The art of living with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
By Kamilla Hemandas
“It is every human being’s birthright to live in disease-free body and a stress-free mind. Yet, neither at school nor at home have we been taught how to deal with our negative emotions. To be able to deal with our mind and negative emotions is an art: the Art of Living.”—Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee 2006.
It seems difficult to believe that something as mundane as breathing would be life changing. And yet, the graduates of the Art of Living course come away from it claiming to have learned to live a happier fuller life. Their smiles seem more radiant, attitudes optimistic and enthusiastic and judging from their behavior, their stress levels greatly reduced. All of them attribute the changes in them to the Art of Living workshop where they learned many practical life-coping skills.
As an individual on a constant quest for holistic wellness, I resolved to experience an AOL (an acronym for Art of Living) workshop and hopefully
derive its benefits. Serendipitously, in January, a course opened in Manila at the Makati Shangri-La and I quickly signed up. For a few hours in the
afternoon, six days in total, I listened to the soothing voice of Ruth Kuok, a Hong Kong based AOL volunteer who has made it her life’s calling to spread the practical wisdom of AOL. Clad in an Indian traditional tunic “salwaar kameez,” she patiently guided the class through interactive techniques of yoga, stretching and powerful breathing exercises. We were a mixed group of 40 individuals of varied backgrounds and ages, but were one in our desire to learn. There was a retired college teacher in her 70s who lamented that she came to find peace in the twilight of her life. A harried looking executive in his business suit, who hoped to find an antidote for the burnout feeling he was experiencing in his career, a few overweight women looking to shed a few pounds by practicing the yoga and breathing, a glamorous group of friends who wanted to learn extra skills to stay attractive and active and many employees of the Shangri-La Hotel Makati. For six days, we sat together, supported each other and learned powerful breathing sequences, simple yoga postures complimented by relaxation and meditation techniques. Ruth, in her compassionate voice, stressed that the course was all about managing stress and managing ourselves. The organization did not matter, but what was important was, the individual, and putting to practice in our daily routine the helpful breathing techniques and correcting our own mental dialogue. She asked many introspective questions and later pointed out the flaws in some of the answers that are preventing us from leading a joyful life. “Happiness is a choice we make each day and joy is to be had from living in the moment and embracing the experiences of each day. Goals and ambitions are fine as they keep you focused, but don’t forget to enjoy the daily journey.”
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
A Nobel Peace Prize nominee, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a 50-year-old guru, based in Bangalore, India, is the founder of the Art Of Living Foundation. (not to be mistaken for another famous Ravi Shankar who is a sitar virtuoso) Many describe him as “Joy Personified.” When asked why he tirelessly travels the world spreading the wisdom of the “art of living,” he replies: “I want to bring a smile to everyone’s heart. Existence is a fact. But living is an art.” Through the workshops, millions of people across the world irrespective of age, race, religion and gender in 146 countries and across five continents have experienced the benefits of inner peace, improved health and a stress-free mind. To date, over 300 Filipinos have taken the course since the Philippine chapter was organized in 2005. Shankar is scheduled to visit Manila and personally conduct a “Health and Happiness” workshop at the Shangri-La Edsa Hotel from April 25-27. The three-day program will include yoga, meditation and a unique breathing technique that aims to relieve stress, anxiety, depression and restore human values to individuals from all backgrounds, religions and cultural traditions. For details, visit the Art of Living Web site at www.artofliving.org.ph or text 0917-791-0190 for inquiries.
E-mail the author at kamillahemandas@yahoo.com.\
