Founded in 1981 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living is an educational and humanitarian movement engaged in stress-management and service initiatives. It operates globally in 152 countries as a multi-faceted organization with one of the largest volunteer bases in the world, and has touched the lives of over 370 million people. The international headquarters is located in Bangalore, India.
The programs are guided by Gurudev's philosophy of peace: "Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace." To help individuals get rid of stress and experience inner peace, The Art of Living offers stress-elimination programs which include breathing techniques, meditation and yoga. These programs have helped millions around the world to overcome stress, depression and violent tendencies.
The Art of Living movement has spread peace across communities through diverse humanitarian projects, including conflict resolution, disaster relief, sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education for all, and environmental sustainability.
Sister Organizations
The Art of Living has a few sister organisations which are also dedicated to the vision of a stress-free, violence-free world. The International Association for Human Values (IAHV), Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth (VVMVP), Sri Sri RaviShankar Vidya Mandir (SSRVM), Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI), Sri Sri Rural Development Program (SSRDP) and Sri Sri Institute of Agricultural Sciences & Technology Trust (SSIAST) among others, formulate and implement humanitarian projects of The Art of Living globally.
International Memberships
CONGO (Conference of NGOs in Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations), Geneva and New York
- International Alliance against Hunger
- UN Mental Health Committee and UN Committee on Aging, New York
- International Union for Health Promotion and Education, Paris
- NGO Forum for Health, Geneva
