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The 13th of May 2012 [Poojya Guruji's (Sri Sri's) Birthday] will witness “Waves of Meditation” being created across India as the Art of Living fraternity attracts thousands of people to experience the power and beauty of meditation through the launch of the “Meditate India” Campaign.

Let us all work as one Team India to make this program a stupendous success.

Our Beloved Poojya Gurudev has brought un-paralleled Love, Joy and Enthusiasm in all our Lives. Let us make India meditate on 13th May 2012 and enable millions to bask in HIS Unconditional Love and Grace!

Jai Gurudev!

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28 April - Talk directly to Guruji from your Airtel Phone!!

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Jaigurudev Dear Ones,
Great News!
On 28 April 2012, from 1:30 to 2:30 pm IST, you can dial from any Airtel phone to 50 50 50 and talk directly to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar!!!

Please share it with everybody you know :)

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Sri Sri's visit to Ukraine (3 - 4 May 2012)

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During the visit, the following events are planned:

The public conversation "Charge yourself in action" in which Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will discuss the most acute problems of today and the opportunities that exists. He will present His vision of social improvement, how to increase the importance of human values ​​and create a safe platform for the youth of today in Ukraine.

Planting trees "Green Heart", which will be attended, by the leading public figures of Kiev, and youth.

The solemn inauguration of the 200 social projects in Ukraine, initiated by the International Organization of "The Art of Living", which will include: the program "School without aggression," the program for disabled children and orphans.

"Yoga for Health and Happiness" - a program that teaches the basic tools to get rid of stress. Dovolnitelnaya Information (PDF)

Details of visit including courses for you, your family and friends, which can be found at:: http://ravishankar.com.ua/

Please feel free to contact us at: +380999334116, artofliving.ukraine@gmail.com

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Through The Master's Eyes: Harish Ramachandran

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Harish Ramachandran, teacher with the Art of Living, residing in the Bangalore ashram, had the privilege of traveling with the Master on a few occasions. He recollects a few stories that really touched his heart.

1) Once there was a devotee who was telling His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar that he has gone through so many difficulties in life and that Sri Sri was like a roof (Chhat, in Hindi) on top of his head during those times. He told Sri Sri that if not for him, he would not even be alive. Sri Sri laughed and said, I'm like an umbrella, I'm portable. (Chhat ke jaise nahin, Chhatri ke jaise).

Click here to read more..........

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Sri Sri Calls For Creating A Stress-Free Society

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Amidst escalating tension in the Eastern Asiatic regions due to North Korean's rocket launch on Friday, Indian spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has called for creating a stress-free and violence-free society.The spiritual leader was in Japan on his three-day tour as a part of his world tour campaign called "Waves of Happiness" which aimed at spreading the message of a stress-free and violence-free society.

Addressing the students of Tokai University, Sri Sri said, "A stress-free and violence-free society is the birthright of every individual. We will create waves of happiness in Japan."

Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda lauded Ravi Shankar. The Prime Minister said, "I am very happy that Sri Sri visited the epicenter of the tsunami and met with the displaced victims. I appreciate the participation of The Art of Living in Japan where the suicide rates are becoming very high."

Source: International Business Time

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Sri Sri's recent tour pics

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Jai guru dev all,
Beautiful snaps of the recent visits of Sri Sri to Taiwan, Japan and to many other places are now online!


Click on the link below to access the collection.
http://www.artoflivinguniverse.org/2011/01/sri-sri-tour-pics.html

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Three types of space: Sri Sri

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Today I want to tell you about three type of space.
One is the external space, in which all the four elements are there. The second type of space is the inner space where thoughts and emotions come from. When you close your eyes – that is inner space.
And then there is the third space. That is the space of energy where there is no thought, no emotion but you just feel energy. In deep meditation you experience that, isn’t it? Or after kriya you experience that space. There are no thoughts, nothing but space.

One is called the Bhut Akash, the outer space, second is Chit Akash the space from where thoughts and emotions come, and third, Chid Akash, i.e., space of consciousness. Consciousness itself is another space deep within us. So we seldom understand; pay attention, to these three different spaces.
Whenever you are frustrated what do you say? ‘Give me some space. I want to be by myself.’ It is very important. All inventions come from these three types of space. In the Chid Akash, in the consciousness it is already there. All knowledge comes to Chit Akash from the Chidakash through thoughts and emotions. Songs come as emotions, science comes as thoughts and ideas and then they manifest.
Meditation is recognizing these three spaces.

Sometimes you sit and watch the vast space, put your attention there, and the mind also becomes blank. For how many of you it has happened?
On a nice day, cloudless sky, just bright stars are there and you just lie down and keep gazing at the sky. When you gaze at the sky what happens? That space gets created inside too. A sort of emptiness and you get into a meditative state. So, all the thoughts, ideas, everything we do remains in this space. Maybe in the future sometime someone will invent a device to tap into the Akashic records. Then you can find out what happened in 2010, 2011 and before that. What knowledge came, where and who was thinking what - all that can be reviewed sometime in the future because time has inscriptions of all ideas.

You may have noticed in your own life, some places you get jittery and angry. How many have experienced this? What has happened? In that space there are people who have been angry or agitated. So you move into that space and it affects your whole behavior. And when you’re in good company what happens? You feel so much lighter, uplifted inside, totally at ease and at peace. Hasn’t this happened to you? How many feel this has happened, tell me?

So the company matters, really matters. That doesn’t mean you should avoid people because they are not good company. You also should be strong and instead of running away from negative influence you must positively impact any negative environment. And the meditations (in the advance course) will help you be very strong and stable in that space. So wherever you go, you carry your space and you make an influence rather than getting affected. Not be a ping pong ball but be the bat so you can influence the space around you. (Clapping)

This you must strongly know so that you don’t run away from a situation unless or until it is so bad that it is swallowing you. Then you gently move away, don’t run away. Are you getting what I am saying?

So when children are playing the space is beautiful. When you are singing and everyone is singing the same tune, that space generated is harmonious and serene, especially the ancient songs, the old songs. The Sanskrit chants have an added influence because these have been in the Akashic record for the last 20,000 to 50,000 years. Maybe more, you don’t even know since when it was there. So those vibrations make it very benevolent and have a strong influence on the system.

Anything that is Divine is always universal. Are you getting what I am saying? Yes! Culture is different, religion is different, ways of dressing is different, music is different, different places, but the space is the same. The inner space is the same. And it is amazing that this science was known thousands of years ago. Good, good, good!

So many of you have just come today and you must be just relaxing. How many of you feel that as soon as you entered the ashram already you feel lighter? A different experience, a different space; you could feel that right! It’s obvious; even in Bangalore ashram, because there is meditation happening there everyday people say, ‘I just come in and wow, I already feel lighter. My mind is clearer’. It’s interesting how the universe functions, very good!

Source: http://www.artofliving.org/three-types-space

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Close Encounters of the Screen Kind: Investigating the Role of Human Values in Hollywood Storytelling

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Wednesday, April 18, 2012. 7:30 pm @ Davidson Conference Center (DCC), Embassy Room.

The Art of Living Foundation, International Association for Human Values, USC Spectrum, USC Office of Religious Life and USC Yoga and Service Club present:
Close Encounters of the Screen Kind: Investigating the Role of Human Values in Hollywood Storytelling
How do we inspire awareness and promote human values through film, television, and new media? Through their respective lenses of expertise, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and key members of the entertainment industry will examine this crucial question. Their presentations will be followed by a moderated panel discussion exploring how changing the stories we see on-screen, changes the stories we live as human beings.
As an ambassador of peace, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar plays a key role in conflict resolution and spreads his vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings worldwide. Regarded as a neutral figure with a sole agenda of peace, he represents hope to people in conflict. Through his initiatives and addresses, Sri Sri has consistently emphasized the need for reinforcing human values and recognizing humanity as our highest identity. Fostering interfaith harmony and calling for multi-cultural education as the remedy for fanaticism are significant parts of his efforts to achieve sustainable peace on our planet. His work has touched the lives of millions of people around the world, going beyond the barriers of race, nationality and religion with the message of a “one-world family”; that inner and outer peace are possible; and that a stress-free, violence-free society can be created through service and the reawakening of human values.
Admission is free for USC students, faculty and staff. Tickets available in advance at USC Spectrum (Tutor Campus Center #427); USC ID required.

Source: USCDornsifehub

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Spiritual Leader, Tireless Humanitarian Coming to Vancouver

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Meet H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Most people conjure up images of icy mountain tops, dark caves, and waterfalls when they picture enlightened individuals. Sri Sri prefers bringing relief to traumatized victims of natural disasters, smiles to those caught up in war zones, and prisoners who’ve never experienced an ounce of compassion. But that’s just the beginning, over the last 30 years, he’s built one of the most active volunteer-based non-governmental organizations in the world, The Art of Living Foundation. Here is a snippet of the areas in which they are active, disaster relief, sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation,education for all, and environmental sustainability. If you had trouble counting, you’re not alone, the Foundation has charitable status and is recognized in well-over 140+ countries around the world, not to mention their consultative status with the Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

So, how does one man accomplish all this? Simple,with a vision so ideal, and actions so practical, that other’s can’t help but get inspired and infected by a deep sense of personal responsibility and ownership for not only their own lives but for the world around them. “What is that vision?” you ask. Simple, a “stress-free and violence-free society”. Now you’re probably wondering, “How?”.

To start, the Foundation offers a series of workshops and seminars that integrate Eastern wisdom, simple breathing exercises, yoga and meditation to first give the individual a peaceful and calm mind, so that the individual may become inspired to look to do something for others. Sri Sri will be personally teaching a one-day workshop encompassing all those components on April 15 at the Radisson Hotel in Richmond.

That takes care of making Vancouver stress-free, now you’re probably wondering about the violence-free part. To address that, Sri Sri will be hosting a symposium and panel discussion with leaders from all spiritual denominations to look at solutions to the increasing rate of youth violence in our schools and communities. The event, taking place at the St. Andrew’s-Wesley Church on April 16 is rightfully dubbed “HumanKind” and will be a one-of-a-kind occasion where commonly attributed labels of religion, ethnicity, and culture are set aside, and the most obvious label, “Human” will be in the spotlight. Curious to learn more? For more information and to register for the events, visit www.srisrivancouver.ca.

Source: Vancity buzz

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Spiritual Leader and Renowned Humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Los Angeles, April 18-22

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The Art of Living Foundation announced that international spiritual leader and peacemaker Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will bring his timely message of individual empowerment and human values to Los Angeles, April 18-22. His visit marks the launch of a national campaign that offers a solution to the challenge of stress, helping individuals empower themselves to live a life of greater happiness and fulfillment.
Sri Sri will lead a three evening series titled “Secrets of Meditation,” April 19-21, 7.30p.m. He will also provide a commentary on a key Upanishad during his visit. The Upanishads are ancient texts that contain knowledge of living life in higher states of consciousness. In all of these forums, Sri Sri will bring out knowledge in a way that is relevant to modern life and instill participants with a sense of greater peace, awareness and happiness.
“The ‘Secrets of Meditation’ series is an incredible opportunity to experience deep meditations and profound knowledge with a revered spiritual teacher who makes life’s profound truths accessible in a simple manner,” said Michael Fischman, president of the U.S. Art of Living Foundation.
Named one of the five most powerful people in India by Forbes, Sri Sri has inspired a global phenomenon of compassion and service through his campaign to create a violence-free, stress-free world. His initiatives in conflict resolution, trauma and disaster relief, business and social responsibility, prisoner rehabilitation, youth leadership, women’s empowerment, PTSD relief, and education, and his programs of meditation, breathing, and self development have impacted the lives of more than 30 million people worldwide. In particular, the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES!) programs are helping thousands of young people in inner city high schools in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New Orleans, where children and teens have reported reduced stress and improved performance.
This will be Sri Sri’s third visit to the Art of Living’s new Los Angeles Center, which was inaugurated in April 2010. A historic landmark building in the West Adams district near USC, the Center has already established itself as an instrument for community upliftment through its breathing, meditation, yoga, and knowledge programs, as well as ongoing cultural events and forums designed to build bridges of understanding between the city’s diverse communities.
The Sri Sri-founded partner organizations, the Art of Living Foundation, International Association for Human Values, and Ved Vignan Mahavidyapeeth (VVM), have collaborated to offer self-development programs for adults, corporate leaders, leadership development for young adults, summer camps for children, as well as specialized programs for returning veterans, people with HIV and their caregivers, and international cultural events. Sri Sri’s flagship Art of Living Course is taught in 151 countries, and numerous studies on its core breathing practices have been published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

Source: PRWeb

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Meditation with Ten thousand people (Taiwan)

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Dear Friends,
We have some exciting news to share with you. On April 10 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Guruji) will be in Taiwan.
For the benefit of everyone we will be holding a 10,000 people meditation for Peace in Taiwan and the Whole World to be led by Guruji himself. Guruji only comes to Taiwan once every few years and when he does many positive even
miraculous things occur.
It is an event not to be missed. Please spread this news to all your friends and family so that everyone can enjoy a once in a life time experience!



Note: You can watch the live webcast of this event on 10 April from 5:00 pm IST on youtube.com/artoflivingtv and artofliving.org/satsang

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Breathing

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"You can experiment," says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. "For a few moments, keep your body steady and keep your eyes steady. You will see, almost immediately, the mind will also become steady. The mind and breath will come to a standstill. This is when time stops. That is the state where you feel you could stay like this for a million years, where the mind freezes, like you put vegetables in the freezer and they stay fresh forever. This is the secret of youthfulness, the secret of bubbling enthusiasm, the secret of renewal of life. This is samadhi, steadiness."
In the 30 years since spiritual leader and humanitarian His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar started the Art of Living Foundation, he has seen his programs become adopted on six continents and in 151 countries, with participation by heads of state, people in inner cities, prisoners and guards, cultural and corporate leaders, veterans, social and environmental activists, people in areas of natural disaster and conflict, and warring parties (who, in several places, have been inspired to lay down their arms). There is a biography about Sri Sri (as he is known) by well-known French journalist François Gautier, with the telling title, "The Guru of Joy."

"There are really two kinds of activities that Sri Sri has inspired," says Austin Myers, chairwoman of the Los Angeles Art of Living center, "Breathing and meditation courses for individuals, and service and relief programs for communities and people in trauma."

Myers oversees a center that opened in 2010 in the historic former Second Church of Christ, Scientist building in the West Adams neighborhood near USC. A tall, thin woman, originally from Florida, she used to work full-time in the movie industry as a costumer, getting her start in the big leagues with the "Miami Vice" TV series, and working on many movies and TV series since then. She took the flagship Art of Living Course in 1997, but says that people have been taking the program in the Greater Los Angeles area since 1987.

"Some people are drawn to the Art of Living for stress relief or to improve their health or energy," she notes. "And it has certainly helped me that way. But for me, Sri Sri himself was the hook. He has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize several times and has brokered peace between opposing political factions and even terrorists. And those things are important, obviously. But the love that comes through was the real key for me. Even my mother was drawn to that, and actually became a big proponent in her circle of Miami charity activists."
Myers describes the Art of Living Course as Sri Sri's "core program," which includes a meditative breathing process called Sudarshan Kriya.

When someone attending a talk by Sri Sri complained that they felt peace in the meditation they had been doing for many years, but that it did not stay with them enough during the day, Sri Sri noted, "The Kriya and the small techniques that are done in the two-day program help one to bridge this gap," explaining that with the breath, the effect is brought into the physical.

But apparently, the effect doesn't stop with the individual. Myers notes that Art of Living volunteers were among the first on the scene after the South Asian tsunami, and that one researcher found that the approach they were using brought relief from post-traumatic stress disorder in as little as eight hours.

Veterans have had similar relief, she notes, pointing to a pamphlet describing veterans programs that are taught through a partner organization. It includes some comments from Iraq veterans, and a chilling quote from a Vietnam veteran named Noel Olsen: "If I could have been availed of this breathing 40 years ago, I feel that it would have helped my whole life and things would have gone a lot better. I know that I'm subject to flashbacks and re-experiencing things that I went through in the war. What the breathing has done is to take away the power of those flashbacks. I believe all veterans can benefit from taking the course and learning how to be at peace with what you may have done."

Art of Living volunteers were also on the scene in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and Art of Living was chosen as the stress-relief component in the Back on Track America effort that traveled the country helping to restore business and confidence after 9/11.

Environmentally, Art of Living volunteers have planted more than 10 million trees as part of the United Nations Millennium Campaign, trained more than 10,000 farmers in organic, chemical-free farming—resulting in increased production and income and reduced costs—while addressing the farmer suicide crisis in India. They also started a Haiti Reforestation Project to plant and nurture 1.5 million trees, in a country where 98 percent of the once-lush forests have been cut and 70 percent of the land is no longer cultivable. (Volunteers have helped bring relief after the earthquake there, too.)

"It is insensitivity that makes a person act callously toward the environment," Sri Sri has explained. "If a person is sensitive, he will nurture the environment, thereby eradicating pollution."
Myers adds that, "When people start feeling happier and their awareness starts expanding, their attention starts turning toward helping their world."

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will offer a three-evening series called "Secrets of Meditation," April 19-21 at 7:30 p.m., at the Art of Living Center, Los Angeles, 948 West Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007, near the 10 and 110 Freeways, by USC. (It is possible to attend just one evening.) Sri Sri will also be giving a commentary there on a specific 'Upanishad,' one of the ancient texts designed to help people live in higher consciousness. For more information or tickets, call 310.820.942 or visit www.artoflivingLA.org.

Source:Vision Magazine

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Guru Purnima Celebrations 2012

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Jai guru dev Dear Ones,
Click on the image below to know more on the upcoming Guru Purnima Celebrations 2012.

Stay Updated with the Various Art of Living events that happen worldwide by visiting http://www.artoflivinguniverse.org/2010/11/art-of-living-mega-events.html

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