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The Art of Living arrived to Panama with Martine Cotinat in 1995. She did not speak Spanish, but had the intention to achieve her mission: to start AOL programs in Panama and to transmit the message of love and peace of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Even with her language limitations, she accomplished both.
At the beginning, the courses offered by Martine, with the collaboration and support of the first participants, among them, María Bernal, in rented places, homes, businesses, schools, universities. Finally, in the Lawyer´s National Association, became the site of the programs, with the support of Ollantay Arosemena as facilitator.
It is remarkably the unendless work and drive force of Martine in translating into Spanish, the first material carrying the wisdom of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Many things were produced: knowledge sheets, brochures, knowledge tapes from Ashtavakra to Bhakti Sutras, magazines and various books, among them Intimate Notes and Waves of Beauty. The Art of Living in Panamá was the pioneer in offering to the world printed material in Spanish and it was also the first one in inviting Sri Sri to touch América Latina.
With the collaboration from devotees, many AOL activities started: big courses Part 1, courses Part 2, service projects, participation in international courses with the presence of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in India, Hawaii, United States and Canada. Martine sow in Panama, not only love for wisdom, but also for devotion to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. This would become, years later, in the pillar of the Art of Living in Latin America.
With this renewed commitment toward the courses and Satsangs, the Art of Living Foundation was consolidated. They, together, with Vanessa de Chen, have dedicated, during the last years to strength the AOL programs and seminars as well as administrative and financial aspects. With the support of Cristina Chen, Ivis Botello, Nélida Gómez and many other devotees, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar message has spread in all its manifestations: service, Satsang and Sadhana. In 2004, the Center received more than 6,000 people in the different programs; a figure equally high in 2005.
The service projects have mainly been under the coordination of Vanessa, consisting in medical and educative visits to low income communities, many of them in rural areas. Breath-Water-Sound is part of these projects and has been offered to diverse groups, from janitorial workers, teachers to housewifes in at-risk-neighborhoods.
The Sri Sri Yoga sessions started at the end of 2002, three times a week. The two certified SSY teachers, Emilia and Nélida, have also organized successful yoga seminars at the Center, University of Panama, and also special classes for cancer patients, children and pregnant women. Additionally, Nélida teaches YES! to young adults in public schools.
The organization of devotional activities, DSN courses, ayurvedic cooking courses have been in charged of Ivis, as welll as the coordination and supervision of Sri Sri Books and Tapes in Panama.
Among the international teachers, Priti Mathur has made a great contribution when in Panama, offering Art Excel to children in the cities of Panamá and Colón, and YES! to young adults at risk neighborhoods, orphanages, care homes, community centers, public schools, indigenous children and children with leukemia and cancer.
Joan Goodrum, in her visits to Panama, offers Courses Part 2 and meditation. On his part, Darshak Hathi has contributed to strengthen the devotees through the DSN courses.
Ami Soni and Adythia visited us for a short period, mostly teaching courses in Colon.
The biggest event of the AOL decade in Panama was the great success of the fourth visit ,in May, 2004, of our beloved Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Sri Sri offered three talks: one called “What is Success?” for business people, diplomats and high ranking government representants at the Panamanian Chamber of Commerce; the other one, “Efficiency in Public Administration”, for employees of the Procuraduría de la Administración. Finally, the great event of the day was the public talk titled “Reviving Human Values”, at the biggest convention center in the country, which was packed by an enthusiastic that celebrated the evening, together with the local media.
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