India Parent October (Cultural)

MEDITATION Tool Of Success for our Youth

shared their perspective on meditation and the impact it has on their lives. They spoke about the change and effect on their abil- ity to succeed in all areas of life. Nehaarika Mulukutla, a 22yr young woman, said that regular practice of meditation has given her a sense of grounded-ness, centered-ness, resilience, and calmness. Vivek Ramanan, also 22, agreed with Nehaarika and added that meditation helps him especially when faced with an unexpected or a surprising situation. Vivek had learned the prac- tice of Sudarshan Kriya, a breath based tool taught by the Art of Living at the age of 7. He noted that Sudarshan Kriya, as a part of a structured program had taught him how to de-stress. At the age of 16 he learned Sahaj Samadhi, a personal meditation prac- tice; Vivek described this as being unstructured, more natural and organic, something he had to get used to. It taught him to be in the present moment and as he continued to practice - espe- cially in group settings - it got easier and effortless. Kush Jain (18) only recently learned to meditate and reflect- ed his friends’ opinions. He said that meditation keeps him calmer and makes it easier for him to get through the day. All of them agreed that a consistent practice of meditation has given the ability to better handle emotions and stressful situations while gaining more focus and resilience.

By Sunanda Gadagottu ! “Unveiling Infinity” – a meditation event held at the San Jose Convention Center the weekend of July 21st - was attended by approximately 2000 participants, several of whom were young adults under the age of 30. The program taught by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, world renowned spiritual and peace leader, was a special event organized by the volunteers of the Art of Living Foundation to bring the knowledge of medita- tion to the larger community. The program’s uniqueness lies in its source – an ancient text named Vignan Bhairav. The name lit- erally translates to the “Science of Consciousness” and is a less known scripture than Bhagawad Geeta, the tools being technical in nature. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar stated that the knowledge and the tools lost over time are among the simplest, yet profoundly effec- tive tools to experiencing meditation. Sri Sri came to the bay area while touring North America teaching the program in several cities. The techniques are relevant to current times making med- itation simple and effortless, much needed in today’s busy lifestyle. The young men and women who attended the program

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October 2018

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