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They come with tales of how they got hooked, how anger vanished: The Hindustan Times
Bangalore, Jan 18: Inside the Shakti Kuteer, a hillside cottage which is Srisri Ravishankar`s personal quarters, bursting with trays of strawberries, boxes of foreign chocolate and luxe laddoos (and a red heart-shaped cushion with Jai Gurudeva on it) sits an attractive, composed lady in her forties with twinkling eyes.
Bangalore, Jan 18: Inside the Shakti Kuteer, a hillside cottage which is Srisri Ravishankar’s personal quarters, bursting with trays of strawberries, boxes of foreign chocolate and luxe laddoos (and a red heart-shaped cushion with Jai Gurudeva on it) sits an attractive, composed lady in her forties with twinkling eyes.
Poonam Aziz, an ardent follower of the technique of Sudarshan Kriya — discovered by Srisri Ravishankar and the crux of his Art of Living (AOL) foundation headquartered outside Bangalore — is the daughter of Sartaj Aziz, former finance minister and later foreign minister in the ’90s in the Nawaz Sharif government.
Aziz is an inconspicuous presence in the throng of 2,500 devotees gathered at the ashram today, 25 km south of Bangalore, from all over India and the world for the five-day spiritual conference on ‘‘Spiritual Regeneration and Human Values’’.
Aziz’s husband was Pakistan’s ambassador to Italy when she made a trip to London five years ago and, on impulse, joined a basic Art of Living course, conducted by Rhea Pillai.
‘‘I was hooked instantly!’’ laughs Aziz. ‘‘I gave up my smoking habit of 25 years and my sleeping pill habit of 10 years. Just like that, cold turkey! I haven’t been tempted back even once.’’
Thereafter, Aziz began to practise regular meditation and helped AOL teacher Naushad from Mumbai get a visa to Pakistan so that he could conduct classes there.
‘‘But perhaps the atmosphere was more sensitive just then, pre-Agra summit days. I set up classes at the house of a lady with the APWA (All-Pakistan Women’s Association) set up by Lady Liaqat Ali Khan herself. The ladies were so excited. But when they saw Naushad take out the guru’s picture, the hostess cancelled the classes then and there!’’
Nevertheless, Naushad, who ran a printing business before AOL swept him up as a devotee and then as a full-time teacher, has conducted breathing and meditation classes in several Islamic countries and says he has been well received. ‘‘Guruji uses me specifically to interact with Islamic countries since I am a Muslim,’’ he says.
Naushad was attracted by the ‘‘natural personality and calmness’’ of Srisri Ravishankar. This is the reason also cited by Sevetlana, a dark-eyed 32-year-old from Belarus. She was a student of medicine when Srisri made a trip to Belarus in 1992. ‘‘I expected Hollywood, this great light of enlightenment. Instead, nothing happened. He just came and sat down, so naturally. He made no attempt to impress, which impressed me. Now I am a fulltime teacher!’’
Aziz’s husband was Pakistan’s ambassador to Italy when she made a trip to London five years ago and, on impulse, joined a basic Art of Living course, conducted by Rhea Pillai.
‘‘I was hooked instantly!’’ laughs Aziz. ‘‘I gave up my smoking habit of 25 years and my sleeping pill habit of 10 years. Just like that, cold turkey! I haven’t been tempted back even once.’’
Thereafter, Aziz began to practise regular meditation and helped AOL teacher Naushad from Mumbai get a visa to Pakistan so that he could conduct classes there.
‘‘But perhaps the atmosphere was more sensitive just then, pre-Agra summit days. I set up classes at the house of a lady with the APWA (All-Pakistan Women’s Association) set up by Lady Liaqat Ali Khan herself. The ladies were so excited. But when they saw Naushad take out the guru’s picture, the hostess cancelled the classes then and there!’’
Nevertheless, Naushad, who ran a printing business before AOL swept him up as a devotee and then as a full-time teacher, has conducted breathing and meditation classes in several Islamic countries and says he has been well received. ‘‘Guruji uses me specifically to interact with Islamic countries since I am a Muslim,’’ he says.
Naushad was attracted by the ‘‘natural personality and calmness’’ of Srisri Ravishankar. This is the reason also cited by Sevetlana, a dark-eyed 32-year-old from Belarus. She was a student of medicine when Srisri made a trip to Belarus in 1992. ‘‘I expected Hollywood, this great light of enlightenment. Instead, nothing happened. He just came and sat down, so naturally. He made no attempt to impress, which impressed me. Now I am a fulltime teacher!’’