Waves of divine beauty By Smt. Bhanumathi Narasimhan

The nature of the Self is described as Satyam, Shivam, Sundaram: Truth, Tranquillity and Innocence, and Beauty. Saundarya Lahiri: Waves of divine beauty.


Spirituality is a journey from the outer world of names and forms to the subtle world of energies, to the innermost core of our being, the Self. Read More

The power of your vote- Guruji

we need leaders who have a spirit of sacrifice, and who are spiritual in their outlook, to enter politics.

We need leaders who are satya-darshi (truthful), sam-darshi (equanimous), priya-darshi (pleasant), paar-darshi (transparent) and door-darshi (visionary). So, before we elect our leaders, we should examine their qualifications.

We must elect leaders who will do away with policies based on caste, creed, religion and region; who will ensure that every child gets a multi-cultural, multi-dimensional education.

We need leadership with a mission and a vision, leadership with a spirit of sacrifice, compassion and commitment. We must choose leaders who have a long-term vision and short-term plans to achieve it. They should have great personal integrity, and place the country before themselves. Read More

School for holistic growth

The city will soon have a school which promises to groom students through modern techniques of teaching as well as meditation and yoga.

Sri Sri Academy, being set up by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir, the educational wing of the Art of Living Foundation, will start functioning from February 2010.

“We will start with classes from Nursery to V and then upgrade the school to the Plus-II level. The school is likely to be fully operational in three years,” said Manish Poddar, a member of the governing body of the SSRVM trust.Read more

Charity urges city's schools to adopt 'emotional education'

Kind Courtesy SCMP Post.


Education on managing emotions should play a bigger part in the city's schools as the economy worsens, a charity group says.
The Art of Living Foundation Hong Kong Centre called on local teachers to take part in its Non-Aggression Programme, which is aimed at helping people manage their emotions and stress. They can then pass the skills on to their students.



Students at Poinsettia School, a Nepalese primary school, participated in the programme last month.

They performed a variety of relaxing exercises. Other parts of the course include stretching and games. Instructors say participants learn to be confident in the face of challenges.

"Children know if adults are unhappy," said Sylvia Luk Kam-yee, a co-ordinator for the foundation's Hong Kong chapter. She said teachers should teach their students how to find their inner strength.

"Students are taught academic knowledge at schools. It is rare that they are taught how to manage their own emotions," she said.

After the Sichuan earthquake last year, the organisation introduced the programme to more than 15,000 children there to relieve stress.

The organisation has now shifted its focus to helping students in Hong Kong who are under a lot of stress, especially as people face the challenges posed by the economic crisis. The group says it is important for children to support their families.

"Instead of asking why it [the crisis] is happening, they will think about how they can change," instructor Timothy Wong Chung-ming said.

Heavy academic workloads and extracurricular activities had left children with little time to relax, Mr Wong said, adding that many of them are unhappy even if they bury their noses in video games.

Relaxing by stretching the body could be helpful in restoring a positive mindset.

1000 KM TREKKING FOR A C A U S E

Happy to inform you inspired by the vision of H. H Sri Sri Ravishankarji of VASUDHIVA KUTUMBKAM ( One world family ) and his teachings on social responsibility of an individual, I ( Dhiraj ) have taken up a solo tour project of 1500 km in the himalayas of uttranchal India.

The sole purpose of this project is to bring an awareness in the society on the environmental issues of air, water, plastic pollution and wild life protection. The tour will message and motivate the local folks and the tourist in the himalayas as follows:

(1) Stop cutting and start growing trees to overcome air pollution.
(2) Stop polluting rivers and other water bodies
(3) Avoid the use of plastic, stop burning plastic, dispose plastic properly.
(4) Protect wildlife giving them their right to live undisturbed by man.

The tour starts with a dip in holy ganga from Ram jhula (Rishikesh) India on 31st march 09 11:00 am. With the message GREEN HIMALAYA CLEAN HIMALAYA it passes through 108 holy places in the garhwal region. Covering a distance of more than 1500 km of which 1000 by trek the tour ends on 30 Sep 09 at Laxman jhula ( Rishikesh ) India.

I am happy to be able to serve mother earth with whatever little I can. Running this project solo, I am looking forward for help and support of any kind from the willing ones.

Support the cause
1) Grow 5 trees & Motivate 5 people for the same.
2) Avoid plastic, use Eco friendly products.
3) Save fuel, do not waste whatever kind.
(4) Use & promote conventional energy resources.
(5) Promote chemical free organic farming.
(6) Do not pollute rivers & other water bodies.
(7) Do not litter, Correct people littering around lovingly.
(8) Protect wildlife, do not intrude their privacy.
(9) Take up environmental awareness programs.
(10) Spread the message and news of the tour through all possible means.

Reach out this message to all the people you can round the globe, for the cause is a concern to every one who needs air to breadh and earth to live on.

" I T S Y O U R E A R T H R E S P E C T I T "

Thanking you
Sri Dhiraj
Mob : 09639645124
E-mail : dhiraj.aol@gmail.com
blog spot: www.itsyourearth.blogspot.com

V A S U D H A I V A K U T U M B K A M
( O N E W O R L D F A M I L Y )
. JAI GURUDEV :



--
"Look backwards with gratitude, upwards with confidence and forward
with hope."

Sri Lankan cricketers bounce back, thanks to Guruji

Bruised and shaken by the terror attack in Pakistan, Sri Lankan cricketers are breathing easy after undergoing yoga and meditation taught by Indian spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Kumar Sangakkara, the dynamic and optimistic new captain of the Sri Lankan cricket team, said that he felt relaxed and calm after just two sessions of the Sudarshan Kriya breathing.

It was "a really pleasant experience", the sports ministry quoted him as saying.
Read More

Sri Lankan Cricketers counselled by Swami Sadyojatha after Lahore attack

COLOMBO (AFP) — Sri Lanka's cricketers on Friday wrapped up a post-trauma course of deep breathing and yoga taught by an Indian spiritual guru to overcome the shock of the Lahore attack.

Swami Sadyojathah, from the Bangalore-based Art of Living Foundation, taught the 23-member squad special breathing techniques and meditation to "unlock the stress" after the deadly assault.

"Proper breathing techniques sort out the imbalances in the mind and the body," Sadyojathah, sporting a long white beard and flowing robes, told AFP.

"We showed the Sri Lankan team how they can move beyond Lahore and get back into their game," he said.
Read More

Guruji on Sri Lanka crisis - Jaya Plus TV & WIN TV

Catholic priest offering three-day anti-alcohol, anti-smoking therapy

Ragama (AsiaNews) – Fr Alexis Benedict heads the Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation Program, travelling throughout southern Sri Lanka to promote his three-day treatment to break alcohol and tobacco dependency. He spoke to AsiaNews after a session held in Ragama

The treatment combines the ‘therapeutic community’ approach currently in use in the United States with a yoga programme called ‘Art of Living’ by Sri Ravishankar practiced in India.Read More

We should go back to our value system - Bhanu Didi's interview in "The Hindu"

Rural people still nurture values. In the clamour to become independent, the urban lot have lost their sensitivity,” said Banumathi Narasimhan, Director of Women and Child Welfare Programmes of the Art of Living Foundation.

Speaking to Anasuya Menon on her visit to Coimbatore for conducting a course on meditation, she stressed the need for going back to our value systems. The rural population still believed in the joint family system and respected their elders. But, there was a general erosion of values among the urban people in their constant quest to become westernised. This even led to broken families, she lamented.Read More

A meditation which takes you beyond emotional agitation.

It was a pleasant evening on the 4th of March as nearly 700 participants from various parts of Tamilnadu assembled at the Ramakrishna Kalyanamandapam, Coimbatore. They were eagerly awaiting the Sahaj Mantra initiation from Smt.Bhanumathi Narasimhan, whom we affectionately call Bhanu Didi.

Exactly at 6.00 P.M. Bhanu Didi gracefully entered the hall to a thundering ovation by the participants and as soon as it settled down, she made us to do some warm up/stretching exercises before the Guru Puja. With pin drop silence in the background and only the melodious voice of Bhanu Didi chanting the Slokas renting the air, the Guru Puja gave a blissful start to the Meditation Course.

Three Sahaj Teachers assisted Bhanu Didi to render personal initiation to the participants and within the next couple of hours everyone in the hall started practicing Sahaj meditation as per the instructions given. It is a mantra-based meditation wherein we were given a mantra or sacred word that needed to be repeated silently to invoke meditation. We are not supposed to share it with anyone. Thus the first day began with initiation and the participants were asked to be compulsorily present during the next two days for practicing it and to learn more about the sanctity of the meditation.

On the second day we had a wonderful session which began with stretching exercises and Bhanu Didi guided us to a blissful Sahaj Meditation. After this she spoke about how the Sahaj Meditation allows the conscious mind to settle down deeply into the self. She said when the mind settles down, it can let go of all tensions and stress and can center itself to the present moment. We can find true happiness only in the present moment because only during those moments we are free from the misgivings of the past and the apprehensions about the future. She gave us some insight into the three Gunas and its impact on our body and mind and also a glimpse on Gurudev’s speech about the five types of dreams.

Third day after the meditation, my friend Mr. Nambi asked Bhanu Didi a question on why the meaning of the mantra was not disclosed. She explained it with a beautiful story and said that the meaning of the mantra was not significant, but honoring and preserving its sanctity was very important. The mantra is required just to invoke the meditation. In the concluding session we were led to a wonderful Satsang by Bhanu Didi. The crowd enjoyed the blissful bhajans.

As for my personal experience, I have heard people saying that happiness is in the journey and not in the destination. The cause and the centre of happiness are well within us and not outside us. In our day to day life, to fulfill our material needs, we having been putting a lot of efforts shifting from one activity to another. Yet, there are still a few things in life wherein effort is not at all required, particularly the ones that govern our mind. The Sahaj Meditation gave me an opportunity to go through such an experience. A simple mantra could calm my mind and take me to stillness and provide me a deep rest that too, with just twenty odd minutes of my time. It is absolutely amazing. I have been practicing it regularly for the past six days and could feel the refreshing and energizing effect after each meditation. I get relieved from the persistent agitation of the mind at least for some hours every day. I am grateful to Poojya Gurudev for imparting me this talent to free my mind and to experience the peace within. I realized the meaning of HIS words, “Let go of all your efforts, searches and desires, for God can be felt only in deep peace and stillness.”

I also had an opportunity to attend a Guru Puja at the residence of Sri.Rajasekar & Smt.Guhamathi who have come from Qatar (Gulf). After the Puja Bhanu Didi sang “Abhayam Abhayam Amma” the resonance of which, is still etched in my memory. I met Bhanu Didi and acquainted her with our website www.aolcbe.org and the
E-Magazine Lighthouse. She is truly an angel with a gifted voice. Simplicity, enthusiasm, serenity, wisdom and wit being part of her nature, she is a true inspiration for all of us.

Smt.Sashirekha Vengatesh, Sri. P. Mohan, Art of Living Teacher and their team of volunteers deserve all our appreciations to have arranged such a memorable event which was an excellent opportunity for so many of us to do the Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Course, happening here after a very long gap.

M.Gopalakrishnan.




Photos courtesy Smt. Sashirekha Vengatesh, Sri.Chittaranjan Das and Sri. Jothi Ramalingam

Bhanu Didi's interview in Dina Malar

Thousands march against corruption & terrorism

Under the aegis of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living, WAYE’s and YFE’ objective is to awaken and empower citizens, especially the youth, to effect a change and propel the youth towards nation-building. This pro-active initiative has a three-fold emphasis: Awareness, Accountability & Action.

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sent a message for the Youth and said, “ The whole country is just looking at you for you to take leadership. The youth of India should come upfront and unite against terrorism and corruption. Let us have a prosperous and just India.”

“If our youth generation is not happy with their present and is worried about the future, then they have to begin the change themselves and get more and more people to join them,” said Dr Kiran Bedi to the thousands gathered at the Youth March against corruption and terrorism organised by the Art of Living Foundation and its youth wing, The World Alliance for Youth Empowerment (WAYE) and Co-organiser Youth For Equality (YFE).Read More