The journey in Art of Living starts with the Part 1 Course. and soon after Art of Living becomes an integral part of their journey of life. The course is an experiential workshop. It imparts techniques that bring a lot of depth to life and show the larger purpose of life. It opens up new perspectives on life. The following is everything you need to know about The Art Of Living GTA Centre.
The corner stone of Art Of Living is Sudarshan Kriya, a powerful breathing technique that cuts down stress and helps individuals focus on the present moment. Today this program is taught around the world as one of the many Art of Living courses. His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living Foundation, a UN affiliated non-governmental agency, and is the inspiration behind many charitable organizations devoted to the service of others.
Doing the course was an experience but coming in close proximity with Sri Sri who is lovingly known as Guruji across the globe is another experience. Coming face to face with him is experiencing the infinity of love. Tears kept rolling down when I first saw Him in Kolkata and had no answer as to why I was in that state. It was hardly important whether He was saying something or not. A most delicate feeling suffused every level of my being, as if a fountain were streaming from within.
In His presence, buds blossom, eyes light up and a wave of peace and comfort heals all wounds in the heart. A drop of love resonates in the stillness of Being, taking one beyond time and space into eternity. Guruji was born in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu to Smt. Visalakshi Ratnam and Shri R. S. Venkat Ratnam. He was named “Ravi” (a common Indian name meaning “sun”) because his birth was on a Sunday and “Shankar” after the 8th century Hindu saint Adi Shankara.
He was a gifted child. By the age of four, He was able to recite parts of the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Sanskrit scripture and was often found in meditation. His first teacher was Sudhakar Chaturvedi, who had had a long cooperation with Mahatma Gandhi. He holds degrees in, both, Vedic literature and physics and also a graduate degree in Bachelor of Science from Bangalore University. After graduation, Guruji travelled with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. The 1980s saw him initiate a series of practical and experiential courses in spirituality around the globe.
Guruji says that His rhythmic breathing exercise Sudarśana-Kriyā came to Him in 1982 “like a poem, an inspiration”, after a ten-day period of silence on the banks of the Bhadra River in Shimoga, state of Karnataka, adding, “I learned it and started teaching it”. Guruji’s ability to connect with people is perfectly effortless and His spiritual appeal, irresistible. To use the words of one of his ardent followers, Sri Sri is as compassionate as Jesus, as playful as Lord Krishna and as erudite as Adi Shankara. He has this uncanny ability of helping people unburden their stress-filled minds. His invaluable sayings act as balms for wounded souls.
Words by themselves are inadequate to express what a Master or a Guru brings to one’s life. His presence, His love, His grace and His smiling attention can uplift one from the miseries and the sorrows that life brings us.
As long as you have Guruji in your life, you don’t really need anyone else. However, if you have another person in your life, who shares the same love that you do for Guruji, for the Knowledge, for Seva, Sadhana and Satsang, then both of you can pull each other up and such a relationship can be an asset for you, and the other person. You need to be whole and complete by yourself. And the other person needs to be the same too… Art of Living is a way of life… it opens up communication and fosters openness in your relationship. It may seem difficult to commit to this at first, but by nurturing your relationship with spirituality in marriage, you’ll likely find yourselves greatly enriched and coming back for more!
