By Beryl Addo
World renowned humanitarian leader and Founder of the Art of Living, a non profit organisation that focuses on mental health, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shanker has called on the Government of Ghana to establish Happiness Centres across the country to help people to overcome stress and help spread positivity.
At an event dubbed Happiness 3.0 as part of his two-day visit to Ghana, the Peace Ambassador said, ”creating a happy society does not just depend on creating the right conditions, but also creating the right institutions for discovering those conditions”.
World Mental Health report 2022 has it that people all over the World are experiencing some form of mental health situation. Research has it that babies smile 400 times a day while adults smile 17.5 times a day.
Peace Ambassador Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar believes happiness helps to expand one’s self. This he does through teachings and breathtaking meditations. In 1981, Gurudev established the Art of Living Foundation and through that, the Spiritual leader has touched millions of lives around the world by his techniques that help to alleviate stress and anxiety.
Through his breathtaking meditations, he has created trauma relief programs for the youth, war veterans, prisoners and disaster survivors.
Born in 1956 in Southern India, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was a gifted child. By the age of four, he was able to recite parts of the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Sanskrit scripture and was often found in deep meditation.
Today his Art of Living Foundation connects with the children and the youth. Apart from teaching breathing techniques that reduce stress, improve health, relationships and quality of life, he has brought a mindset change on a big scale in society.
At the event, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar provided the audience with tools to enhance their mental health and led them through a 27 minute meditation. Some of the participants at the Conference Center in Accra left after the event.
Like the United Arab Emirates which has a Minister of Happiness with the aim of establishing the Country as the “Happiness of all nations, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar believes that establishing Happiness Centers will help inject a little sunshine into people’s lives.
Gurudev is a key advocate for peace and has held progressive peace negotiations in conflict stricken areas such as Colombia. Sri Lanka, Ivory Coast, Iraq, India, and Venezuela. His work speaks through diverse cultures and religions, illuminating concepts such as harmony, environmental sustainability and grassroots developments, the statement said.
It said the organisation has been implementing the programme in Ghana for over 15 years, and has reached out to thousands in Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, and is well received by students and faculty of Academic City University and Blue Crest College.
