Dr. Hemlata Pokharna worked as a researcher at the University of Chicago for 20 years. She also taught courses on spirituality and Medicine at the University of Chicago. Independently she is the director of Journeys of Life: A Program to promote Health, Wholeness and Dis-ease prevention.

Born and raised in India, she received much of her religious instruction from Jain monks and nuns who emphasized inner peace and self-discipline. In United states she also received extensive training at the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, the Center for Nonviolent Communication, and the Focusing Institute including training in Alternatives to Violence, conflict resolution, and mediation.

The Journeys of Life program evolved from Dr. Pokharna’s quest for inner peace and harmony in the western environment, to which she had immigrated from India for advanced Biochemistry studies in 1985. She believes that body, mind, and soul are the integral elements of the human condition, which means that spiritual health and wholeness should be an integral part in health promotion programming. The term spiritual health is being used here to mean the ability to live in the wholeness of life. The consequences of disconnectedness on physical and spiritual health can be devastating. However, people can learn skills in life that lead to connectedness on three levels, connecting with self, connecting with others, and connecting with a larger meaning or purpose.

She provides training to develop these skills. The program trains participants to develop skills to connect with self through Meditation and Focusing, and connect with others through Nonviolent Communication.

Her mission is a statement of her journey of life as a Jain Indian woman and scientist which is to educate, inspire and empower people in the world to discover healthy and harmonious ways of being with themselves and being together. Her mission and the program includes different ways to live, learn and share the principles of reverence and respect for life.