Johannes Hauer Will Share the Role of MC During the Event
A young and rising star in Germany is set to take the stage at the World Culture Festival this July 2nd and 3rd in Berlin, Germany. Johannes Hauer, 27, is a young actor known throughout Europe for his role as Ben Sponheim in the popular television serial, “Storm of Love.” Johannes will share the role of Master of Ceremonies with Art of Living teacher Rajita Kulkarni on the stage with His Holiness Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend the 30th Anniversary celebrations of The Art of Living Foundation at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. The World Culture Festival will feature music and dance performances from around the world, a theme park based on yoga, a global marketplace, and the International Women’s Conference. The World Pavilions showcase will encircle the stadium, providing food, music and dance performances and activities from each country. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will lead the World Meditation for Peace on July 2nd, 2011.
A lifelong artist, Johannes was nurtured by his parents’ love of art and nature. As a young violinist, Johannes toured across Europe with international youth symphony orchestras before focusing on acting as a career. When asked how he found inspiration as an artist, Johannes replies that “it comes from the heart.” Johannes credits his parents with allowing him to spend a lot of time in nature with his family, and that was where he first kindled an interest in spirituality.
“When I heard about the Art of Breathing for the first time,” Johannes says, “I was immediately fascinated by the thought of being able to alleviate stress through breathing, of being more focused, efficient and creative.” Johannes participated in the Art of Breathing course in 2005. “What I was given the chance to discover through the Art Of Breathing, however, was extraordinary for me. Through the powerful techniques, I was able to achieve a point where creativity becomes possible without effort.
This is why I no longer suffer from stage fright, why I can be clear and natural during castings and take pleasure in facing up to a new challenge, why I don’t lose my calm so fast, even though everyone is talking at the same time, even though I’m getting powdered and tweezed and what is required of me is very demanding.”
Yoga is gaining a growing following in Europe as a way of handling stress, according to Johannes. “I think people in Europe, in the Western world, people are so stressed out because they have no way they can refuel themselves. They start to work so much that it pulls them away from their families, their social background. They go out with their friends and drink, they have a good time, but what happens the next day, they’ll have a hangover. What they are doing gives them a little bit of joy at certain moments but in the longer period what they are doing is giving them a lot of stress.”
Media is becoming more aware of the benefits of yoga and meditation. “There are more and more of the well-known actors who are starting to promote or do yoga. See, what is happening is that people are doing it, and others are recognizing there is a change in this person. He or she can handle a situation much more easily. ‘Why is he or she becoming so fearless?,’ others are asking. ‘Where is all this power coming from?’ I think that there is something happening that people recognize yoga and meditation is really giving you an inner peace and confidence in yourself to handle a situation.
Yoga and meditation is much more powerful because you can create your life. You create a platform for yourself, you create your space. With meditation, those who meditate, you are able to create a space bigger than you have ever imagined that is possible for you, that never was possible before.”
Johannes made the decision to attend the World Culture Festival after a conversation one day with an Art of Living teacher in Zurich. “It was a big wish for me. It seems like it was a call, a Divine call to participate here.” Johannes relays the story of how he was notified of his new lead role as MC of the World Culture Festival. “Some time ago, I had met Gurudev, and he looked at me and said, ‘You will be the MC!’ I had agreed, thinking I would be on one of the several pavilions. I was doubtful while the others were congratulating me. I said, ‘What do you mean? I will just be on one of the pavilions.’ Then Gurudev said, ‘No, you will be on the main stage.’ I said, ‘Wow, okay!’ Since I was given the role of MC, I felt this big feeling of Divine guidance, and I know it will be perfect. This is a great honor and I am happy.”
Sharing his vision for the outcome of the World Culture Festival, Johannes confides, “Now, I look at how people behave when there is a street party. They are comfortable drinking. I believe in a few years all this will change. There will be a new society here in a few years. I want to give all my energy to create a world like that.”
To attend the World Culture Festival, information is available at http://www.worldculturefestival.org. Join viewers worldwide for the live telecast of the World Culture Festival celebrations at https://www.artofliving.org/World Culture Festival on July 2nd and July 3rd, 2011. See the above website for the specific webcast schedule.