Humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to give talk in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - 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. On April 8, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, one of the world’s icons for human values and peace, will visit 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 practices and ancient wisdom to help people from all over the world manage their thoughts 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 Sudarshan Kriya, is a powerful and revitalizing breathing technique scientifically proven to manage stress, fatigue and negative emotions such as anger, frustration and depression. Art of Living’s global website, www.artofliving.org, states that, “Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of the breath which harmonize the body, mind and emotions.”

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.

In the Philippines, Art of Living has conducted numerous courses and workshops. In 2009, Bienvenido “Donnie” Tantoco, president of Rustan’s Supercenters Inc., said, “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.”

Art of Living programs benefit all sectors of society. Courses include poverty alleviation, women empowerment, environmental sustainability and conflict resolution. 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 like typhoons Ondoy and Yolanda.

BeST has been conducted throughout the Philippines, occasionally with other NGOs such as the Red Cross and Save the Children. Regular workshops have been conducted on prisoner rehabilitation in Bilibid Prison, Muntinlupa City as well as Makati City Jail: over 1,000 inmates have been through the program to date.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s visit to Manila marks the end of his Asian tour through Cambodia, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and Indonesia. On April 8, his Manila talk will be held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

Tickets are available at P300 and P100 for students, seniors, teachers, NGO workers, and government employees. Group rates are also available. For more information about this event as well as courses offered, contact the Art of Living Foundation at 0917-840-0049, 0917-848-4898, or 6222-566/63, info@artofliving.org. To learn more or register online, visit www.artofliving.org.