It is easy to get lost in the distractions and noise of everyday life. But achieving peace of mind is possible especially with the help of people who can give us much-needed guidance, strength and even clarity during our moments of stress and adversity.
That is the mission of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – a world renowned humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher and ambassador of peace who visited Manila recently and shared an unforgettable evening of wisdom, meditation and happiness.
During the “In Joy with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,” event, attendees experienced Gurudev’s wisdom which has touched the lives of millions of people across different cultures, nationalities and religions in over 180 countries. His impact has led to the creation of two of some of the world’s largest volunteer-based organizations, namely, the Art of Living founded in 1981 and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in 1997.
Art of Living offers educational and self-development programs that aim to eliminate stress, bolster mental health and well-being, and build resilience through evidence-based breathwork and meditation techniques, while IAHV focuses on humanitarian, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and sustainable development work. Both organizations have benefitted more than 500 million people worldwide through various courses, projects and initiatives, including 15,000 people in the Philippines alone.
The cornerstone of Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s teachings is the Sudarshan Kriya (SKY) – a simple but powerful breathing technique that has been demonstrated in over 100 independent peer-reviewed scientific studies to significantly reduce depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress; boost immunity; improve sleep; and increase life satisfaction; among other benefits.
A recent study among Yale University students compared the SKY technique to two other programs (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Emotional Intelligence) and showed that SKY had the highest results of all the programs, benefiting stress, depression, mental health, mindfulness, positive emotion, and social connectedness.
There are currently 45 U.S. universities, including Harvard, Yale, MIT, Stanford, that are teaching the SKY technique to its students through IAHV’s SKY Campus Happiness program. CNN has called the programs “Life changing”, while U.S. President Joe Biden has described Art of Living as an organization “with an incredible following that cuts across all religions, cultures and backgrounds. A very, very difficult thing to do in today’s world”, and commended Gurudev for all his work in promoting peace, combatting violence and drug addiction, and empowering the youth.
At 67 years old, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar travels the world passionately, helping people by sharing his wisdom in various forms. With his significant global contributions, Gurudev has to date received 26 honorary doctorates and 55 government honors including the highest civilian awards of Colombia, Mongolia, Paraguay, and Suriname. Twenty-nine days have been named after him in various cities and states across the USA and Canada. He is an author of “Notes for the Journey Within”, which was named Wall Street Journal bestseller.
He has also been an invited key note speaker at distinguished venues such as the United Nations and the European Parliament.
Image Source: Manila Bulletin
