Sri Sri Ravi Shankar offers tips on ‘How to deal with Anxiety’

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Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar exclaims to the packed audience: “Today many are anxious about how to deal with their anxiety! So, here are some of the ways you can manage your anxiety:

• Sing, dance and celebrate. The very intention to celebrate will pull you away from anxiety to a more harmonious state.
• Think about what you can do for others rather than just about yourself. Energize yourself with some service activity.
• Combined practice of yoga, breathing and meditation.
• Know the impermanence of the world.
• Having faith and surrendering to the Divine and knowing that there is a supreme power who loves you. The supreme power is behind you and accepts you totally. The sense of security comes with the sense of belonging.
• Valour/courage: Invoking the lion within you and having an attitude of sacrifice will rescue you from anxiety.
• Reminding yourself that you are committed to a greater goal will keep the anxiety away.
• Being unpredictable for a while. Anxiety is always related to some anticipated action. Do something completely irrelevant and unpredictable. Readiness to face the worst will leave you with stability in the mind.
• Remembering a similar situation in the past when you were able to overcome your anxiety.

Someone in the audience says: “If none of these work just come and be in the presence of the Master (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar).” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader, Peace Ambassador & Founder of Art of Living.

Blossoming In Life & Breath : Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Wisdom by Spiritual leader and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar talks about Blossoming in Life & Breath:

“Have you noticed how you breathe when you are angry, or excited, or sad or

very relaxed?”

“As you are reading, just observe how you are breathing? There is certain

rhythm to our breath.”

Our breath pattern is closely linked with our emotions. When we are fearful the

breath is shallow, when we are excited breathing is fast, when we are centered

and happy the breath is deep and long.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar advises:

“If one cannot handle mind directly, one can do that through the breath. Yoga,

Pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya makes it so easy and fun!”

Most of us only utlilize 40% of our lung capacity. Doing Sudarshan Kriya and

pranayamas (breathing techniques like Nadi shodhan Pranayama, Bhastrika,

Yogic Breath) will greatly improve our metabolic rate and functioning and

improve our immunity and sleep.

So follow this advice and see your life take a beautiful turn!

Asserting Authority Indicates Lack of Confidence

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Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Love and authority are totally opposite values yet they co-exist. The grosser the consciousness, authority has to be more pronounced.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar elaborates:

“The more refined and subtle the consciousness, lesser is the need to exercise authority. When you are gross, you demand authority and when you demand authority, love recedes. Asserting authority indicates lack of confidence and love. The more evident one’s authority, the less sensitive and effective it will be.

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji:

“A sensible person would not demand authority at all, but will assume it.

The most effective CEOs will not make you feel their authority, for authority can never bring inspiration.

Your sincere servant has more authority over you than your boss, isn’t that so? A baby has full authority over the mother. Similarly, a devotee has all the authority over the Divine, though he never exercises it. So, the subtler you become, the more authority you gain.

The greater the love, subtler will be the authority. The lesser the love, the more pronounced will be the authority.”

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader, Peace Ambassador & Founder of Art of Living.

Education is Needed!

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Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has always emphasized the crucial importance of

Education. He has started free schools throughout India.  43,000 plus children from

backward regions are being provided free education.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has created a unique pedagogy. This is a combination of

modern science and traditional wisdom. Hence, side-by-side with Physics,

Chemistry, Computer Science, etc., Vedic sciences are taught.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has always stressed on holistic development. Development of

the brain is important, no doubt.  Development of the heart is equally vital. Hence,

respect for the elderly, the environment, women, etc. are also developed.

During a satsang, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was asked some rapid-fire questions” –

Gurudev, there are some rapid fire questions.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Love: Your nature.

Politics: Nature of the world.

Master: Indispensable.

Education: Needed.

Sewa: Intelligent people do it.

Money: Intelligent don’t worry about it.

Wisdom: You need to acquire it.

Technology: Brings comfort, it should be used for comfort.

Health: Most people ignore it.

Relationships: Where people get stuck.

Heart: That comes under the hat.

Karma: It is my karma to answer these questions, and your karma to hear them.

Power: Should not be misused.

Fire: One of the five elements.

Angels: Rule the planets.

Anger: Ruins life.

Future: Work for it.

Marriage: Option.

Teacher: Deserves respect.

Success: Follows you, if you follow knowledge.

Country: Not just geographical boundary, but more than that.

Krishna: Your soul.

Intelligence: We don’t lack it.

Corruption: Should be done away with.

Craziness: Makes the world more fun.

5 points to develop your personality- A talk by Sri Sri

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Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar words on personality development: To develop your personality, you have to spend five days to have these five experiences to really blossom in your life. You can develop your personality with these five experiences. You have to sincerely play these five roles:

1. The first role which I would recommend to you is to be a school teacher. To teach lessons to children who are not learning, you need a lot of patience. Being a nursery or primary school teacher, even for one day, you will see how you have to increase your patience.

2. Be a Gardener or spend a day with a farmer. If you are sowing the seeds, if you are watering the plants, you will know how you must care for water, earth and environment. You will have a feeling for the environment. You will value food and you will not waste food. You know, what we do? We bring so much food, and we put in the fridge, and after few days from the refrigerator we throw the food. We are wasting millions and millions of tons of food every day. We should not waste food. This we will learn, if we spend one day being a farmer or a gardener.

3. You should spend a day in the mental hospital. Whatever people talk in the mental hospital, you don’t mind. If they scold you, if they blame you, if they curse you, will you mind? You don’t mind because this person is mentally sick.

You know, many people are outside the hospital that does not mean they are mentally well. So, in life, you come across people who blame you for nothing, who are jealous or angry, who say things that make no sense. Then you know you will have patience to deal with them with a smile. You will not take the garbage inside and spoil your mind.

So if you spend one day in mental hospital, you will know how to save your mind. You will stop being a football of others’ opinions.

4. One day you must go to prison. Maybe it is shocking to you. You don’t have to do a wrong thing to go to a prison. Just go visit a prison, spend a little time with the prisoners. You will understand what compassion is. What helplessness is? Those people did a mistake without awareness. So you will know how you must have a say on your emotions.

5. There are terminally ill people in the hospital. Spend one day with them and you will realize how precious life is. And you will start valuing health. You will eat better, you will exercise. You will do all that is needed to be more vibrant in your life.

With these five days what would be the outcome?

I guess from these five days you will become more vibrant, more alive, more loving, compassionate and active. Many of us have a tendency to think a lot. Thinking and thinking, that is it. We don’t act. Some people simply act without even thinking. Both need balancing.

We need to have that balance of thinking and acting: a perfect coordination of our thoughts and actions. Sensitivity and sensibility – both need to be matured.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar words on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji’s wisdom words on how to achieve the goal of an international society free of drug abuse:

The nature of mind is to seek joy, seek ecstasy. Know that it cannot be found in the area of the five senses: taste, touch.

The craving continues to exist because it wants the highest. Mind belongs to the highest peace. In search of the higher ecstasy and satisfaction, one has gone into the trap of drugs.

If you look at the drug addicts. They will not exhibit any of these qualities: peace, contentment, joy. When you are addicted to drugs you look worn out and sick and also will lose alertness. This very well denotes that drugs only give an empty promise and they do not deliver.

There is a small story. There is a gentleman who prayed and asked God for a conch. Whatever you ask, Gods will give you. The gentleman’s neighbour got so jealous, he also went in search of a similar conch. He found one that will double whatever you ask for it. He feels that this conch is better that his neighbour’s conch.

He brought the conch home. He asked the conch for a bungalow. The conch said, “Why one, take two bungalows?” It would simply double whatever he asked for, but not deliver. All addictions of this planet promise joy, but they never deliver. Let’s take the simple addiction of smoking. Smoking does not bring any joy, but not smoking gives you pain, suffering, and problem. How to get over it?

 

There are three things that you do to get over addictions:

1. Fear of disease: If doctor says, if you take one more peg of alcohol you will be dead.
2. Greed. If someone tempts you for something bigger. If you stop your addiction for a month you will get a million rupees.
3. Love for something higher. I would prefer love over fear and greed. Love can elevate your body-mind complex and stop the craving.
4. Having a bigger addiction. Something that can intoxicate you. This is love for the creator, love for God. A higher ecstasy that you can find through meditation, pranayama, devotional dance.

They can all give you such an ecstasy which can snap you out of addictions. Sudarshan Kriya and Shakti Kriya are techniques that can help people find the happiness that they are seeking. We are seeking happiness here and there. But the source of happiness is right here: within. This can help people find what they have been looking for all their life. We need to be more aggressive in our approach to make people understand and get people out of their addictions. Once people do this, they know. I could get the peace. That is here in a permanent basis. The benefits of meditation are many: health is at its optimum and your mind is calm and serene, you r heart is full of love for everyone. You exuberate all this. We become self-reliant and we become strong. That inspires many around you. It is that conch that really delivers and not just promises you. We need to take the techniques of yoga and meditation to every house. Spirituality, though it may appear to be a little strenuous, but on a permanent basis delivers what you have been looking for in addictions all your life.

Harnessing Young Minds Through Right Education

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“A true winner is one who smiles through all life’s challenges.” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

When asked “What is the best advice to give to young children?” Sri Sri Ravi Shankar replied:

“God has given you the greatest gift, your smile. Don’t let it be dropped by adults. Maintain it when you grow old also. So, deepen your roots and broaden your vision.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has designed many programs for youngsters ( YES, Art Excel, Sri Sri Sanskar Kendras) so that youngsters get the right mix of ancient time-tested values with current educational developments. He explains:

“Life is like the tree. The roots are old but the shoots are new. Life needs to be combined with old and new. Only old is no good and only new is no good. Life is a combination of the ancient and modern. What do you think?”

Encouraging youngsters to contribute to the social fabric in constructive ways that enhance their skills and broaden their vision, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar advices:

“What we receive we should give back to society, and as students you have received so much education here, now see how you can put that into use in life.”

“Education is meant not to just make us tablets of information but living examples of high standards of ethics.”

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar points out that –

“The trouble in today’s world is not because of lack of education but because education is being misrepresented, misused and misunderstood.”

Giving the example of our Art of living school located in a Naxalite region, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar shares:

“A decade ago, the only thing the children wanted to be was naxalites because that was the only vocation they were ever exposed to. The village was a picture of poverty and malnutrition with a heavy atmosphere of fear hanging over it. With the school coming up, there was laughter and discussions among the village folk in the evenings.”

“The open library exposed people to new ideas. Recently, the first batch of children graduated from the school and many of them have enrolled for college – something that has never happened in this area. Suddenly, there was hope for a new life among people. Many villagers went out and looked for jobs and that has changed the economic condition of the area.”

Elaborating on the plus points of a good education Sri Sri Ravi Shankar states:

“Education is to make us such strong personalities, which would spread harmony, which would bring progress in the society and spread love and compassion. This is what I strongly believe. So we need to educate ourselves and people around us. Education is to make one a strong personality, a personality which would stand up to criticism and give constructive criticism. A personality which would create friendliness all over, which has humor and a sense of belongingness along with it and this is what the world is looking for today.”

How I kicked the habit of alcohol addiction

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Sri Sri, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

“We cannot control the rain, but we can move ahead with greater confidence when we have an umbrella with us!” These wise words caught my attention as I was surfing the Art of Living website. Life has a way of pulling the rug from under your feet and I was looking for a safe haven from the vagaries of existence.  That was when I visited the website. But first things first…

I had moved to Bangalore leaving my family when I got admission into a reputed law college here. Coming from a protected background, it was a challenge for me to survive in the big city all alone. I was feeling lonely and lost and sought out the wrong kind of people to keep me company. I thought the only way to make and keep friends is by partying. I made friends with people who took me on the path of self-destruction. We would get together each evening and binge on booze, cigarettes and non-vegetarian food, all three of which were easily available if you had the money to spend. The alcohol gave me a kick and made me feel that life was wonderful and happy and the so-called ‘friends’ loved me for who I was. I received support that I was seeking from the outside world, little realising that it was just a mirage and that my drinking pals would vanish the day I didn’t have the money to fund our vices. Smoking and alcohol thus became an integral part of my life. I got hooked on to these habits and felt I could not do without them.

One day I woke up with a splitting headache and could not attend college. I lay the whole day in bed feeling nauseated and sick. I realised that I couldn’t go on in this manner. I had to do something about my life. What should I do? How do I get out of this vicious circle? Who should I turn to for help? These questions agitated my mind.

Suddenly an idea struck me. Being in Bangalore I had heard about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji. His influence on the young minds is so great that there is always someone in every college or school that has done one of the courses offered by the Art of Living Foundation or at least knows someone who has.

I sought help.

I visited the Bangalore Ashram in August 2011. The serene and sylvan surroundings at once captured my heart. I felt I had come home! There I got an opportunity to see our beloved Guruji. His presence was mesmerizing. He seemed to be a divine being. I felt as though I was in a different world — a world of peace and bliss, a world that seemed like heaven on earth. And before I realized I found myself sitting for the next YES+ course in the Ashram, in the presence of Sri Sri Himself. The Youth Empowerment Seminar included interactive training on life skills, techniques to improve mental concentration and methods to overcome fear and anxiety through yoga, meditation and a powerful breathing technique called the Sudarshan Kriya.

The first time I did the Sudarshan Kriya, I felt all the negativity being flushed out of my system through my breath. The tears started flowing and washing all the pessimism out of my life.  Positivity filled the vacuum that was created. I could feel the energies changing around me and the realisation dawned that happiness was an inside job. My life was transformed. Things that seemed impossible for me began to actually materialize. I quit smoking and drinking and there has been no urge to get back to it ever again. All this is due to Guruji’s grace.

This is not all. Guruji’s blessings have been so great that apart from helping me to kick the bad habits, he has put me squarely on the road to success. After completing my Law degree, I was on the lookout for a good job as I needed to support myself. Despite several failed attempts at securing a decent job, I did not lose faith. At the core of my being I felt that Guruji would take care of everything and things would work out. I surrendered to the Divine.

Recently, I had an interview scheduled with a multinational company for a Legal post. I sincerely prayed before going for the interview. After the first round of Interview, when I got an opportunity to interact with the other candidates who had come there, I found that I was the only fresher while all the others had had some work experience. My hopes for the job faded considering the fact that my competitors clearly had an upper hand. I thought to myself, “Probably this job is not for me”, but still I did not lose hope. I went through all the other rounds of the interview sincerely and with great patience, applying the 5 Golden Rules that I learnt at the Yes+ course.

What followed was indeed a miracle! To my surprise, when the final list of selected employees came out, mine was the only name on it. I was the only one selected for the job. Wow! I still feel ecstatic thinking about it!

I humbly thanked Guruji in my heart as it was only because of Him that I got the job. I know He is there for all of us and He is watching over us always. He has been a great blessing for me and now I can never imagine my life without Him.

Jai Gurudev
Shilpi

 

 

Tips to Blossom your Personality

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Blossom your Personality, personality development courses, tips for personality

Here are some tips to blossom your personality.

• Set a target: Setting up a target is very essential decision to make your life successful. According to the different circumstances and time we change our aims or targets. We must have an aim and should make efforts to achieve that pointed aim. So it is very important to keep in mind our target when we depart from our aim.
• Good health: Good health is the fundamental aspect of personality development. Here health refers to your fitness and your activeness. You health has direct impact on your personality. On your workplace people get impressed by your work and if you are not physically fit you can’t do your work properly. Good health always motivates you to perform well and helps you to get desired results. So to maintain you health or fitness do usual exercise, take proper meals and take proper rest.
• Intelligence: We can become a hero in crowd and can attract many people towards us if we are intelligent . Intelligent means we should have as much as necessary knowledge to debate on a topic or a subject in society. We should have an art to keep our opinion in front of the world. According to me and my experience everyone can be intelligent. For that read current affair books, face interviews, watch news channels and try to take part in debate competitions etc. it will increase yourself-confidence and you would have an art to face society.
• Strong willpower: Strong willpower is a commitment of a person to himself/herself. It plays a key role in the personality development of a person. To become a strong determined person we have to make plans and implement the plans at correct time. Strong determination and planning helps us to build up a good personality and helps to achieve the goals but it is so important that the timing of implementations must be appropriate. Wrong timing may result in disappointment.
• Good Dressing sense: Good dressing sense is also very important for your personality. It increases your influence in a crowd. It can also increase your confidence. Dressing sense must be according to the occasions and situations. For example, if you are getting ready for an interview and you wears funky dress, there will be a bad impact about your personality.
• Talking sense should be good: Your words and your style of talking shows your nature or character. Think before what you speak. In public talk very gently with others and never ignore others. If you use bad language, become over smart and ignore others, this will turn down your value in front of them. So be good in your talking style and get respect from others.

One can also join some personality development courses to groom oneself.

How be develop a strong personality ??

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develop a strong personality, personality development, personality development tips

When you are looking to move ahead in life, whether it is your profession, job, personal relationships or with regard to your community, effective communication is the most important things that you need to consider.

How does character differ from conduct?

Simply stated, character lies within us, and conduct is action reflecting our inner qualities and level of development. Consider the following quotes by theologian E.M. Bounds:

“Conduct is what we do; character is what we are.”

Conduct is the outward life; character is the life unseen, hidden within, yet evidenced by that which is seen.

Conduct is external, seen from without; character is internal–operating within.

Character is the state of the heart; conduct is its outward expression.

Character is the root of the tree; conduct is the fruit it bears.”

How does personal character lead to the growth of spiritual character?

Character, as we usually think of it, is a temporary collection of personality traits that we develop during our time on earth. We build character with each choice, and it reflects our deepest values through our actions. Our personality, with all of its brain-stored character traits will end when our physical life is completed.

At the spiritual level, we have a much broader character that can also grow; and, unlike the character of human personality, it can continue to grow stronger eternally. It is by handling the challenges of life in ways that make character strong, that we also grow
stronger spiritually.

Why is a strong character important?

A strong character in daily life is a positive influence upon others. However, our character also influences our own lives, often unseen, moment by moment, for our inner state determines our actions, attitudes, and ultimate growth.

Emerson once wrote, “The force of character is cumulative.” He was referring not only to the influence of character upon others, but of the expansion created in one’s own spirit—in that “state of the heart” that E. M. Bounds mentioned. The personality development allows for the development of spiritual character. Our spiritual character can also become a lasting character if we accept the invitation to learn.It is always easier to develop and shape the personality of kids.

How can we build a strong and lasting character?

Here are ten examples of actions that build a strong and lasting character…

1. Practice patience when those around you are hurried.

2. Act with faith and diligence when others show mistrust or lack of commitment.

3. Be gentle when you meet with cruelty and harsh temperament.

4. Be courteous, even when others do not show courtesy.

5. Give generously to those who have nothing to give.

6. Communicate peace to those who are saddened or anxious.

7. Express gratitude for every experience and person you have known.

8. Act with self-control when dealing with those who are out of control.

9. Be encouraging to those who are discouraged.

10. Act with self-discipline, even when it is difficult to take correct actions.

This list could continue. The necessary actions will be different for each individual and will present some very important feedback for his or her inner work.

These actions may often seem very difficult. Their level of difficulty for each of us is a reflection—for our benefit—of our inner level of character development. The situations in which these actions are called for are those situations we must experience as continuing changes and challenges designed to teach us about ourselves. They invite us to begin to develop traits such as patience, faith, generosity, gratitude, and self-control. As we begin to allow these qualities to unfold within the heart, our conduct will naturally reflect outwardly those inner qualities.

All life experiences invite us to grow in spirit. In each circumstance, God’s will is working to teach us about the ultimate state of love from which he created us to be unique individuals. May you experience the peace and love in His gift of a strong and lasting character.