The Art of Living is marking its 45th anniversary as its founder, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, prepares to celebrate his 70th birthday on May 13. This milestone comes as modern professional life faces increasing stress, leading organizations to seek spiritual messages and traditional farming analogies for receiving guidance. The organization’s influence is being examined through its ability to provide tailored asanas for those employed in sedentary or stressful work environments. Its broader significance is highlighted by how its teachings reach various people differently, aiming to find fertile ground for peace amidst the demands of modern life.
A team from The Art of Living recently visited the Malayala Manorama office in Kochi to train staff in asanas like Bhastrika Pranayama, a breath-control exercise where the practitioner exhales and inhales like a blacksmith's bellows. Chief Subeditor Anirudha Karindalam interviewed Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bengaluru, accompanied by Photo Editor Bhanu Prakash Chandra, to discuss the organization's history and impact. During this coverage, Basma Aldakhi, a Yazidi woman who survived attacks by the Islamic State, shared her account of finding peace through the foundation. These narratives coincide with reports on Operation Sindoor’s first anniversary and the ongoing unregulated nuclear competition triggered by the Iran war.
The longevity of practices like Bhastrika Pranayama in the workplace suggests a growing interest in how spiritual exercises can counter the pressures of modern professional existence. Readers should watch how the doctrinal shifts triggered by Operation Sindoor continue to be analyzed following its first anniversary. Additionally, the connection between personal stories of peace and broader arguments regarding the Iran war remains a significant focus for editorial analysis. These developments highlight a period where unregulated nuclear competition and humanitarian narratives are being examined alongside one another in the context of finding global peace.