Awakin.org

Dr. Arun Sharma, fondly known as “Guruji” by his students, is the Founder Director of the International Institute of Mahayoga & Natural Hygiene (IMANAH), USA. 

In his twenties, he wanted to be a successful entrepreneur and used to be full of innovative business ideas. However, Nature, or lets say the Divine, willed that he bear the flame of “Nature Cure”, which he now prefers to articulate as "Nature Health Science." Dr Sharma heard and wholeheartedly embraced that call. For the last 50 years he has untiringly supported people across the world, from Arizona in the US to villages in India, in naturally improving their health by connecting to the source of the creative intelligence within them. “Natural Fitness is Worship”, is his mantra. 

He is the grandson of Late Acharya Lakshmana Sharma, who was the founding father of Nature Cure in India and author of the magnum opus Practical Nature Cure. It is understood that NAture's Health Science, with its origin in the Indian scriptures, fell into general neglect and obscurity until its rebirth in Germany during the 19th Century. And Lakshmana Sharma discovered its Indian origin and reintroduced it to India. An except from the book reads: "From our sacred lore we learn that Nature (prakriti) is just the Divine Power that creates, sustains, destroys and recreates the universe. She is immanent in all creatures and maintains them in health so long as they do not seriously transgress Her laws, which are the laws of God, because She is not separate from God. So it must be understood that this blessed science is a Divine Science, and that God Himself is the Indwelling Healer in all creatures, and also the Teacher of this True Science." 

Even Gandhi and Vinoba wholeheartedly embraced Nature Cure in their personal lives and also set-up naturopathy centers (in Baroda, Pune, et al.) which are still operational. It is said that in 1942, Vallabhbhai Patel became seriously ill while staying at Gandhi's Ashram at Wardha and was brought back to health under the treatment by Shri Lakshmana Sharma. Continuing the tradition, his son Ganesa Sharma took this science to the villages and small towns of Tamil Nadu through large field-camps believing that “real health requires a revolution in the kitchen.” He innovated new practices in this system and authored several books on the subject which have further increased its practicality and scope. Many people even think that Ganesa Sharma was instrumental in popularizing ‘tender coconut water’, now an important element of this practice.

To see Dr Sharma at his work, is to see his message through his life. Even today, at the age of 79, his energy far outlives many people half his age. Besides hours of theory and demonstrations, he can be seen arranging footwear outside the dining hall in the hot sun when no one is looking. And he can be seen talking to construction laborers about perils of tobacco, nudging them gently to give it up. 

His work is revolutionary as it helps shift health from being a specialist subject, to empowering lay people to understand the natural laws governing health and hence be more self-reliant. Through his work, he has attempted to achieve a deeper integration among physical, mental and spiritual health; between food and medicine, creativity and occupation; and livelihood and service. He also continues to unconditionally mentor and support many aspiring educators in the field of Nature's Health Science.