Patriotism will rescue the country

BANGALORE: Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji Maharaj said the country was facing threat from outside and within and promoting patriotism among populace was the only solution.

He was speaking at the Swadesh Prem Jagriti Sangoshthi on Friday, organised here by Lt Amit Singh Memorial foundation. “There are threats from organisations from all the countries around us. The Naxal-infested areas are getting $600 million aid from China. Read More

Guruji Teaching the Art of Flying

Guruji is all set to teach a specially designed Art of Living course to the trauma-hit Air India staff.

The course, which has been christened Art of Flying, will be taught to Air India personnel in the days ahead.

"Heavy food during night flights and inclination towards alcohol proved costly," Guruji told MiD DAY. "This has to be checked first. It will be part of our trauma-relief exercise for the Air India staff." Read More

Art of Meditation: a Relaxing Meditation Course

SkyNewswire.com)--- The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) announces a course with one of their Senior International teachers, Ms Sangeeta Jani. The course, called "the Art of Meditation," will teach a relaxing meditation technique which is easy to learn and easy to practice. The course will be held at the Holiday Inn, 1740 N First Street, San Jose, CA starting on June 5, 2010. According to the Foundation's website, millions have taken the course across the world. "This technique has changed my life and I am surprised at how easy it was to learn. I calm down and relax instantly when I practice the meditation" - says Elaine who took the course in Los Altos with another senior AOLF teacher, Denise Marcus.

"I travel a lot and the meditation has rid me of jet-lag. Unlike guided meditations, I can do this on my own, anywhere, anytime" - says Gary from Fremont, CA, who has taken the course a few years ago and practices regularly. "I have tried transcendental and mindful meditation. The Art of Meditation technique is something I have been able to stick to" - says Zhinhong, another participant. Read More

‘Art of Living counsellors to counsel Air India staff’

Mangalore, May 23 (Calcutta Tube) The ‘young’ cabin crew of Air India is so traumatised after Saturday’s plane crash, in which 158 people were killed, that volunteers from Art of Living have been sought to counsel them, Air India chairman and managing director Arvind Jadhav said Sunday.

‘Our cabin crew is very young, they are in the age group of 19-25. And they have never seen a tragedy, a situation like this before. They are traumatised. That is why we have roped in doctors and counsellors of the Art of Living to counsel them,’ Jadhav said. Art of Living is a voluntary socio-spiritual organisation, headed by Sri Sri Ravishankar.

‘The counselling centres will not just be in Mangalore, but also in Delhi, Mumbai, Kochi and wherever we have our offices,’ he added. The counselling will also be done for the rest of the staff. Read More

20,000 Meditate For Peace In Naxal Area Yoga

PR Log (Press Release) – May 21, 2010 – Chattisgarh, May 20: Over 20,000 people meditated for peace in the Naxal-hit Durg district, Chattisgarh on May 13. The rare sight of thousands meditating initiated a new wave of harmony in this region. This region is fraught by violence and conflict caused by the ongoing deadlock between the government and Naxals, a group of militant insurgents. Yet there was no sign of violence or fear as residents held a candle-light vigil and reiterated their commitment to peace. Read More from PR Wire

‘I want nothing,I am here for you’. Guruji's Birthday Message

The greatest fortune in human life is to be able to say that ‘I want nothing,I am here for you’. I have been having this luck from a long time, from the very beginning. And I wish more and more people to have this fortune to say ‘I want nothing and I am here for you’. Just imagine how a family would be in which every member could say this. It is already there, but hidden underneath somewhere. When the head of a nation or a company says that ‘I want nothing and I am here for the nation/employees of the company, the nation/company automatically prospers. Is there any chance that the head would suffer when the nation/company prospers? No way! Your needs will automatically be taken care of. But if our attention is only on our needs, we are restricting ourselves, our scope and our abilities. We should have that confidence that our needs will be taken care of. There is no need to even think of that.

It does not mean imposing on yourself that you want nothing when you need something. ‘I want nothing’ comes from a state of fulfillment and not that of denial. Fulfillment comes through spiritual knowledge. When you focus on the highest, you see that your needs are taken care of before they arise. The consumerism which is eating the society today can only be checked by inner fulfillment, by quenching that inner quest for the human kind, being, the self, spiritual energy or the inner joy. You can call it whatever. We are very glad today that the ‘Art of Living’ is bringing together all the beautiful pearls, the cultures of the world, together, and stringing them in a beautiful garland. We are the string, the center of the garland. Center of every culture is love, whether it is Mongolian, Saudi Arabia, South America, Indian, German, Scotland or any other culture. The very core of humanity is love. That is what the ‘Art of Living’ is all about. More and more people in world should gain this ability to say ‘I want nothing and I am here for you’.

May 13 in Hindi is ‘Mai tera’ which means ‘I am all yours’. So, May 13 should not happen once a year, but every day and every minute should be May 13.

‘I want nothing and I am all yours’ - We don’t have to make it a wish, because wish again means wanting something. If at all we have to make a wish, it should be “May more and more people in the world have this fortune to sat that ‘I want nothing and I am here for you’ ”. When everyone comes from that space of love, this planet will become a heaven. If everyone is trying to grab something from others, then it is already in a state which you see today.

We are making progress on the path to make this world a heaven, and it is so beautiful to see that. So, we celebrate everyday in our life like this. There is love, action, fun and celebration in this knowledge. Everything comes with this knowledge.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

All Is Well Helpline - Media Coverage - By Sakaal Times

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Clean Inside, Clean Outside

On most days, the last thought with which I go to sleep is this: “Did I do anything worthwhile today? Did I make good use of this precious gift of life given by God?” One should consider one’s day wasted if it is not used for at least one good deed, howsoever tiny, and for one honest attempt at self-reflection, howsoever difficult. All of us know that the world we live in is in a mess and, therefore, in need of change. But rather than complain about the darkness around us, it is better, as wise leaders from all religions have counselled us, to light a lamp. Preferably, many lamps. But the first of them has to be one’s own inner lamp. The Buddha said, “Be a light unto yourself.” The Mahatma said it differently: “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

All men and women who make sincere attempts to change the world are worthy of our respect. But those who personify the change in their own being and conduct, and thus can inspire others to participate in the change process, deserve greater respect. It really does not matter if such persons lack wealth and status, or work on a small scale. After listening to, and also participating for many years in the creation of, nice-sounding promises of political and governance institutions about Big Change that often turn out to be bogus, I have now become a convert to the virtue of celebrating Small Change, which is solid and sustainable. Read More from Indian Express

Guruji signs MoU for Haiti relief effort

May 3, 2010: Furthering efforts to rebuild Haiti after the earthquake, the Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Haiti relief with North Miami Mayor, Andre D. Pierre, Esq. on April 27. The aim of the MoU is to accelerate the relief work in Haiti and provide sustainable solutions that address the specific challenges in the country.
The MoU includes trauma relief measures for the Haitian Diaspora, who are reconstructing their lives in a new environment. Special stress and trauma relief courses will be conducted for the affected people to deal with post traumatic stress disorders (PTSD). Stress management workshops will also be offered to community service providers. Yoga, meditation and breath techniques will prevent compassion fatigue and increase levels of efficiency at work.
Relief work is already being conducted in Haiti through the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), Art of Living’s sister organization.
The first phase of the relief work involved the distribution of materials such as food, garments and medicines.
Trauma relief workshops were also conducted, which helped the affected people cope with the psychological shock of losing their loved ones and the security of their homes. Many local Art of Living volunteers, who survived the quake, visited hospitals, counseled refugees and helped people stay calm during the aftershocks. Read more

Like father Like Son.

Coimbatore: Like any other child he goes about jumping from one place to another trying hard to grab the attention of his parents. But the moment he hears the word ‘asana' he jigs in delight. That's S. Niranjan for you.
The Standard II student of SBOA MHSS, with abundant yoga talent, is selected to represent the Indian yoga team for the South Asian championship to be held in Kathmandu from May 15 to 17.
“He knows about 50 asanas of which 10 are advanced. Incredible for his age,” says his father.

The eight-year-old is the only sub-junior boy from this part of the region to take part in this prestigious championship, which is staged by the South Asian Yoga Federation. How did it all start? Niranjan's father, B. Soundaraj is with the Art of Living foundation for over a decade. “I used to stage yoga demonstrations as I am fully aware of the asanas. Probably, that sparked the interest in him,” he says. Read More from the Hindu

Maoists should choose ballot over bullets

Sri Sri Ravishankar, the exponent of Advaita Vedanta and the spiritual leader of the Art of Living Foundation (founded in 1982), in an exclusive interview with Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi on her chat show ‘Kahiye Janab’, expressed his opinions on cleaning Yamuna, Indian politics, Mayawati, Maoists and much more.

Swati: Do you agree with the Government’s strategy towards Maoists?

Sri Sri Ravishankar: Maoists are not bad people. They are not partying in jungles. Maoists have stood up for a cause. If people like them join mainstream and handle the government affairs, then a revolution is certain in the country. But I don’t agree with the violent path followed by Maoists. I request them to lay down arms and choose the ballot rather than the bullet. I would like to tell them that all of us are affected by corruption. We are also fed up of dirty politics. But killing police officials, organizing blasts and laying down mines is not justified. Read More

Guruji to appear on Kahiye Janab

New Delhi: The spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in an exclusive interview on Zee News expresses his opinions on politics, Mayawati, Maosists and much more.
In conversation with Swati Chaturvedi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said, “People want to run away from politics. I have no intensions to enter into politics. But I want to advice politicians to broaden their vision. Don’t remain in vote bank politics, broaden your vision and think about everyone. Good people do not want to be a part of politics, which they should be. Read more