Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

On the 15th of April, I was in Rishikesh. My aunt Rekha was with me. We were there to take Gurudev’s Darshan. After taking a bath in the river Ganga, we got ready to go to the “Art of Living Centre”, which is situated on the banks of the holy Ganges. It is the most beautiful place in the world as per me, so we decided to do our short Kriya there.   Just as we were about to start the Kriya, suddenly I heard Guruji’s voice, for nearly 30 seconds. Before I could begin to wonder where Guruji was, I heard a girl’s voice crying for help. She shouted “Help help!” On learning that someone needed to be rescued, aunt Rekha and I sprung up from our places and went towards the girl. On reaching the point, we saw that a girl was floating in the river, and almost sinking. So I immediately caught hold of the girl’s hands and took her out of the water. After resting for about 3 – 4 minutes, she told us that inspite of being a swimmer, she was not able to save herself and keep afloat, as the for...

Sri Sri has once again gifted me with yet another beautiful Guru story – a memory for a lifetime. Well, it had been more than 4 years since I had done my first course. Ever since then, I had seen the pictures of Bangalore Ashram and heard loads of experiences of devotees, especially from my brother. I had this strong desire to go there. I knew that my mother would not give me the permission to go there so easily. In fact, I had asked her several times, but she refused to let me go. I had been praying really hard to Guruji to make this dream of mine, of visiting the Ashram, come true. Many a times, I would look at His photo and say to Him, “I know my mumma would not allow me to go, but I will wait for the day when you would invite me to the Ashram, miraculously.” Finally, the Divine conspired the same. I had planned to go to USA and had applied for visa the previous month at Delhi. I was rejected at that time because of which I got really disheartened. My visa counsellor sug...

10 tips for a happy married life by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 1. Remember that marriage is a commitment to walk together “Marriage is an institution of patience, sacrifice, caring for each other, and sharing. Our ancient people spoke about saptapadi– the seven vows of marriage one takes in life. The hallmarks of a happy marriage are – a sense of commitment, co-operation, compassion, caring, and less ego. The relationship can bring us strength or weakness depending on the mind. If the mind is strong then relationships are a gift to us, but if the mind is weak and not in control, then relationships can feel like bondage. If you hold each other’s necks, it will feel like bondage. If you walk together, shoulder-to-shoulder with each other, it will serve as a support. So be a support to each other, be a companion, and move forward.” 2. Be available for each other instead of demanding “In a marriage, you should consider the other person as your own part – like your arm or leg....

Five secrets of fulfilling relationships Sri Sri Ravi Shankar unravels the secrets of nurturing and maintaining a relationship What are the secrets of a relationship? How does a relationship develop? First is the attraction. But, if you get what you are attracted to too easily, the charm goes away. However, if it becomes just a little bit difficult to have what you are attracted to, then you develop love for it. What happens when you fall in love? When you love someone, you give yourself to that relationship, and start making demands on that relationship. The moment you start demanding, love diminishes. Then you say, “Oh! I have made a mistake.” Now there is struggle and pain to get out of it. And after you have got out of it, you get into one more, another one, and the story repeats.  The golden three The way to make relationships long-lasting is through the right perception, the right observation, and the right expression. Often people say that nobody understands them...

Question - Gurudev, if our consciousness is so powerful, then why doesn't it heal our body ailments and why do we need doctors and medicines. What is the role of the soul in the body. Gurudev Sri Sri - Body heals, not just with medicine. You give someone medicine and do not let them sleep, then see if the body heals. Impossible. Deep rest is required, and meditation is one such rest. Our body is not used to meditation from the very beginning, or due the circumstances and surrounding, the conditioning of the body is such that medicines also have a role to play. That is why Ayurveda is also a part of the Vedic wisdom, and not just mantras and yoga. Yoga and Ayurveda both have an equal share in keeping the body healthy.