Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Content
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian leader, a spiritual teacher, and an ambassador of
peace. His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the world
over through service projects and the courses of The Art of Living.
Numerous honors have been bestowed upon Gurudev, including the highest civilian awards of
Colombia, Mongolia and Paraguay. He has also been conferred with 15 honorary doctorates from
around the world.
Gurudev is the Chancellor of Sri Sri University and the Chairman of the Quality Control of India
Yoga Certification Committee. He is also a member of the Amarnath Shrine Board (appointed by
Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India). Gurudev was the Chairman of Reception Committee
for the 500th anniversary celebrations of the Coronation of Krishnadevaraya (by Government of
Karnataka, India).
The Beginning
Born in 1956 in Southern India, Gurudev 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. He holds degrees in, both, Vedic literature and physics.
In 1982, Gurudev entered a ten-day period of silence in Shimoga located in the Indian state of
Karnataka and in that silence, Sudarshan Kriya – a powerful breathing technique – was born.
Later Sudarshan Kriya became the centerpiece of the Art of Living courses.
Founding the First Organizations
Gurudev founded The Art of Living Foundation as an international, non-profit, educational, and
humanitarian organization. The educational and self-development programs of the Art of Living
Foundation provide powerful tools to eliminate stress and improve well-being. These programs
include breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and practical wisdom for daily living which have
helped millions around the world to transform their lives.
In 1997, Gurudev created the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) as a global
platform for humanitarian initiatives that solve problems by uplifting human values. Through its
country organizations and partners, IAHV conducts service projects and raises funds for
humanitarian and disaster relief initiatives throughout the world. Activities administered or funded
by IAHV include prisoner rehabilitation, trauma relief for veterans, youth and community
development, disaster and trauma relief, and organizational excellence programs.
Inspiring Service and Globalizing
Wisdom
Gurudev is a noted humanitarian leader who has developed and led programs that provide
assistance to people from a wide range of backgrounds-victims of natural disasters, survivors of
terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations, communities in conflict, among
others. The power of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a
huge body of volunteers who drive these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.
Gurudev is a spiritual teacher. He has rekindled the traditions of yoga and meditation and has
offered them in a form that works in the 21st century. By reviving ancient wisdom, he has created
new techniques for personal and social transformation. These include a powerful technique
called Sudarshan Kriya® which has helped millions of people to find relief from stress and
discover inner reservoirs of energy and peace in daily life. In only three decades, his programs
and initiatives have touched the lives of over 370 million people in 155 countries.
A Figure of Peace
Gurudev is an ambassador of peace. He plays a key role in conflict resolution, spreading his
vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings worldwide. He is regarded as a neutral
figure with peace as his sole agenda, representing hope to people in conflict. He is credited with
bringing hostile parties to the negotiating table in Iraq, the Ivory Coast, Kashmir, and Bihar.
Through his initiatives and addresses, Gurudev has consistently emphasized the need to
reinforce human values and recognize humanity as our highest identity. He has fostered interfaith
harmony and called for multi-cultural education as the remedy for fanaticism and to achieve
sustainable peace on our planet.
His work has touched the lives of millions of people around the world, going beyond the barriers
of race, nationality, and religion with the message of a “one-world family.” He has shown that
inner and outer peace are possible and that a stress-free, violence-free society can be created
through service and by reawakening human values.
peace. His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the world
over through service projects and the courses of The Art of Living.
Numerous honors have been bestowed upon Gurudev, including the highest civilian awards of
Colombia, Mongolia and Paraguay. He has also been conferred with 15 honorary doctorates from
around the world.
Gurudev is the Chancellor of Sri Sri University and the Chairman of the Quality Control of India
Yoga Certification Committee. He is also a member of the Amarnath Shrine Board (appointed by
Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India). Gurudev was the Chairman of Reception Committee
for the 500th anniversary celebrations of the Coronation of Krishnadevaraya (by Government of
Karnataka, India).
The Beginning
Born in 1956 in Southern India, Gurudev 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. He holds degrees in, both, Vedic literature and physics.
In 1982, Gurudev entered a ten-day period of silence in Shimoga located in the Indian state of
Karnataka and in that silence, Sudarshan Kriya – a powerful breathing technique – was born.
Later Sudarshan Kriya became the centerpiece of the Art of Living courses.
Founding the First Organizations
Gurudev founded The Art of Living Foundation as an international, non-profit, educational, and
humanitarian organization. The educational and self-development programs of the Art of Living
Foundation provide powerful tools to eliminate stress and improve well-being. These programs
include breathing techniques, meditation, yoga, and practical wisdom for daily living which have
helped millions around the world to transform their lives.
In 1997, Gurudev created the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) as a global
platform for humanitarian initiatives that solve problems by uplifting human values. Through its
country organizations and partners, IAHV conducts service projects and raises funds for
humanitarian and disaster relief initiatives throughout the world. Activities administered or funded
by IAHV include prisoner rehabilitation, trauma relief for veterans, youth and community
development, disaster and trauma relief, and organizational excellence programs.
Inspiring Service and Globalizing
Wisdom
Gurudev is a noted humanitarian leader who has developed and led programs that provide
assistance to people from a wide range of backgrounds-victims of natural disasters, survivors of
terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations, communities in conflict, among
others. The power of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a
huge body of volunteers who drive these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.
Gurudev is a spiritual teacher. He has rekindled the traditions of yoga and meditation and has
offered them in a form that works in the 21st century. By reviving ancient wisdom, he has created
new techniques for personal and social transformation. These include a powerful technique
called Sudarshan Kriya® which has helped millions of people to find relief from stress and
discover inner reservoirs of energy and peace in daily life. In only three decades, his programs
and initiatives have touched the lives of over 370 million people in 155 countries.
A Figure of Peace
Gurudev is an ambassador of peace. He plays a key role in conflict resolution, spreading his
vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings worldwide. He is regarded as a neutral
figure with peace as his sole agenda, representing hope to people in conflict. He is credited with
bringing hostile parties to the negotiating table in Iraq, the Ivory Coast, Kashmir, and Bihar.
Through his initiatives and addresses, Gurudev has consistently emphasized the need to
reinforce human values and recognize humanity as our highest identity. He has fostered interfaith
harmony and called for multi-cultural education as the remedy for fanaticism and to achieve
sustainable peace on our planet.
His work has touched the lives of millions of people around the world, going beyond the barriers
of race, nationality, and religion with the message of a “one-world family.” He has shown that
inner and outer peace are possible and that a stress-free, violence-free society can be created
through service and by reawakening human values.
