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Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and My Self!

Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and My Self!

Category Archives: Art Of Living

Secrets of Marriage – By Tenali Raman and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

03 Sunday Mar 2013

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living, Inspirational Quotes, Knowledge

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Ego, emotions, Love, marriage, Meditation, Secrets, Sri Sri, Tenali Raman

Sharing some beautiful knowledge that I read this morning. Enjoy!

What is it that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘marriage’? Two people, whose hearts and minds are united, who care for each other and who share a sacred bond nourished by love, companionship and faith, isn’t it?

However, have you seen sometimes that your marriage might not meet your or your spouse’s expectations? When such challenging situations constantly arise, you may require some skill to nurture your relationship. How to develop that skill? Meditation might help.

These are some practical tips which, when kept in mind, can make this journey smoother and more comfortable for both your spouse and you.

Tenali Raman, known for his wisdom and wit, sets an example for the secrets of a happy married life.

Secret 1- Pamper your man’s ego

One of the courtiers from the king’s durbar (court) was jealous of Tenali’s wisdom. One day, he approached Tenali’s wife.

Courtier – Your husband’s brain is the size of a peanut!

Tenali’s wife – So what, it’s the world’s largest peanut.

This secret is for women. Never step on the ego of your man.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar – The whole world may say to him that he has no brains, but you, his wife, should never say that. You should always say, ‘You are the most intelligent person on the planet. Just the fact that you don’t use your brain does not mean you don’t have it!’ You should always pump his ego. Just praise and shower him with compliments sometimes. Even when he has made some mistake, tell him that he has the ability to do better. Just that little praise will make him feel better.

The most important thing to a man is that at least his wife thinks that he is the best. Now, pampering his ego may require you to capture all the goodness in him and amplify it. And this skill develops with meditation.

Secret 2 – Respect your wife’s emotions

Tenali Raman gives 20 gold coins to his wife.

Wife (happily) – Now I’ll do my monthly shopping!

Seeing this, Tenali’s friend was taken by surprise.

Friend – You gave so much money to your wife, how do you manage all your expenses?

Tenali – Well, managing expenses is easier than managing emotions.

Emotions are very powerful and you can easily get caught up in them. As a man, it is important to deal with the woman’s emotions skilfully. Sometimes, you may have to nurture them well.

Meditation brings in you that skill to be sensitive and sensible at the same time while dealing with your wife’s emotions. It gives you the ability to bring that pleasantness in the atmosphere which is important for a healthy relationship.

Secret 3 – Don’t demand a proof for love

Tenali’s wife – Tenali, will you always love me?

Tenali’s – Hmm, let me think about it.

After a few seconds (smiling)

Tenali – I will love you for as long as the sun keeps shining during the day.

Do you see this? Just like the existence of the sun during the day, certain things are very obvious and do not need any proof. Love is one of those things. We look for a proof for love from our partner all the time.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar- Never ask for proof of your partner’s love for you! Do not ask each other, ’Do you really love me?’ Even if you find something lacking, just say, ’Why do you love me so much?’ Take it for granted that they love you. Even if the spring has died out, it will start again.

Meditation nurtures the qualities of contentment, giving and love in us, so naturally.

Secret 4 – As a couple, have a higher goal for the society

One evening, impressed with Tenali’s wisdom, a saint gives Tenali two fruits of happiness. Tenali decides to keep one for himself and his wife and generously decides to give the other to a worthy couple. He calls three of his closest friends and their wives to tea.

Tenali to the first couple – What do you want in life?

Man – I just want to see my wife happy all the time.

Wife – I just want to see my husband happy all the time.

Tenali to the second couple – What is it that you want in life?

Man – I want to build a nice, big house for the comfort of my wife.

Wife – I want to travel the whole world with my husband!

Tenali to the third couple – What is it that you want to do in life?

Man – I want to create a more holistic education system in our society.

Wife – I want to add to the vision of my husband.

Tenali happily gives the fruit of happiness to the third couple.

When the husband and wife are simply focused on each other all the time, they quickly enter into fights. After the initial phase of marriage, where everything is magical, faults start surfacing all too soon. Lines moving towards each other only move apart after the point of intersection.

Again, when the husband and wife are not focused on each other and their goals in life are different, they stop seeing eye-to-eye with each other and communication and trust break down. Further, when the goals are only to satisfy personal desires, there is not much fulfillment or merit that is gained.

It is only when both are moving together, with their focus on a higher goal for the society, for the world, that values are upheld in the relationship and beauty, love and faith are nourished. Parallel lines move together until infinity. We need to have both personal goals and goals for the society. Only then would we have a sense of fulfillment and higher purpose. This paradigm shift in our thinking, from “What about me?” to “What can I do for others?” happens naturally when we meditate. The skill, courage and commitment to move together, come what may, is nourished and strengthened by meditation. The deeper the foundation, the taller the building will be. Meditation brings this depth to our relationship so that our life and aspirations can reach out to the sky!

Inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s wisdom talks

By Divya Sachdev

Based on inputs by Bharathy Harish, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Expert

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Let the Divine be my Valentine

14 Thursday Feb 2013

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living, Inspirational Quotes, Stories

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Valentine

Happy Valentine’s Day to all. Here is a beautiful question asked to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the answer comes in the form a story that wil touch all. Enjoy!

Question : Do we go to the Guru, or does the Guru find us?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:       There was a talented teacher. He was a great orator, who would convince people very well. He had a fair knowledge of scriptures and spiritual techniques also. He was very good, but he was not complete; he was in search of a Master. Everyone used to honor him, but he lacked that final touch. He just wanted to surrender to a Master. He didn’t have a Master at that time. Only when the time comes, the Master also comes.

So, the time had come. He knew who his Master was, and he was in search for him. When he was departing from the kingdom, the king asked, “Where do you want to go”? He said he wanted to meet such and such a Master in such and such and such a place. Then king said, “Oh, it is so far, 300 kilometers away. You cannot walk and go. You can take my palanquin”. So, he sent his palanquin. The teacher sat in the palanquin and started going towards the Master.

And then he arrived in that town. He asked a person carrying the palanquin to take him to the Master, and one of them, who was carrying the palanquin, stood up and said, ” I am him”.

The teacher was so moved that he fell at his feet. He said, “How could you do this?’ How could you carry me? From where you have been carrying me?”

He answered, “Half the way. I heard you were coming to see me, so half the way I came to bring you to me. Now come, Lets go.” So half the way Master came and carried the palanquin of the disciple and brought him to the place and said,” Here I am the person you are looking for.”

Like that God is already carrying you and is right there with you. You take one step towards the Master, and He will take ten steps towards you. But that one step has to be taken. If you take one step back, God will take ten steps back. This is the tradition of Masters. So much humbleness, humility and simplicity is needed.

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Google Hangout with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for a Violence Free, Stress Free Society

17 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living

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Tags

Google Hangout, Responsibility, Shooting, Society, Sri Sri, Violence, Volunteer

With the increase in violence in the societies all over the world, it is time that Spiritual leaders take steps to effectively stop it. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has always been in the forefront on how spirituality can help reduce violence in the society, schools and in general. The failure of spiritual communities to present values in a more acceptable language to the young and constant rebuffing of traditional religious spiritual values has contributed to the society’s degeneration in a big way. He says everyone of us have a responsibility to bring this change and the spiritual leaders should step up and show the way.

The recent shootings in the high schools have left us all in shock and stressed. We can all talk about what changes need to happen and how it needs to happen. But who has to make it happen? It is US. We need to step up and take responsibility in any way we can. Just a small step like stop buying violent video games or signing a petition to bring in gun control can go a long way.

As a step towards this initiative there is a Google Hangout with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Jan 26th at 10 am EST/7 am PST/3 pm GMT where he will discuss about these issues. Everyone is welcome to join the Hangout! Below are the details.

Google hangout with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for a Stress Free, Violence Free society!

Google hangout with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for a Stress Free, Violence Free society!

This is going to be the biggest online event till date with more than 4000 members and counting!

Join the Event by RSVP on https://plus.google.com/u/0/events/coba0vjo57hl8g0p5pb1r2in6ks

Post your questions for the Hangout here:http://bit.ly/Ue0I9A
and upload your video questions here:http://bit.ly/Ua6Kbs
More details about the event here:http://bit.ly/VLYNrm

I will be there! Will you?

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A new way to Celebrate! – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

09 Wednesday Jan 2013

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living, Inspirational Quotes

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Celebrate, New year, Poem, Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

A poem by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar!

A poem by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar!

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7 ways to achieve Inner Peace and Prosperity by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

06 Sunday Jan 2013

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living, Inspirational Quotes

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Inner peace, Peace, Prosperity, Quotes, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Each new year, people wish each other happiness, prosperity and peace, but only a few seem to know how to be peaceful — like only a few know how to make money. Here are some steps that might help one to find the most needed inner peace.

1. Take Time for Yourself

Often, we become so engrossed in our day-to-day activities, we simply end up gathering more and more information, and do not take time out to think and reflect. Then we feel dull and tired.

A few quiet moments everyday are the source of creativity. Silence heals and rejuvenates and gives you depth and stability. Sometime during the day, sit for a few minutes; get into the cave of your heart, eyes closed, and keep the world away.

Taking some time for yourself improves the quality of your life.

2. Know the Impermanence of Life

See the impermanence in this life.

Millions of years have passed and millions more will come. Nothing is permanent. In this broad, universal context, what is your life? It is not even a drop in the ocean.

Just open your eyes, and ask, “Who am I? Why am I on this planet? What is my lifetime?”

An awareness dawns, and you will stop worrying about little things. All smallness will simply drop and you will be able to live every moment of your life.

When you review your life in a broader context, the quality of your life improves.

3. Perform Random Acts of Kindness

Make a commitment to make this world a better place to live. Do some acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Service alone can bring contentment in life. It creates a sense of connectedness. When you bring some relief to someone through selfless service, good vibrations come to you. When you show kindness, your true nature, which is love and peace, come to the surface.

4. Make Your Smile Cheaper

Every day, every morning, look at the mirror and give a good smile to yourself. Don’t let your smile be snatched away by anybody! Usually, you give your anger freely and smile rarely, as though a smile is costly. Make your smile cheaper and anger expensive!

5. Make Meditation a Part of Life

When we have higher goals in life it leads to stress and restlessness, which can be released through a few minutes of meditation and introspection. Meditation gives you deep rest. The deeper you are able to rest, the more dynamic you will be in activity.

What is meditation?

• Mind without agitation is meditation.
• Mind in the present moment is meditation.
• Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation.
• Mind that comes back home to the source, which is peace and joy, is meditation.

6. Be a Student Always

Know that you are a student forever. Do not underestimate anybody. Knowledge may come to you from any corner. Each occasion teaches you and each person teaches you. The world is your teacher. When you are always looking to learn, you will stop underestimating others. Humility will dawn in your life.

7. Feel Grateful

Our love, faith and belief should be deep-rooted, and then everything else moves on its own. The feeling that “I am blessed” can help you overcome any failure. Once you realize that you are blessed, then all the complaints and grumbling disappear, all the insecurities disappear and you become grateful, contented and peaceful.

– Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s message for 2013

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living, Videos

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

2013, Happy new year, New Year Message, Sri Sri

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar celebrated the new year with everyone in Berlin, Germany. He conducted a new year meditation and gave out his new year message. The video of the talk is below. Enjoy!

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Art of Living enters Jamaican Prisons!

19 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Art of Living, Breath, Dushyant, jamaica, Pranayama, Prison, Yoga

Dushyant Savadia, an international Art of Living teacher, recently took the Art of Living courses to the Jamaican prisons! He met the Director of Correction facilities in Jamaica and within 15 minutes they agreed to have the courses in two of the main prisons in Jamaica. The inmates loved Dushyantji and the course. Below are some of the pictures from the course and their experiences. It is heart warming to see how the lives of these people are touched by something as simple yet profound as their own breath!

Dushyant Savadia teaching the Art of Living course to Prison inmates in Jamaica
Dushyant Savadia teaching the Art of Living course to Prison inmates in Jamaica
Art of Living course in Jamaican prison
Art of Living course in Jamaican prison
Yoga, Pranayama from the Art of Living course in Jamaican prison
Yoga, Pranayama from the Art of Living course in Jamaican prison
Dushyant Savadia with prison inmate
Dushyant Savadia with prison inmate

Sharing from the inmates

“This course had been a great help to me as to say. I thought it was all but a joke at first until I made myself a part of it and the truth is I learnt a lot and I am grateful for the experience”. – Tommy  

“Very good to me. In 12 years this is the best thing in my life. I would like this to continue for next seven months until I leave this institution. It has made me a better man going out to the society back. It will be good for my kids and wife also. I was going to a doctor and was supposed to get an ultrasound. Since this program everything is gone. I sleep better and eat better”. – Leon 

 “I found this class so amazing it help me a lot to control my temper. It helps me breathe properly cause I have asthma and it is fun also with the teachers as they teach a lot things to us so it is helpful and amazing to me”. – Swight 

 “I feel as though I am alive for the first time in my life”. – Paul 

 “Makes me feel like a changed person, makes me feel like doing this everyday. It cuts my temper down. Best thing ever happened to me. It frees my lungs and joints in my body. Makes me happy when we do it, like in school again. I love it” – Jessie 

 “This 6 days course was special to me personally it’s a life time experience for me, it changes my breathing systems and also my mind functions and it makes me think and act positive and also reduces my bad temperament. Thanks a lot to both of you and your team”. – John 

“Well, I am not going to tell any lie, I love it and I don’t mind doing it again”. – Daniel 

“This program has done so much for me I must say as it taught me to be stress free. I am confident in my anger management, I hope to see them again”. – Ricardo 

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Breath and Emotions – The Unknown Duet

17 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living, General

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Art of Living, Breath, emotions, Meditation, Mind, Sri Sri, Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga

I had written a post about how the outer environment affects our inner world in the previous post and promised to speak more about how our breath can help us. Well, here is how it can help us! You can read the previous post here.

Recently, I was involved in a altercation with someone and it turned into a heated argument. We both were going head on head with each other about our opinions and what had happened until I noticed something. I was feeling so hot! My head, face, palms and chest were so hot and it was suffocating! The moment I noticed it, I started to let go of the argument and started taking my awareness inside me to observe all these sensations in the body. This helped me cool down a bit.

Have you been in a situation like this before? What has helped you to come out of it? What helped me to control my emotion at that time was my BREATH.

Breath When Angry
Angry : breath becomes Fast and Shallow
Sad : Breath when sad
Sad : breath becomes long and deep

Every emotion in the body – anger, sadness, joy, etc. has a corresponding rhythm in the body. If we notice our breath when we are angry it is shallow, fast and hot. Yes, our breath can be of various temperature! When we are sad, we sigh – which is long, deep and our exhalation is longer than our inhalation. When in joy or happy – it is long, deep and inhalation is longer than exhalation. Like smelling something really nice or delicious! These emotions trigger these different patterns of breathing in our body. This is done automatically by the body with out any intervention from us.Now here is the best part – We can use the breath to control the emotions too! When I heard this for the first time, I was like – “REALLY? I am not sure about that!”. But this was until I experienced it myself. Breathing in a particular pattern can induce a corresponding emotion. So instead of being overwhelmed by our emotions, we can transform those using specific breathing techniques. You can listen to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explaining in the video.

This is the not the first time we have heard this. We have been doing this for a long time. Have you heard people asking you to take deep breath in and out when you were excited or angry? This is to come out of anger by using your own breath. When you take long deep breaths, the breath induces a sense of calmness or happiness which acts against your anger and helps you snap out it! This the secret behind the technique.

Now we need the skill to know which breath to use when and how. This is where the Art of Living course has helped me. These techniques are taught in such a superb way in this course that anyone can learn and practice it. You learn something called the Sudarshan Kriya in the course which helps you de – stress and release the built up emotions that are hidden deep in your body. You also learn pranayamas – techniques to control your breath, in the course. They teach you the link between the body, breath, mind and emotions that will help you manage your emotions next time. You do a lot of yoga and meditation in the 20 hour course spanning across 4 days which helps you to release the tensions in the body and mind. This is what Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says about Sudarshan Kriya –

The Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of breath which harmonize the rhythms of the body and emotions and bring them in tune with the rhythms of nature. The breath connects the body and mind. Just as emotions affect our patterns of breathing, we can bring about changes in our mental and behavioral patterns by altering the rhythms of our breath. It flushes our anger, anxiety and worry; leaving the mind completely relaxed and energized.

Try it out to experience it yourself! Here is the link : http://www.artofliving.org/us-en/public-programs?center=&scenter=8512&ctype=9142

It is natural for the mind to get caught up in emotions. The duet of the breath and emotions has been there since we came into this world. But we dont have to be stuck in emotions the whole time and lead a life dictated by emotions. When we learn these techniques, it helps us to dance better to this duet. More importantly, it helps us to control the duet! So the next time you are caught up in any emotion, take a deep breath, SMILE and remember – YOU ARE IN CONTROL!

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Bryan Adams meets Sri Sri Ravi Shankar!

05 Monday Nov 2012

Tags

Bryan Adams, Sri Sri

Bryan Adams with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Bryan Adams met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the International Art of Living Center in Bangalore!

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Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam | Filed under Art Of Living

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Senior International Art of Living teacher Dushyant Savadia with West Indies international cricketer Chris Gayle

29 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by Aravind Venkatachalam in Art Of Living

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Art of Living, Chris gayle, Dushyant

Senior International Art of Living teacher Dushyant Savadia with West Indies international cricketer Chris Gayle

Dushyant Savadia with Chris Gayle in Jamaica

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Aravind Venkatachalam

is a senior software engineer living in the Bay area. He is a devotee of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and volunteers for the Art of Living Foundation. He uses this blog to share his ideas on ancient wisdom from the Puranas and from Sri Sri along with many other stories and juicy stuff!!

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