Deepak Chopra

Deepak Chopra was born on October 22, 1946, in New Delhi, British India, to Punjabi Hindu parents Krishan Lal Chopra and Pushpa Chopra. His father was a distinguished cardiologist and a lieutenant in the British army, serving as an army doctor. Chopra began his medical career after graduating from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, in 1969. He moved to the United States in 1970, completing residencies in internal medicine and specializing in endocrinology. He then held positions at Tufts University, Boston University, and Harvard University medical schools, eventually becoming Chief of Staff at the New England Memorial Hospital (NEMH).

In 1985, a significant turning point in his career occurred when he met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, which led him to integrate Ayurvedic practices into his medical philosophy. He resigned from NEMH to establish the Maharishi Ayurveda Health Center and became a spokesperson for the Transcendental Meditation movement. His book, “Quantum Healing: Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine,” was published in 1989, followed by “Perfect Health: The Complete Mind/Body Guide” in 1990. In 1993, a pivotal interview on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” significantly boosted his public profile and book sales. He subsequently left the TM movement and moved to California, becoming executive director of Sharp HealthCare’s Institute for Human Potential and Mind/Body Medicine. In 1996, he co-founded the Chopra Center for Wellbeing, an organization dedicated to integrative health.

Throughout his career, Chopra has authored over ninety books, many of which are New York Times bestsellers, including “The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.” He holds academic appointments as an adjunct professor at Columbia Business School and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and as a voluntary full clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego. In 2009, he founded the Chopra Foundation to promote and research alternative health. His influence extends to various initiatives, such as co-founding Virgin Comics in 2006 and JUST Capital in 2015, demonstrating a broad engagement across different sectors.