The government of Gujarat recently had a brush with spirituality when more than 190 ministers , bureaucrats, senior state secretaries, district collectors, and district development officers led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, participated in an Art of Living Program

Bangalore, Karnataka -- (SBWire) -- 02/13/2011 -- The government of Gujarat recently had a brush with spirituality when more than 190 ministers , bureaucrats, senior state secretaries, district collectors, and district development officers led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, participated in an Art of Living Program.

The program being held during the 7th Chintan Shivir (Brainstorming Session) at Mahasena, Gujarat, the officials were guided in Yoga, Pranayama and the Sudarshan Kriya.

“I laud Sri Sri Ravishankar for beautifully presenting our ancient heritage of Yoga and Meditation to cater to our modern needs. The three day program was indeed very beneficial. I feel healthier and am now stress-free”, said an official. “It was definitely a unique experience of my life which has made me more creative, energetic and optimistic. It will definitely enhance my success in work and help me serve people in a better way. I would recommend this workshop to every human being”, added another participant. Many participants stated that they experienced a transformation and determined to regularly practice the techniques learnt.

The workshop was followed by a talk on personal effectiveness and good governance by Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. “Every human being has desires, responsibilities and aspirations, but one must strive to reduce desires and accept more responsibilities for happiness and higher pursuits. Success is sure for one who has a vision, honesty and empathy and who has the capacity to increase efficiency”, said Sri Sri. He also urged the gathering to create a surrounding of belongingness in their workplace in order to facilitate better communication.

He gave insightful tips on stress relief and team-building for better governance and motivated them by giving examples of leadership training programs which have brought about extraordinary transformation in the society. He also elucidated on the positive impact of these breathing techniques on our surroundings and environment. He explained how the 3Cs – Context, Commitment and Compassion- can combat corruption and many other problems faced by the government.

Sri Sri strongly feels the need to ‘spiritualize politics, socialize business and secularize religion.’ The Program was a step towards realizing this need. “Politics is mainly about caring for people and their welfare and the aim of spirituality is to boost morality and human values therefore both need to go hand in hand.” Over the years, Sri Sri has addressed world leaders at European parliaments, South Africa, France (Strasbourg), Germany (Deutscher Bundestag), Scotland, Brazil.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a universally revered spiritual and humanitarian leader.

His vision of a violence-free, stress-free society through the reawakening of human values has inspired millions to broaden their spheres of responsibility and work towards the betterment of the world. The Art of Living foundation works to bring peace at the level of the individual, society, nation and the world as a whole. Its areas of work covers conflict resolution, disaster and trauma relief, poverty alleviation, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education for all, campaigns against female foeticide and child labour and environment sustainability.