www.womanthismonth.com 77 April 2014 Power-packed panel The Art of Living was founded in 1984 by the spiritual leader His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The bi-annual conference, comprising 800 delegates from 59 countries, focused on bringing together an interesting mix of women. These women have not only positively transformed their own lives and careers, but have also extended that positive transformation to their surrounding environment and people. The personalities that took the stage includes HE Dr Husn Banu Ghazanfar, Minister of Women’s Affairs of Afghanistan; Vimla Mehra, the Director-General of Tihar Jail in India; and Rama Nair, Lecturer at Royal University for Women in Bahrain. Other celebrated women that made an appearance include Asha Bhosle, the renowned playback singer; Naida Glavish, the Maori Party President from New Zealand; Indian social activist Dr Kiran Bedi; and Israeli singer-actor Rita Yahan-Farouz. At the conference Held under the guidance of Bhanumati Narasimhan, the conference threw light on poignant issues, like female foeticide, gender inequality and domestic violence. Most significantly, valuable insights were rendered into the practice of meditation and yoga. Several cultural activities were held, including a scintillating dance-drama choreographed by Srividya Varchaswi. The prolific panel of speakers shared their stories of challenges. The informative and motivational talks shed light on how the Art of Living helped them review their thought process and make adjustments to tackle life in a positive way. They explained how meditation helps you to experience the difference between simply existing and truly living. THE verdict Is meditation an instant panacea for our daily problems? Not really. One has to first understand that serenity, inner peace and happiness are not acquired overnight, but are fruits of dedicated and continuous practice. Meditation helps rinse your soul and rejuvenate your spirit. It offers the subject a state of blissful calm that gets better over time. Hence, consistency is crucial! You need to move with a purpose towards achieving them. Aspects like meditation, yoga, exercise, regulated food intake and the desire to want a positive change must come together to help you attain your ultimate goal — nirvana. So my advice would be to steal a few minutes from your busy schedule every day, switch off from the noises in your mind and the world outside, and attempt to begin a journey of eternal calm and tranquillity.
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