrated into the Dr. Bali Method, into your own life, and experience deeper levels of joy, healing and wellness.