The spirit is willing…

Happy Friday!

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to meet a Guru, which translates to ‘Indian spiritual teacher’, in five weeks time you’ll get your chance in Melbourne.

The world renowned spiritual teacher and founder of the Art of Living movement, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, is coming to Australia and, on Saturday, 19 October, he’s hosting an intimate gathering of a few thousand people at the Margaret Court Arena. He’ll lead a two-hour workshop about how to manage your mind, feel rejuvenated and celebrate the miracle of life.

Guru Who? 

Although Forbes magazine named Sri Sri Ravi Shankar the fifth most powerful leader in India, I’d never heard of him or the Art of Living (AoL) until a few years ago. I grew up in a Christian household, am basically agnostic but, like most people, I’ve long been fascinated by the undeniable interplay and dance of body, mind, soul. Over the years, I’ve delved into many kinds of spiritual practices – Ba’hai, Buddhism, including meeting with the Dalai Lama, many meditative and contemplative programs, courses and retreats. 

Then, in January 2020 – just before Covid! – our good friend, Suparna Bhasin-Cooper, invited David and me to join her on a week-long stay at the Art of Living Ashram (Retreat) in Bangalore. The ashram is a village with over 5,000 residents/employees, set in a beautiful botanical garden, replete with a resident elephant!  

We learned, and experienced wisdom, not religion. There’s no credo, theology, obligations, or rules; your spiritual journey is your own, and you draw on the wisdom, and engage in yoga, breathing, meditation and other practices, as you choose. 

We spent time exploring ancient traditional Ayervedic treatments, many of which are now completely commonplace in the western world, including Australia.

Delving into the eastern concept of health, wellbeing and meditation in context was the most profound experience. Just letting go and immersing ourselves in the culture and ways of doing and being, without judgement. It’s incredibly freeing and liberating.

Service to humanity

AoL invests heavily in education, running over 800 schools and two universities. It runs Ayervedic clinics across the country and two large hospitals. AoL is very active in rural development to assist the poorest of the poor. It’s strongly committed to environmental work, undertaking forest and river regeneration, including on the Ganges.

The AoL Research Institute partners with major universities including Harvard, Cambridge and Sydney, to assess ancient practices such as meditation and yoga using scientific methods. Turns out, there is considerable scientific support for the efficacy of these practices on our health and wellbeing. 

In his roles as an international diplomat and leader of a movement active in 180 countries, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s influence and impact extends far beyond India. He has a bold vision for a peaceful world, regularly hosting large scale inter-faith events with diverse leaders from around the world and thousands of attendees. All working to make the world a better place.

Be Well & AoL

David and I were privileged to spend half an hour with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Bangalore. After noting they were of a similar age, David asked him: ‘What is old age for?’ He replied: ‘Don’t get old!’ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar fuelled our passion and vision: changing the way we age is what Be Well is all about!

It’s not for everyone of course, but if you are curious and interested, the organisers have set aside 40 Be Well seats in a block, so that Be Wellers, and their partners and friends, can be seated together. You can book tickets for yourself, friends and family here: