The CEO of The Chopra Foundation shares global mental health and wellness initiatives, the importance of intentional intergenerational living and the seven principles of healthy living.

About Poonacha

Poonacha Machaiah is the CEO of The Chopra Foundation,

He has co-founded initiatives such as NeverAlone® to address mental well-being and suicide prevention. Co-founded CIRCA®, an anxiety management platform, along with Srini Pillay, MD - Harvard-trained psychiatrist and brain researcher. He is also the founder of Cyberhuman.AI, the personal AI digital wellbeing twin. 

He is on the board of transformative companies such as The Healing Company, Beacon Media, Limitless Minds, and Reulay. He has also held senior management positions at Nortel, Iridium, Motorola, and Sasken. He holds an MBA from the College of William and Mary and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Engineering.

Key Takeaways

The three core focus areas of The Chopra Foundation are Mental Health, Longevity (healthspan versus lifespan) and Conscious Leadership.

Mental health is a silent pandemic. The second leading cause of death among young adults is death by suicide. It is a “bookend” problem—effecting the very young and very old.

The science behind equine therapy is solid. The goal of the Healing Power of Horses initiative, in partnership with Stella McCartney, is to create a global network of equine therapy and therapists.

Intergenerational living needs to be integrated into the design of cities and communities. Combining the wisdom of age and the biology of youth is peak living.

Seva.Love is the global metaverse for wellbeing platform offering a next generation meditation experience.

The Chopra Center’s Seven Principles for Healthy Living: 1. Nourish your body, 2. Integrate movement, 3. Manage negative emotions, 4. Develop a mind-body practice, 5. Prioritize sleep, 6. Connect with community, and 7. Connect with nature.