Art of Living Foundation (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
International organisation founded by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1981) teaching Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique. Operates in 180+ countries with substantial humanitarian programmes. Some ex-members report high-pressure recruitment and cult-of-personality dynamics around founder.
CLCI radar
BITE breakdown
0 — large international movement with substantial humanitarian work; some patterns warrant inclusion as moderate.
In context
Art of Living's flagship is the Sudarshan Kriya breathing course, a multi-day intensive that many participants report transformative. The organisation runs vast humanitarian projects (river rejuvenation, prisons, education) and Ravi Shankar is a globally recognised peace negotiator. Critics (including some ex-teachers) describe high-pressure recruitment, financial expectations on staff, and devotional veneration of the founder. The CLCI is calibrated to those documented patterns.
Key control doctrines
- Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique as core teaching
- Sri Sri as enlightened master
- Service (seva) as spiritual practice
Legal cases & controversies
- Periodic Indian environmental/legal disputes (Yamuna riverbed event 2016)
Timeline
- 1981Ravi Shankar founds Art of Living in Bangalore
- 1990s+International expansion; UN consultative status
- 2011Anna Hazare anti-corruption fast (Ravi Shankar prominent)
Sources
- Various ex-teacher testimonies in Indian media
- Times of India and The Guardian profiles
We cite sources by name and outlet rather than fabricating links. Search the source title plus the group name to find the original.