News Brief: Art of living foundation opens U of A chapter

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

People may all want different things in life, but according to the Art of Living Foundation, the pursuit of happiness remains the universal goal.

The foundation, which has programs in approximately 140 countries and is involved with a few of the United Nations’ Non-Governmental Organizations, came to the University of Alberta last fall. The course they’re offering right now is the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES).

Gopika Prabhu, an instructor with the foundation, explained YES’s brief history. It started with a 17-year-old boy named Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who was moved by all of the poverty-stricken youth on the streets of India. One day, he brought 75 of them home with him, and his parents accepted them with open arms. They fed, clothed, and provided shelter for them and counted on the food donations of neighbours.

“Eventually, one of the neighbours who had a really big home down the street came by and said, ‘I’m leaving town. Please take the keys to this home, and make it a school,’ so that’s what he did,” Prabhu said.

Now, Prabhu says that more than 25 000 rural children in India are educated through the Art of Living Foundation. Though the program provides yoga courses that encourage holistic health, meditation, and breathing, she said that it wasn’t the main attraction for her.

“All of that’s there, but for me, it wasn’t so much about that as much as it was giving my life a deeper meaning or purpose, and I couldn’t find that in anything else,” she said.

Prabhu added that the foundation’s goal is to uplift individuals, communities, and the world. She also mentioned that the foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary last year in Bangalore, India. Until then, she didn’t understand the foundation’s vastness: Prabhu was surprised by the state leaders sitting next to villagers, and religious leaders sitting next to one another, having a good time.

“It didn’t matter who you were, where you’re from, what language you spoke, [or] what colour your skin was. People were celebrating and living life. That was incredible,” she explained.

According to Prabhu, Shankar’s message to youth is that anything is possible if you put your mind to it. A volunteer with the foundation, Joanna Bull, added that since she got involved with the program, she feels much more invigorated and grounded. A few years ago, Bull was working in a coffee shop in Halifax, unsure of what to do with her life. Through a friend, she took an Art of Living course and enjoyed it.

“I was becoming more centered and more aware of what’s going on. When things happen, instead of knocking me off my feet, I’ve been able to deal with it better,” she noted.

That’s why Bull would encourage students to get involved with an Art of Living program. According to her, the program has something to offer everyone, and she’s very enthusiastic about its benefits.

“Realize that you can do anything; be limitless. I think that’s something that everybody really wants, but nobody knows how to do it. This course gives you tools and skills to make that a reality in your life,” she said.