Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to usher-in "Its Time" campaign in Bay Area

International peace ambassador and Founder of Art of Living,

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to lead wellness and educational programs

at San Jose Convention Center, June 29-July 3

San Jose, May 18, 2017: After his well-attended tour of US cities, namely Miami, Austin and Los Angeles, in March this year, that saw thousands converge to attend public talks and meditations led by the global humanitarian and a well-recognized voice for international peace, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; the Bay Area will see him back in end of June for yet another initiative that aims to bring self-development programs to an even greater number of people.

Says Deepak Sridhar, a hardware design engineer with Apple and who is overlooking the campaign, “In today's world, now more than ever there is a sense of urgency to be more successful, prosperous and happier. Ironically, in this very pursuit, we are enveloped by stress and anxiety as individuals, and mistrust and disconnectedness as a society. Our collective human experience has proven time and again that individual success and well being are inherently connected to the world we live in and the people around us. The "It's Time" campaign is focused on bringing societal change and transformation via individual transformation.”

The Art of Living Foundation will conduct several workshops for the public as part of this campaign. The programs and workshops are based on ancient wisdom form the East and employ highly specialized yogic practices. These practices are supported by medical research in the field of mental health and wellness, and have been taught to many people around the world in the past 35 years that this Foundation has extended its work to a greater than 156 countries, to help relieve stress, strengthen overall health and find a life of greater purpose and satisfaction.

The Silicon Valley is notorious for a stress-breathing lifestyle. The star-studded tech industry and high-achieving start-up culture while leading to higher incomes, swank lifestyles, dazzling new products and cutting edge technology ; have also ripped up the mental health of individuals. With an entrepreneurial culture greater than anywhere else in the country, the levels of stress and declining health in the Silicon Valley are also more than the rest of the country.
Thirty-percent of all entrepreneurs experience depression, according to a study by Dr. Michael Freeman, a clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco.

Michael Fischman, an author, inspiring speaker and instructor with the Art of Living who travels across U.S. and around the world teaching these specialized breathing techniques and meditation, said of the participants who attended a program of the Art of Living in San Jose, “These are very intelligent people from the Silicon Valley who are changing the world through technology. And now they are being handed an important technology to help manage their minds and time.” Explaining further the need of such a stress reduction program, he said, “Creativity is critical to working in the tech world, but you cannot be creative if you are stressed.”

For information, see www.itstime.me; www.artofliving.org

By Akanksha Bhalla

Independent Writer