PLANO, TX (TIP): On Saturday, July 29th, 2023, Global humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF), interacted with local communities in and around the City of Plano. The event titled “Journey Within” was held at the Plano Event Center, Plano TX, as part of Gurudev’s 25 city US tour that focuses on how to effectively deal with today’s most pressing mental health challenges.

The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex accorded a warm rousing welcome to Gurudev, who addressed thousands of community members across backgrounds, races, and genders.

Taking them on the ‘journey within’ Gurudev led the entire audience into a powerful guided meditation and emphasized the importance of breathwork and meditation to deal with stress, anxiety and other mental health issues prevalent in the modern day fast paced life. Gurudev shared his wisdom on several other topics – relationships, dealing with stress at work, inner peace and more.

“A disease-free body, quiver-free breath, stress-free mind, inhibition-free intellect, obsession-free memory, and soul which is free from sorrow is the birthright of every human being.” – Gurudev shared.

The event was graced by the following community leaders:

• Mayor John Muns, Mayor of Plano and his wife Joa
• Ann Anderson, Frisco Public Art Board, Vice Chair
• Thor Anderson, Board Member Frisco Education Foundation
• Mark Hill, Frisco Independent School District Trustee
• Gopal Ponangi, Frisco Independent School District Vice President

Texas Governor Greg Abbot, Mayor of City of Plano and Mayor of City of Allen issued a proclamation announcing 29th July 2023 as Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Day!“Emboldened by deep-seated convictions, Gurudev and his followers have journeyed to war-ravaged regions of the world, counselled hardened prisoners, and resolved seemingly irreconcilable differences…” as per the citation by Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott 

The proclamations honor and acknowledge the work and efforts of The Art of Living under the guidance of Gurudev, in serving, spreading peace, joy, resolving conflicts, working for the environment, and bringing communities together in an increasingly polarized world.

The event also coincided with launch of Gurudev’s book Notes for the Journey Within, which instantly became a National Best Seller and Wall Street Journal bestseller in its launch week.

About Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a global humanitarian, spiritual leader, and peace envoy. He has helped millions of people worldwide find peace and resilience in the face of adversity, learning not only how to excel in their own lives, but also how to become powerful agents for social change.

Gurudev has created trauma relief and meditation programs for at-risk youth, war veterans, prisoners, and survivors of disaster. He has also created numerous educational and self-development programs and tools that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness, and well-being for individuals.

Standing for the Gandhian principles of non-violence, Gurudev has mediated and progressed negotiations for peace in conflict-stricken areas such as Sri Lanka, Iraq, Venezuela, and Colombia, where he is credited for playing a central role in ending the violent 52-year conflict between FARC and the Colombian government. He has received 39 governmental awards, including the highest civilian awards from several nations. Twenty-four universities have awarded him honorary doctorates for his peace-keeping and humanitarian efforts.

About Art of Living Foundation

Operating in 180 countries, The Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) is a non-profit, educational, and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by the renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. All AOLF’s programs are inspired by Gurudev’s philosophy of creating world peace through a stress-free and violence-free society. AOLF has touched over 800 million lives through numerous educational and self-development programs and tools that facilitate the elimination of stress and foster deep and profound inner peace, happiness, and well-being for individuals.