He travels to nearly 40 countries a
year and has started programs and organizations that have touched the lives of
over 300 million people in over 150 countries and on the 8th of April 2015, Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar, one of the world’s icons for human values and peace, will be
visiting the Philippines, to inspire the public for one night only with his
globally recognized wisdom.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar believes that a
peaceful society starts with the peaceful mind of every individual. He started
organizations such as “The Art of Living Foundation” to share best practice
techniques and ancient Wisdom to help people from all over the world manage
their mind and negative emotions - thereby helping them lead healthier and
happier lives.
The Art of Living's programs include
breathing techniques, Yoga, Meditation and simple yet profound life guiding
principles. The core technique known as the Sudarshan Kriya, is a powerful and
revitalizing breathing technique scientifically proven to be beneficial for the
mind and body. Art of Living’s global website, http://www.artofliving.org,
states that “Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of the
breath which harmonize the body, mind and emotions,” It has been proven to be
very effective in managing stress, fatigue and negative emotions such as anger,
frustration and depression.
Founded in 1981, Art of Living
Foundation – is now one of the largest international volunteer-based,
non-profit, educational, charitable and humanitarian organizations having a
special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council
(ECOSOC).
In the Philippines, the Art of Living
has conducted numerous courses and workshops. In 2009, Bienvenido “Donnie”
Tantoco, President of Rustan’s Supercenters Inc., was quoted saying, “Once you
know proper breathing, it is effortless to be in the present moment. I’m
calmer, my mind is more lucid. Basically, I don’t feel so stressed and I have
been sleeping better now than I have in years.”
The Art of Living programs benefit all sectors of society –
people from all backgrounds and all walks of life have enjoyed the various
courses and techniques offered by the foundation. Apart from addressing the
stress and negative emotions of the general public, Art of Living also includes
poverty alleviation, women
empowerment, environmental sustainability and conflict resolution in their
mission.
In the Philippines, the service arm of
the Art of Living deploys volunteers and teachers to conduct workshops free of
charge to various sectors of society. One such workshop, BeST (Breath &
Sound Therapy) is for marginalized, depressed or traumatized people and
communities including victims of calamities in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda and
Ondoy. The BeST program is effective regardless of the number of participants,
making it recognized by other NGO’s as an effective psychosocial remedy to
address deep trauma in large communities where one-on-one sessions are
impractical and costly.
BeST has been conducted throughout the
Philippines from Metro Manila, through Visayas and Mindanao working occasionally
with other NGO’s such as the Red Cross and Save the Children. The Service arm
has also conducted regular workshops for prisoner rehabilitation in Bilibid
Prison, Muntinlupa City as well as Makati City Jail – over 1000 inmates have
been through the program till date.
In light of the recent violence and
tragedies that have befallen the nation, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s visit
complements the national and global call for peace and harmony. “Difficult and
unpleasant times come in everyone’s life,” he says, “What is important is to
keep the faith intact. On a completely dark night, even a flickering lamp can
help you find the way.”
Sri Sri’s visit to Manila marks the
end of his Asian Tour where he is expected to inspire thousands of people
across Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia.
In Manila on April 8, the public
speaking engagement of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be held at the Philippine
International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.
