“We lived with the vast emptiness of loss, anger, and hatred. After the courses by the Art of Living, our lives began to change. Even those with major injuries now make plans for the future. There is life in their eyes again,” shares Ukraine’s battalion commander.
Led by global spiritual leader and peace ambassador Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living has offered trauma-relief workshops since 2022 in the region.
Over 8,000 people, including soldiers, displaced civilians, and children, have benefited from meditation and the powerful breathing technique, Sudarshan Kriya, cognized by Gurudev. Soldiers dealing with the pains of shrapnel and the trauma of a long-standing war now report feeling calm, centred, and secure.
A Global Movement
As The Art of Living enters 45 years of service through initiatives spanning conflict resolution, natural farming, free schools, de-addiction programs, prison reform, meditation, rejuvenation of rivers and trauma relief, over a billion people like the Ukrainian commander stand testimony to a movement that has sought to restore dignity and bring a sense of inner peace in deeply human ways.
At the helm of this global humanitarian movement is the global spiritual master and founder of The Art of Living, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
The movement has not only been about people sitting in groups and meditating together cut off from the social issues and discord in the world, nor has the movement been about social change in exclusion of inner peace. Instead the movement has been driven by Gurudev’s belief that inner transformation alone bring long lasting social change.
Early Signs Emerged
Born on May 13, 1956, in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, Gurudev displayed signs of unique intuitive brilliance early in life. At the age of four, he astonished teachers by reciting verses from the Bhagavad Gita with remarkable clarity.
Equally drawn to ancient wisdom and scientific inquiry, he later studied both Vedic literature and physics, a combination that would shape his ability to present spirituality in a language accessible to contemporary life.
Birth Of Sudarshan
In 1982, after observing ten days of silence on the banks of the Tungabhadra River in Shimoga, Gurudev brought forth the gift of Sudarshan Kriya, a rhythmic breathing technique that would bring solace and relief from deep seated stress to over millions of people in 182 countries in the world.
The technique became the cornerstone of The Art of Living’s programs worldwide. But Gurudev’s vision extended far beyond personal wellness. He believed that sustainable peace in society could emerge only when individuals found peace within themselves.
In 1981, he founded The Art of Living with the vision of creating a “stress-free and violence-free society.” Over the decades, the organization has evolved into one of the world’s largest volunteer-driven humanitarian movements, touching more than one billion lives through programs in education, conflict resolution, mental health, environmental conservation, youth leadership, and rural development.
Prison Reform Journey
One of the defining aspects of Gurudev’s work has been his engagement with groups and regions marked by conflict and despair. His prison reform initiatives, launched in 1988, have reached more than 800,000 prisoners in over 65 countries.
The programs use breathing techniques, meditation, and spiritual wisdom to help inmates deal with anger, trauma, and aggression. “Behind every culprit, there is a victim crying for help,” Gurudev often says, reflecting his belief that violence cannot end without addressing psychological suffering.
Northeast Peace Efforts
In India’s insurgency-affected regions too, Gurudev’s interventions have centered on dialogue and rehabilitation. In Chhattisgarh, he appealed to Naxal youth to renounce violence and participate in development efforts.
In the Northeast, years of sustained engagement by Art of Living volunteers culminated in the 2015 Guwahati Declaration, where 67 insurgent groups pledged support for peace initiatives.
Former militants underwent rehabilitation at The Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru, with several later returning to society as meditation teachers and social workers.
Colombia Peace Dialogue
Internationally, Gurudev became involved in reconciliation efforts in Colombia during one of the world’s longest-running civil conflicts.
After decades of violence between the Colombian government and FARC rebels, he engaged leaders from both sides in dialogue, encouraging compassion and trust-building in a deeply polarized atmosphere.
Those involved later acknowledged that his interventions helped soften resistance during the peace process that culminated in Colombia’s historic 2016 peace agreement.
War Trauma Relief
Even in more recent crises, including the war in Ukraine, Art of Living volunteers have conducted trauma-relief workshops for soldiers, refugees, and displaced civilians struggling with the psychological impact of war.
Across these varied contexts, Gurudev’s approach has consistently focused on healing human emotions as a foundation for societal healing.
Education For All
Alongside peacebuilding, education has remained central to his vision. What began with Gurudev taking the responsibility for the education of 20 children of construction workers on the outskirts of Bengaluru has today grown into a network of 1,356 free schools educating more than 120,000 students in some of India’s poorest and most remote regions.
Many of these schools operate in tribal belts, rural villages, and conflict-prone areas where access to education remains limited.
Reviving Rivers Naturally
Environmental conservation has emerged as another major pillar of the movement. Under The Art of Living’s river rejuvenation initiatives, more than 75 rivers and tributaries across India have been revived through community-led water conservation projects.
Simultaneously, volunteer-driven afforestation campaigns have resulted in the planting of over 100 million trees worldwide.
Helping Indian Farmers
Gurudev’s work with farmers has perhaps been among the most quietly transformative. Concerned by rising debt, declining soil fertility, and chemical dependency in agriculture, he advocated natural farming practices that reduce input costs, make farming profitable and restore soil health.
More than three million farmers have reportedly been trained in natural farming methods, helping many become self-reliant and debt-free.
Bengaluru Spiritual Center
The Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru reflects many of these ideals. Built on land that was once dry and rocky, the campus has evolved into a thriving ecological and spiritual space with forests, lakes, biodiversity zones, meditation halls, and Vedic heritage school.
The iconic Vishalakshi Mandap has become a global symbol of meditation and inner reflection, welcoming thousands of visitors from around the world every year.
Global Meditation Advocacy
Over time, Gurudev has also emerged as one of the strongest global advocates for India’s traditional knowledge systems, including yoga, Ayurveda, meditation, and Vedic learning.
In 2024, when the United Nations declared December 21 as World Meditation Day, he was invited to lead a special meditation at the UN Headquarters in New York. A year later, over 12 million people from 150 countries reportedly joined the global meditation led by him during the observance.
Recognition And Legacy
Honored with the Padma Vibhushan in 2016 and numerous international recognitions, Gurudev today continues to travel extensively, addressing audiences across cultures, faiths, and political divides.
Yet perhaps the most enduring measure of his work lies not in awards or numbers, but in stories like that of Sanjay Manikdarkar- ordinary individuals who found the strength to begin again and give life another chance.
Message For Humanity
At a time when public discourse is increasingly shaped by anxiety, polarization, and burnout, Gurudev’s message has remained remarkably consistent for over four and half decades: inner peace is not separate from social change.
For millions who have encountered his work across villages, prisons, classrooms, and conflict zones, that idea continues to resonate as the truth of our times.
