Our Founder
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
As founder of the Art of Living Foundation, Gurudev is leading the way towards peace and acceptance through meditation and humanitarian efforts. Over 39 years, his programs and initiatives have touched the lives of millions of people in over 156 countries. As a spiritual teacher, Gurudev has rekindled traditions of yoga and meditation, and offered them in a form that is relevant to the 21st century. This includes “Sudarshan Kriya,” a breathing technique backed up by scientific research, has helped individuals achieve personal and social transformation by relieving stress and discovering inner peace amidst our daily lifestyle.
Gurudev’s mission is to show the world that through achieving inner peace, we will be able to see our human interconnectedness and become a One World Family.
INSPIRING SERVICE AND GLOBALIZING WISDOM
Gurudev’s programs has provided assistance to people from a wide range of backgrounds including victims of natural disasters, survivors of terror attacks and war, children from marginalized populations, and communities in conflict, among others. The strength of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a huge body of volunteers, who are driving these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.
The movement of initiated by Gurudev has promoted development and progress across
communities through diverse humanitarian projects. These projects span diverse areas including Integrated Community Development Projects, education, health and hygiene, environment protection and sustainability, women empowerment, child protection, disaster relief management, prisoner rehabilitation and conflict resolution.
A FIGURE OF PEACE
Gurudev, an ambassador of peace, has become the global rallying voice of this generation’s collective call for peace. He has been named one of the “Seven Most Powerful People in India,” by Forbes. His world-renowned meditation techniques have helped end the 60-year conflict in Colombia. He has been credited in bringing opposing parties together to facilitate peace talks in Iraq, Cote d’Ivoire and India. With his vision of non-violence and sole agenda of peace, he has played a key role in conflict resolution at public forums and gatherings worldwide. Fostering interfaith harmony and calling for multi-cultural education as the remedy for fanaticism, Gurudev has consistently emphasized the need for reinforcing human values and recognizing the idea of One World Family, Vasudev Kutumbakam.
