BAPS ATLANTA HOSTS ANNUAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE -Atlanta Dunia -

BAPS ATLANTA HOSTS ANNUAL WOMEN’S CONFERENCE
Focuses on Health, Wellness and Balanced Development

This past weekend, over 400 women from across the Southeast converged for the BAPS Women’s Conference 2009.

This three-hour conference focused on promoting the physical, mental, moral and spiritual well-being of individuals. The conference, hosted by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, was held at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Lilburn.

The Conference commemorated International Women’s Day, earmarked by the United Nations to recognize women and the important contributions they have made for human betterment. BAPS is currently a member of the UN’s Economic and Social Council.

The theme of the conference, “Health, Wellness and Balanced Development,” provided a forum for attendees to discuss how physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being is an essential pre-requisite to register progress and achieve success. The various keynote speakers each stressed one of these topics.

Speaking on the necessity of social, cultural and moral wellness was State Representative Charlice Byrd who kicked off the conference. She defined social wellness as “taking responsibility of our quality of life and the impact of our actions”. She further stated “It means being connected to our community and keeping healthy relationships with the people around us.”

This message resonated with many of the attendees, especially Deval Patel, who endorsed the view saying “It is so important to reach out to others in their time of need, Representative Byrd really drove the point home that helping others is crucial to the wellness of society.”

Dr. Pragna Patel, a professor at the Emory University School of Medicine with a distinguished educational and professional background, addressed the conference on the issue of social wellness. “The human life is a rare and precious gift,” she added and stressed on the importance of physical wellness. Dr. Patel followed with tips on how to stay physically healthy.

Niketa Trivedi was evidently inspired by this speech as she commented “Dr. Patel served a great reminder to us of the importance of physical exercise. I’m motivated to go home and begin walking at least 30 minutes every day.”

Ms. Neelam Ghiya spoke on the significance of mind-body wellness, citing examples from the lives of prominent women. She emphasized the importance of reducing stress and preserving mental poise.

The final speech of the evening was by Dr. Bhavna Vaidya Tank on spiritual investment.

“We are all constantly looking for happiness and we find it when we get a new job, buy a new happiness,” she said. “We stumble upon joy when we take care of children. But what we are looking for is bliss. Spiritual wellness is bliss.”

The conference ended with an hour for fellowship when the attendees had the opportunity to interact with the speakers to allay their doubts on the subject of the conference.

About BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha

The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), a worldwide socio-spiritual organization in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, is dedicated to community service, peace and harmony. Motivated by Hindu principles, BAPS strives to care for the world by caring for societies, families and individuals. Through a number of social and spiritual activities, BAPS endeavors to produce better citizens of tomorrow who have a high esteem for their roots - their rich Hindu culture. Its 9,000 international centers, including more than 5,000 youth centers, support these activities of character-building. Under the guidance and leadership of His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, BAPS aspires to build a community that is morally, ethically and spiritually pure, and free of addictions.

About Pramukh Swami Maharaj

His Divine Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the fifth spiritual successor of Bhagwan Swaminarayan, has inspired millions of people across the world to lead a God-centered, morally pure life. As the present leader of BAPS, Pramukh Swami Maharaj travels from village to village, continent to continent, emphasizing the importance of family harmony, community service and spiritual progress. He embodies the essence of Hindu life. His compassion for humanity, universal wisdom and striking simplicity has influenced many religious and national leaders across the globe.

For more details visit www.baps.org