We live in a world that is constantly rushing somewhere. We get used to measuring our days in cups of coffee, hours in front of a screen and the number of tasks on our lists. We learn to put up with fatigue, a feeling of heaviness in the body, anxiety and sleepless nights. We try to silence our body’s signals with pills and promise ourselves: “Once I finish this project, I’ll finally get some rest.”
CALENDULA is located in the welcoming Hungarian town of Siófok. We believe that the body deserves attentive care. We created the clinic to see not just a diagnosis, but first and foremost the person — their condition, lifestyle and individual needs. A person who needs to regain strength, ease of movement and inner balance.
Here, modern medicine meets the traditions of Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine. We carefully investigate the causes of ill health and develop a personalised programme that may include medical supervision, nutrition, phytotherapy, bodywork and restorative methods.
Over more than three decades of practice, this approach has become the foundation of a system centred on the individual patient. Each programme is developed around the needs of a particular person and may include treatment, phytotherapy and preparations made specifically for them. The clinic has the necessary resources for this, including its own laboratory.
For us, CALENDULA is more than a name. It is an approach in which every stage — from the first consultation to the preparation of a medicine — is tailored to the needs of the individual. All the clinic’s specialists and resources share one purpose: to ensure that patients feel their particular needs are being taken into account.
Our history
1991: the beginning of the clinic’s history
Our story began in Hungary in June 1991. Its founders were Dr Dmitry Skopintsev and Palma Bede. Trained in conventional medicine, Dmitry sought to look beyond individual symptoms and understand the person’s condition as a whole. Palma shared his views. From the outset, they wanted to create not an impersonal medical institution with rigid protocols and patients confined to hospital beds, but an integrative health clinic — a calm, harmonious space where every patient could feel at home, recover their strength and find inner balance. This was the beginning of a clinic that brought together medical experience and sincere care for its patients.
The early years were a time of careful exploration. A small team started with various massage techniques, joint rehabilitation and the study of medicinal plants. The specialists closely observed each person’s response, shared their experience and gradually developed their own integrative approach.
Professional relationships that would largely shape the company’s future were also formed during this period. While studying at an institute in Szeged, Dmitry met Diana Prosenyak. Years later, Diana became the wife of his son Evgeny, a trusted source of support for the founders and one of the clinic’s key specialists. You can read more about her professional journey in the “Doctors” section.
In 1994, Dmitry’s son, Evgeny Skopintsev, joined the family business. Later, while studying at the university’s Faculty of Economics, he devoted his dissertation to developing the clinic’s business plan and marketing strategy. Evgeny designed the modern treatment rooms and oversaw the construction of the new building. Today, he runs the company as General Manager, combining family business traditions with modern management principles.
A modern treatment complex and a European Union grant
Our philosophy took physical form in the creation of a modern treatment complex, a project that received a dedicated European Union grant. The EU funding call was aimed at medical centres capable of combining evidence-based conventional medicine with traditional Eastern health systems and diagnostics, and of demonstrating consistent clinical results over at least 10 years of practice. Calendula Clinic demonstrated that it met these stringent criteria.
An important part of the project was an innovative, environmentally friendly building with geothermal heating and cooling, as well as a centralised supply of purified medical air. The project was completed in full, creating a therapeutic microclimate within the building.
More than 30 years of research and the integration of medical traditions
We began researching and applying methods that now have a place in modern integrative medicine protocols more than three decades ago. In this work, we explored the origins of healing traditions around the world:
Unani medicine. Studying Avicenna’s legacy during expeditions to the Middle East, Sinai and Egypt, and recreating authentic ancient formulations.
Ayurveda and Panchakarma. More than 15 expeditions by Dr Skopintsev to India (Haridwar, Jaipur), rigorous selection of Indian specialists and the development of an original school of nutrition adapted to the physiological characteristics of Europeans.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Comprehensive training and the integration of methods for providing rapid relief in acute and subacute conditions. The clinic’s leading specialists — Dr Dmitry Skopintsev, Dr Pál Bihari and Dr Diana Skopintseva — successfully passed state examinations and obtained official certification as doctors of Chinese medicine.
A global pharmacopoeia (more than 2,000 components). The clinic’s own resources include more than 700 types of raw materials from India (Pharmacopoea Indica), around 400 components from China, Unani raw materials and European herbs (Pharmacopoea Hungarica). The safety and purity of the formulations are confirmed by independent certified laboratories.
An innovative laboratory and a grant for the production of herbal medicines. Another dedicated grant supported the development of the clinic’s own pharmacopoeia. Under the grant programme, the Calendula laboratory was equipped with unique, custom-built equipment. These specialised machines enable the production of capsules, authentic herbal pills (vati), extracts and other dosage forms in accordance with ancient canonical formulations and the highest modern standards of pharmaceutical purity.
Neurology, manual therapy and injection therapy
Throughout its history, the clinic has developed targeted methods for restoring the body and nervous system:
Injection and metameric techniques. The use of therapeutic nerve blocks, deep collagen injections, metameric therapy and neural therapy in combination with specialised medical massage techniques.
A distinctive approach to manual therapy. Dr Skopintsev learned from leading practitioners around the world, refined deep manual techniques and personally trains the clinic’s team of doctors in their use.
Harmony between the nervous system and the mind. Integrating conventional neurological and psychiatric approaches with Eastern practices helps relieve chronic stress, reduce the burden on the nervous system and restore emotional balance.
Scientific work, recognition and educational status
Scientific recognition of the Calendula Method. Dmitry Skopintsev’s doctoral thesis comprehensively defined, scientifically substantiated and structured the Calendula therapeutic system. The work received considerable recognition within the academic and medical communities.
Academic and educational status (AYUSH). Dr Dmitry Skopintsev was awarded the title of teacher of Ayurveda in both theory and practice. Calendula Clinic received official educational institution status from the Government of India’s Ministry of AYUSH (through the Embassy of India), entitling students to undertake clinical placements in Ayurveda and Panchakarma at our facility.
Dhanvantari Award. The clinic received the prestigious international Dhanvantari Award — the highest honour for outstanding contributions to the development, promotion and clinical integration of Ayurveda in Europe.
The clinic was certified as a specialised centre with a comprehensive, integrated system for treating and preventing musculoskeletal disorders. This system combines modern orthopaedics, neurology and traditional restorative methods.
Honorary citizen of Siófok. In recognition of his substantial contribution to the development of wellness and medical tourism, Dr Dmitry Skopintsev was awarded honorary citizenship of Siófok.
Pioneers of evidence-based naturopathy in Hungary. Following the adoption of legislation regulating complementary medicine in Hungary, the clinic’s doctors and management were among the first to pass the state examinations. The Calendula method has been presented as a keynote address at world Ayurvedic congresses on four occasions.
Multidisciplinary clinical consultations and Longevity. Regular case consultations with leading European surgeons, orthopaedic specialists and neurologists are complemented by modern equipment: high-intensity laser, traction and magnetic resonance systems. This is how the clinic’s approach to active longevity continues to develop.