A way to de-stress for Commonwealth Games volunteers

As pressure mounts on volunteers for the approaching Commonwealth Games in the capital, they may find the perfect way to stay high on enthusiasm and physical fitness with an Art of Living course.

The mega event, which will take place in Delhi from Oct 3 to 14, aims to recruit 30,000 volunteers from a cross-section of people - from students and homemakers to ex-servicemen and corporate honchos.

Sudhir Mital, the special director general looking after the volunteers programme, said: 'The Art of Living Foundation has expressed an interest in providing a three-day course on stress management to the Commonwealth Games volunteers'. Read More from Sify

Guruji opens Sri Sri Academy in Kolkata

KOLKATA: Finally, a school that promises to make pupils smile. On Sunday when Sri Sri Ravi Shankar inaugurated the Sri Sri Academy — a co-educational English medium school — on Alipore Road there were smile everywhere.

"Research pointed out a baby smiles 400 times a day, an adolescent smile 17 times a day and an adult rarely smiles. This is an institution that will keep pupils smiling throughout student life... A school where pupils will make their teachers proud, parents happy and themselves proper human beings," said Sri Sri Ravi Shankar after inaugurating the school.

Sri Sri Academy will start its journey from February 23 with 660 students. The first two batches are likely to appear for ICSE and ISC respectively in April 2012 and April 2015.

Read More from Times of India

Hinduism sanctions donating of bodies: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Itanagar: Donating a body for medical research, as was done after the death of CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu last month, has the sanction of Hindu religion, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said here today.

"If other body parts are also donated instead of consigning them to flame in usual funerals, there is no harm. The Hindu religion endorses it," he told a press conference.

Asked if Basu, despite being an atheist, was spiritual as he donated his body to serve humanity, the Art of Living guru said he had met Basu once and found him "to be an ardent fan of Swami Vivekananda." Read More from Zee News

Sri Ravi Shankar ready to mediate between Maoists-West Bengal govt

Itanagar: Art of Living (AOL) guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today said he was ready to mediate between the Maoists and West Bengal government provided both sides agreed to the suggestion.

Referring to the killing of 24 Eastern Frontier Rifle jawans in a recent Maoist attack in West Bengal, he said it was a fallout of an atmosphere of mistrust as the militants did not believe the state government and vice versa.

"If both sides agree, we are ready to mediate to dispel this atmosphere of mistrust and we believe many Maoists can be persuaded to shun violence and return to the mainstream as many ULFA leaders did in recent times," Ravishankar told a press conference in Itanagar.

Pointing out that AOL workers had succeeded in making many militants, including Ulfa leaders in Assam and Maoists in Bihar, surrender and shun the path of violence through persuation in past, the spiritual leader said he was hopeful about results if the talks took place between two sides. More from D N A

Guruji meets Farmers in Assam

Over one lakh rural population from seven troubled districts of lower Assam turned up at the inauguration of the three-day Kisan Mela at the Gomath field to hear Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s message of peace and love.

Inaugurating the Kisan Mela – a training programme for local farmers, Sri Sri said,” Our country is a land of rishis and krishis. If they are miserable the society and country will suffer. We should adopt zero-budget and chemical free-farming. There is also an urgent need to preserve local seeds. Assam being rich in medicinal plants, we should grow more of them.” The training programme has experts from the Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences And Technological Trust, Bengaluru, who will impart training to local farmers on chemical-free and zero-budget farming.

Guruji has asked ULFA C-in-C to Shun Violence for Happiness of Masses

ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah should realise that prosperity and happiness for the people of Assam can be achieved only through peaceful negotiations. This is an advice to the elusive ULFA chief by spiritual leader and

founder of Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Ravi Shankar said this in an exclusive interview with Wasbir Hussain, host of popular talk show, TALK TIME in NEWS LIVE.

Ruling out sovereignty and the need for a separate homeland, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that militant groups in the Northeast should realise that it is interdependence and not independence that can help achieve their cause. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said that if he ever meets ULFA Commander-in-Chief Paresh Baruah, he would urge upon the rebel leader to achieve his cause through peaceful negotiations. The spiritual guru said he always gives a patient hearing to insurgent groups and that have responded positively to his message. NEWS LIVE CMD Riniki Bhuyan Sharma greeted the spiritual leader with the traditional Gamocha and expressed her gratitude.

Message Courtesy News LiveTV

Meditation is like charging a phone: Bhanu Didi's Interview

KOLKATA: A question that haunts most of us and is the cause of many of our sufferings is whether everything ends with death or whether life is just a journey to the beyond.

This and many other questions on unhappiness and how to reach a stage of pure bliss would be answered by Bhanumathi Narasimhan, director, women empowerment and childcare projects for the Art of Living, as she takes people through three days of Sahaj Samadhi meditation in the city from Thursday onwards. Read More from Times of India

Guruji in Kolkata

Sometimes videos are more powerful than words and still pictures enjoy Guruji's Dance at Kolkata

Mahashivrathri at Kolkata

Sometimes a picture can speak a thousand words.
Jaigurudev.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on cleanliness drive in Kolkata

Kolkata, Feb 12 (IANS) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, led a cleanliness drive at the Lily Pool area at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in the southern part of Kolkata. He is on a three-day visit to the city.

Kolkata, Feb 12 (IANS) Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation, led a cleanliness drive at the Lily Pool area at the Rabindra Sarobar Stadium in the southern part of Kolkata. He is on a three-day visit to the city. Read more

Meeting Sri Sri Ravishankar was a turning point in my life: Rhea Pillai

Mumbai: There have been several turning points in my life but meeting my guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji numbers amongst the biggest of them. When I did the Art of Living course in Mumbai in 1996, I really didn't know what to expect. But later I travelled to Rishikesh for the advanced course and it was there that we met.

Over the last 14 years my depth and perspective on life has expanded immeasurably thanks to this journey that I've undertaken with Him. It gave me the answers to the questions I was seeking then and has continued to do so. It's brought about an indescribable change in my life, a feeling of depth and deep calmness.To give you an example I've just returned from the Art of Living ashram where I went through two weeks of learning something in Sanskrit, the process of doing which has taken my life state higher. With this comes a deep sense of assurance and knowing. Read More

Sahaj Samadhi to relieve stress

KOLKATA: For three days from Thursday, the city will experience a unique meditation programme that promises to transport participants to a stage of pure bliss. This particular form of meditation is called Sahaj Samadhi meditation and will be conducted by Bhanumathi Narasimhan, director, women empowerment and childcare projects for the Art of Living, and more importantly, sister of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Read More from the Times of India

There is no caste for the spirit

Transcript of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's address at “Indian Priests’ Congress” -Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health, Velanganni on February 9, 2010. This conference was attended by 1000 Roman Catholic priests across India.
Om Shanthi...Shanthi... Shanthihi...
Sri Sri : What a joy to speak to the lovers’of God! I am a child going to blabber in front of scholars. Let us discuss...
Lovers know the language of the heart-we are all lovers of God who want to unite with the spirit of the world. We all want to serve, ...see divinity in people around...
Three things are important for this:
Context (of life)
Commitment
Compassion
We have all the three. Apart from how to unite and connect, we have to know how to face challenges in life. When faith is shaken, how to rekindle it...
To know faith, we have to know doubt. Doubt is something about positive. We never doubt the negative.. we doubt whether we really happy, but never doubt our misery!
God is the most positive thing in the universe! Doubt about God, doubt in Self...How to get over these?
The Upanishads tell about the experience of divinity in four stages for the Seekers:
Saameepya: feeling the proximity of the Divine
Sannidhya: feeling the Presence
Saaroopya: doing what the Divine is doing, imitating the Divine
Saayoojya: Merging with the Divine.
Another challenge is to arrive at the inner peace and calmness. Mind vacillates between the past and the future. How to bring the mind to the Present? Using our own breath, we can calm the mind, reunite with the Spirit...Simple breathing techniques can remove negative emotions and we can experience Freedom within. Mind can right away go into Prayer easily, effortlessly.
We all are made of a substance called Love...God has made man in His own image.. and God is love.. Then why all the negative emotions? How to meet these challenges?
Wisdom, Spiritual wisdom help overcome these hurdles.
We are all committed to Service: service to God, service to humanity. Still, if something is missing, something is broken, then breathing, meditation can connect us to our inner self. Meditation is Wordless Prayer...words are there and not there at the same time! Ability to connect to everybody.. “There is no Other”...is the Mantra of Love! All is part of One...
As lovers of God, our relationship is only one...All in One.. One in All.. This is Prayer.. We don’t lack anything. There is abundance ..For the one step we take, the Divine takes ten...!!! Read More

Link to the News from the Hindu

Shri.Jairam Ramesh Responsive to Society. It is moratorium on Bt brinjal

NEW DELHI: Bt brinjal will not make it to your dinner table for now. On Tuesday, the Environment Ministry announced its decision to impose a moratorium on the release of the transgenic brinjal hybrid developed by Mahyco, a subsidiary of global seed giant Monsanto.

The moratorium will last “till such time independent scientific studies establish, to the satisfaction of both the public and professionals, the safety of the product from the point of view of its long-term impact on human health and environment, including the rich genetic wealth existing in brinjal in our country,” said Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. Read Morefrom the Hindu

Introducing Bt Brinjal in India a sin: Guruji

Taking a tough stand at Government’s bid to introduce genetically modified Bt Brinjal in India, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar on Thursday said it would be a sin to bring in the crop here.

“It will be sin to introduce Bt Brinjal until it is proved that it is not harmful to health,” he told Zee News on being asked his opinion on the issue which had Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh touring India to build a consensus.

“That the minister is touring India is good…he should decide that the crop will not be introduced,” he said. Read More

My Yamuna My Dilli - Clean Yamuna Campaign to be launched by Guruji

New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Thursday announced a three-month campaign to clean river Yamuna.

The campaign — ‘My Yamuna, My Dilli’ — to be launched here Sunday, is being organised in view of the Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) latest report that the faecal content in the water of the Yamuna is so high that the river resembles a drain.

“We are responsible for the present condition of the Yamuna. Therefore, if we all get together to clean the river, the efforts will definitely bear fruit. Keeping this in mind, we are launching the ‘My Yamuna, My Dilli’ campaign here on Sunday,” Shankar, who is the founder of the Art of Living movement, told reporters at a press conference here.

According to the CPCB’s 10-month-long monitoring of the Yamuna river at Nizamuddin, the water is unfit not just for drinking but even for bathing. Read More

Guruji Says 'Art of Living' must for Thackeray family'

New Delhi, Feb 4 (PTI) Taking a jibe at Shiv Sena and MNS for their campaign against "outsiders" in Maharashtra, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today advised the Bal Thackeray family to "strictly" follow his Art of Living regimes in order to calm their nerves.

"Thackeray parivaar ko Art of Living ki sakht zaroorat hai (The Thackeray family strictly need Art of Living lessons)," Ravi Shankar told reporters here.

Emphasising "India's unity is India's strength", the spiritual guru stressed that unity cannot be put on stake for "trivial" issues, referring to the ongoing controversy over the growing conglomeration of migrants in Mumbai.

"The war of words is only complicating matters instead of resolving them. We should look at a united India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari," he said. Read More

Youth Power is the Answer : Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Youth of the world must unite and take initiative to find solutions to the present day conflicting issues said spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the 3rd International conference of World Organization of Students & Youth (WOSY). He said that conflicts at various levels increasing in the world. Now humanity is at stake, we have to resolve these issues in a peaceful manner. Read More

Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meets Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik

The spiritual guru, founder of Art of Living Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar meet with the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday morning in Naveen Niwas and discussed regarding progress of the Sri Sri University . Guruji also wanted permission of the government to discuss with the Maoists. Guruji expressed that he is ready to talk with the Maoists in any place of the world. Read More

AUD International Aid Society returns from Humanitarian Trip to Sri Lanka

The American University in Dubai International Aid Society (AIA) volunteers and the different humanitarian activities they conduct throughout the year have proved that with determination and a big heart, one can make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate.

Twelve AIA volunteers recently travelled, at their own expense, to Wellawaya in Sri Lanka to work with the Art of Living H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Children’s Living and Learning Centre, where they spent time playing with the children and making donations purchased with the funds raised on campus during the Fall Semester 2009 dirham war event. Read More

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar offers to mediate with Naxalites for Orissa govt

Bhubaneswar: Art of Living guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today offered to mediate on behalf of the Orissa government to hold talks with the left wing ultras to resolve their problem and end the increasing violence.

The spiritual guru, who met Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Naveen Niwas, later told newsmen that he was willing to talk to the Maoists on behalf of the state government. Read More

Aucklanders prepare for a momentous visit

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar expected here on April 7

New Zealanders will have a rare opportunity of listening to one of the greatest spiritual and community leaders on April 5.

Art of Living Foundation founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be on both sides of the Tasman next month, much to the delight of millions of people who adore and respect him as a man with a vision and mission.

More than 5000 people are expected to attend his public lecture on Ancient Wisdom for Today’s Challenges at 6 pm at the Trusts Stadium in Henderson. Read More