Bob Roth, CEO of the nonprofit David Lynch Foundation and an expert on Transcendental Meditation, will keynote at the Global Wellness Summit taking place 6-8 October at Technogym Village in Cesena, Italy.

Over the past 45 years, Roth has taught Transcendental Meditation (TM), a technique that utilises a mantra to calm the mind, to many thousands of people: from at-risk youth and inmates, to CEOs and military leaders, to celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Hugh Jackman, Katy Perry, Ellen DeGeneres, J Lo, Dr Oz, Jerry Seinfeld and George Stephanopoulos.

For more on the David Lynch Foundation, read our feature from Spa Business 2015 issue 1 here.

Transcendental Meditation is a natural technique that involves silently thinking a mantra (a word or sound with no meaning) for 15 to 20 minutes twice a day, sitting comfortably in a chair with the eyes closed. Over ten million people worldwide have been trained in Transcendental Meditation, which was introduced in the 1950s by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, an Indian physicist turned meditation teacher who gained popularity in the 60s when he worked with the Beatles.

The David Lynch Foundation that Roth heads up (founded by filmmaker David Lynch) has brought Transcendental Meditation at no cost to over one million inner-city youth in schools in 35 countries, to veterans and their families who suffer from post-traumatic stress, and women and children who are survivors of domestic violence.

“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,” said Susie Ellis, GWS chair and CEO. “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.”

Roth is the author of the 2018 New York Times Bestseller, “Strength in Stillness: The Power of Transcendental Meditation.” His insights at the conference will focus on the need for effective new approaches to mental wellness. He also directs the nonprofit Center for Leadership Performance, which is bringing meditation to Fortune 100 companies, government organisations, and nonprofit charities.

“We have a dangerously escalating crisis of stress-related disorders, including anxiety, depression and substance use,” Roth said. “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. I’m excited to share new research findings and insights into why meditation needs to come out of the realm of philosophy and be categorised as serious and scientific medicine for the 21st century. 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.’”