Meditation expert and CEO of the non-profit David Lynch Foundation Bob Roth has been announced as the keynote speaker of this year’s Global Wellness Summit, taking place at Technogym Village in Cesena, Italy, October 6-8. Roth has taught Transcendental Meditation (TM)—a simple and evidence-based technique that utilizes mantras to calm the mind—for the last 45 years.
“I’m thrilled that Bob Roth—one of the most experienced meditation teachers in the world—will help lead what I think will be industry-changing conversations about paths to mental wellness at this year’s Summit,” says Susie Ellis, chairman and CEO of Global Wellness Summit. “There’s so much momentum for TM right now because of the rising need for what this tangible skill can accomplish: stress-reduction, mental focus and greater resilience. I’ve just gone through the training myself, and it’s the quickest way to reduce stress that I’ve ever experienced.”
TM is a natural technique that involves silently thinking a mantra (or, a word or sound with no meaning), for 15 to 20 minutes two times per day, while sitting comfortably with eyes closed. Roth was trained in the technique by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who introduced the technique to the public back in 1950. Published research shows that the practice offers a number of benefits, including reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and death among cardiac patients to reducing anxiety, depression, and trauma symptoms among veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The practice can only be taught one-on-one by certified TM instructors; Roth has taught the technique to thousands of people, ranging from at-risk youth and inmates to CEOs, military leaders, and celebrities.
“I’m excited to share new research findings and insights into why meditation needs to come out of the realm of philosophy and be categorized as serious and scientific medicine for the 21st century,” says Roth, “and to help lead a discussion about how the wellness industry can start doing as powerful a job promoting wellbeing from the neck up as it has done fostering wellness from the neck down. We have a dangerously escalating crisis of stress-related disorders, including anxiety, depression and substance use. In addition to traditional drugs and psychotherapy we desperately need to include more practical, evidence-based approaches into everyone’s tool box that improve mental wellness and behavior.”
Roth also directs the non-profit Center for Leadership Performance, which is bringing meditation to Fortune 100 companies, government organizations, and nonprofit charities. He’s the host of the SiriusXM radio show Success Without Stress and has spoken about meditation to industry leaders at high-profile events like Google Zeitgeist, the Aspen Ideas Festival, and the Wisdom 2.0 Summit.
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