“I had a jaded and serious notion of yoga,” says Devanshi Agarwal, a 19-year-old CA aspirant from Jabalpur, “I believed it was all about difficult and strict postures or a post-retirement hobby. I felt I had too much on my plate to take up yoga.”
That was until one morning she had the experience of being part of a young audience practicing yoga with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. “He made it look so easy, playful, and yet I had an experience so deep. I felt my body and mind lighten up.”
The purpose of yoga, Gurudev says, “is to bring a smile on your face.”
Devanshi would stay up past midnight, braving exam anxiety and restlessness that seemed beyond her control. For an entire generation navigating academic pressure, career anxiety, and the relentless expectations of family and society, the idea of yoga felt like more work than relief.
According to the Government of India’s Causes of Death report, suicide is the leading cause of death among young Indians aged 15 to 29, claiming nearly one in six lives. Almost a quarter of Indian youth are fighting mental health challenges such as depression and anxiety, many dealing with it in ominous silence. A practical and scalable answer to this ubiquitous challenge has come in the form of yoga, which millions of youths now have begun to relate to.
As the world marks the 12th International Yoga Day celebrations on June 21, Gurudev’s four-and-a-half decades-long journey in making yoga accessible, relatable, experiential, and yet sacred to youth is an exercise more relevant than ever.
Did you know?
The 12th International Day of Yoga that is being celebrated in more than 182 countries today by billions of yoga lovers has its origins in a conference of seers and leading yogis titled Yoga: A Science For World Peace, way back in December 2011, when a proclamation was signed by a group of world’s top yoga institutions led by Gurudev at the The Art of Living International Center to have a day dedicated to this ancient science of Yoga, that is India’s gift to the world and what better way than the day of summer solstice, 21 June!
How Does The Guru of Joy Inspire the Youth?
The mark of a great master is in simplifying knowledge for the student in an intelligible manner, while kindling curiosity for it at the same time. Gurudev simplified this timeless practice for an entire generation.
“Yoga should not be seen as just bending and stretching,” he says, “it is not about standing on one leg all day. Yoga is a way of life. Like a flower bud, human life has the potential to blossom fully. The blossoming of human potential to fullness is yoga.”
Giving yoga a much broader yet simpler canvas, he adds, “Look at a small child-their breathing, their posture, their alertness, their ability to live in the moment-all of this is yoga. That innocence and naturalness are already within us. Yoga simply helps us return to it.”
In the 70’s and 80’s, when yoga was mired in misconceptions and seen as taboo in the West, Gurudev did the unthinkable. He made modern science shake hands with the ancient yogic knowledge. He blended both and drew from the reservoir of wisdom encoded in timeless yogic texts like Patanjali Yoga Sutras and other classical literature on yoga.
It is said that the role of a master differs from that of a teacher in that a teacher gives knowledge, but a master brings the experience to you.
Gurudev brought it into the very conscious experience of the practitioners that Yoga was a complete science and way of living that united the body, breath, mind, and spirit.
Through his programs, yoga shed its reputation as a rigid discipline and became something accessible, even enjoyable. For thousands of youth across the country, it became something they actually wanted to do the next morning again.
Taking Yoga to The Last Man Standing
“A violence-free society, quiver-free breath, stress-free mind, inhibition-free intellect, trauma-free memory, and a sorrow-free soul is the birthright of every individual,” Gurudev says.
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Gurudev’s work with yoga is that he refused to let it remain esoteric and the privilege of a few. He took it beyond the wellness studios and elite circles, even carrying it to places and groups often considered beyond redemption.
The Art of Living’s yoga and breath-based programs are offered for academic credit at some of the world’s leading universities, at hundreds of American institutions, including Ivy League campuses, where students felt inspired by the experience. And so did the young people growing up amidst adversity, those battling addiction, and even youth behind prison walls. Everyone deserves access to inner peace.
Through initiatives that have reached correctional institutions and at-risk communities across the world, yoga ceased to be just a wellness practice and became a lifeline for many. There are stories of young people who gave up smoking and substance abuse after years of dependency. Others, who had stood at the edge of despair and contemplated ending their lives, found the strength to begin again. For example, when thousands of farmers, with almost half of them below the age of 40, were in the throes of despair in Vidarbha, Maharashtra, Gurudev brought them back from the brink.
With yoga, meditation, and other spiritual practices, they felt mentally stronger, physically dynamic, and hopeful. One of the members of the legislature from the state says, “A few years ago, Vidarbha witnessed a tragic wave of farmer suicides. During that time, everyone was concerned about how to support the farmers,” she says, “It was Gurudev who extended a helping hand to them. He uplifted the morale of the farmers.” For some, yoga was not simply about living better; it was about choosing life itself.
Gurudev introduced millions to the practical implications of having a spiritual practice in one’s life. “Who doesn’t want to be happy and successful? Yoga and meditation make you skilful,” he’d say.
Taking yoga much beyond something you practice on a mat, he articulates the essence of what yoga is and does for your personality.
“Yoga is not just an exercise, but also how skilfully you can communicate and act in any given situation,” Gurudev explains, “When yoga becomes a part of life, we begin to see a natural flowering of intuition, creativity, and inner strength. It helps us stay centered amidst any uncertainty. After all, yoga means to unite, to bring together the many aspects of our life into one harmonious whole. We convey more through our vibrations than words. Yoga makes our vibrations positive. When all of us calm our minds down and go within, it creates a field of positive vibrations around us, which is so much needed today. A restless mind spreads restlessness, and a calm mind spreads calmness.”
In touching one young life at a time, Gurudev inspired a chain of hope, where those healed by yoga went on to heal, inspire, and uplift many more around them.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we recognise yoga as a bridge between mental well-being and accessible public health, especially for youth. Integrating ancient practices with modern challenges can foster resilience, empathy, and community-driven healing in an increasingly high-pressure society.
Also Read: Can Inner Peace Bring Peace In The World? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s 45-Year Experiment Says Yes
