Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The Way of Grace

I had been extremely ill in the summer of 1991. Then as the winter of that year progressed, it was evident that all was not well. I didn’t have the energy to walk across my living room floor. I was unable to sleep reclining and had to be propped up in bed in a sitting position. I began to hear gurgling noises coming from my lungs.
The doctor sent me to a heart specialist. The diagnosis and prognosis left me stunned. I was suffering from congestive heart failure and the only remedy would be a heart transplant!
For a day and a half I went through mourning, with tears and railing at God and the fate that brought me to this point in my life. Then I gathered my strength and vowed that this would not happen to me as long as I had Sudarshan Kriya (which I had recently learned) and any breath at all in my body!
I began very tentatively using the techniques I had learned. I was amazed at how fast I recovered my breath. Energy was returning.
After three months I returned to the doctor. “When do I go on the transplant list?” I asked. He quickly reassured me that I had improved so much that a transplant was no longer necessary. I have returned every three months since and each time my progress seems to amaze even my doctor, who at one visit was unable to find a heart murmur that had been prominent before. Needless to say, my heart belongs to Punditji. — Donelda Hatfield

Having been shocked by the reality of the amount of prescription medication I was taking, I checked myself into a detoxification unit at the Cleveland Clinic, but discharged myself after two days. I went to the Montreal ashram to meet Punditji. Within weeks, I weaned myself off
of 90 milligrams of Valium a day.
As I continued my Kriya and meditation, I knew I had been given the strength to come back to life after
suffering in the “black hole” of depression for nine very long years. I discontinued my prescribed antidepressants.
My story continues… I had lumps in my left breast and under my arm. Knowing my mother had a radical mastectomy on her left breast and the lymph nodes removed from her left arm, I finally consulted my physician.
It was at this time that Punditji invited me to come to India “for some treatment.” I stayed four memorable months and returned lump-free, renewed and eternally grateful. — Odyl Whitman

Since 1988 I noticed lumps growing in my right breast. I never told this to anyone in the family or otherwise as I was afraid of people’s pity who would come to know of my cancer. When Guruji came to my house on March 11, 1995, he gave me food to eat from his plate. After this I started feeling a change. The next day it felt as if the knots were melting into some fluid.
During the night of March 13, after Guruji left our house, I went to sleep. Suddenly from the bookshelf Guruji’s framed picture fell on my right side. I woke up, took the picture and placed it back on the shelf.
I laid down on the bed but could not sleep. I felt pain in my right breast, which burst open a few minutes later. Blood and pus flowed out. It happened for quite some time. I cleaned all my clothes and fell back asleep after some time.
In the morning the wound closed on its own. The day passed and no one noticed what had happened during the night. The day’s routine was as usual; I felt only slightly tired but nothing more. That night I woke up again in the middle of the night. I felt wet clothes and discovered the blood and pus flowing again from the wound. I cleaned everything like the previous night and went back to sleep. The wound again closed in the early morning hours.
The third night (March 15) I felt my body becoming hot. Tired and exhausted, I fell asleep again and woke up very late the next morning. My daughter came to my room worrying if anything was wrong with me and found me running a high temperature. She discovered blood stains on my clothes in the chest area. When my fever did not reduce during the day, she took me to the doctor that evening despite my protests. I came to know that I had a serious third stage cancer.
The doctors were wonderstruck with the self-opened wound on my breast. They told me that if this blood had not flowed out, it could have spread cancer throughout my whole body. The surgeon shook his head and said, “This is the work of a surgeon. How did it happen on its own?” After I told him about Guruji, he said, “Please inform me when your Master comes next to Singapore. I would like to meet him.”
Three doctors operated and found the breast full of cancerous tumors. My family had called Guruji about the situation. He said, “Why do you worry? I’m sitting here. I will do something.” By the next morning, my stitches had healed miraculously. The doctors had wanted to keep me at least a couple of days, but let me go immediately instead. No more cancer was found anywhere in my body and I do not need any medicines or therapy. It is all Guruji’s grace. I have felt it every moment since he came to our house. — Urmila Desai, Singapore

Arthritis had been bothering me for some months. It had started in my thumb and was now spreading, working its way to the wrist of my right hand. I was becoming incapacitated.
I couldn’t even twist open a jar or turn on a faucet. I was wondering what would happen to my flute and guitar playing or my typing as the arthritis continued to spread.
I went to Switzerland at Christmas to see Punditji. He was glorious. Such extraordinary knowledge was flowing.
Every day around four he would take a walk through the village, always surrounded by a crowd of devotees. One afternoon I was walking beside him. He turned to me quite unexpectedly and asked, “How is your health?” I remember thinking I will not tell him about my hand. Out loud, somewhat haughtily, I said, “My health is fine.” A little farther down the road, Punditji suddenly reached over and took my right hand in his. Just for a few seconds.
After returning home from Switzerland I realized my hand did not hurt anymore. It is completely healed. The joints, which had become gnarled and distorted, are normal. There is no pain at all. Frankly, I have come to take it for granted. But it is a miracle. — Susannah Rowley, Canada

Several weeks before I was to go to India in 1991, I became ill. I could barely move and laid in bed for over a week. I had intense pain in my left shoulder and neck. One morning I awoke early to find I was crying in my sleep with tears rolling down my cheeks. I realized that I would not be able to travel in this condition. Suddenly I could smell the scent of
the most exquisite perfume. I felt the swish of his robe. Peace came over me. I fell back asleep and awoke several hours later in perfect health with no pain anywhere. I went to India.
The day before I was to leave India I told Punditji how I had been ill and had smelled this scent and felt the swish…and he silently stopped me from speaking. He raised his hand, palm open upward, and simply said, “Yes, yes, you had a lot of pain here,” (as he touched his left shoulder, exactly where my pain had been), “but it is all okay now.” — Marcy Jackson

I was diagnosed with thrombocytopenia, an autoimmune disease. Blood tests and a CT revealed a 4.5 hemoglobin count, a platelet count of 12, and an 8 X 10 inch abdominal tumor. Doctors immediately put me on Prednisone and told me I needed surgery, although they said I probably would not survive due to my blood count. I am a registered nurse, so I understood my diagnosis to be a death sentence. Deep inside of me I was dying of a broken heart from all of the emotional trauma. At this time I came across the teachings of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I learned the Art of Living program and began feeling improvement. I survived surgery. I am happy to report that I now have been off all medication for two and a half years, and that my platelet count has been normal (250) for over a year. I understand being cured of thrombocytopenia is considered a medical miracle. I know my healing arose from the grace of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s teachings, which saved my life. I am forever grateful. — Diane

My husband felt very sick, complaining of a terrible stomachache. The doctors diagnosed his condition as appendicitis and said he must be operated on immediately. When I first told Guruji on the phone, all he said was “Hmmm.” Then Guruji asked me to do some acupressure to my husband’s feet. I applied pressure to different points. I felt so much energy flowing through me that I barely noticed that three hours had passed. My husband was scheduled for surgery that next day. The general physician in charge checked my husband’s condition again and found to his surprise that he was absolutely fine. — Shashi Nowlakha

An injury to my left hip caused it to chronically dislocate, causing excruciating pain and requiring numerous chiropractic treatments. It was deemed chronic and irreparable. On a course with Punditji in Nova Scotia, the injury again flared up. I was beside myself with pain and felt I would have to leave the course in search of medical assistance. My wife said that she heard Punditji could heal people, so why not write a note to him. I wrote to Punditji and that night I had a dream. I was standing at the top of some stairs. Punditji came clopping up the stairs in his wooden sandals. He stopped at the top and looked at me for a second, then went down again. End of dream. I woke up in the morning and my hip was back in place and there was no pain. It felt wonderful and I was so happy. A course assistant came up to me and said that Punditji wanted to know how I felt. I said my hip was all better and to thank him for me. The next day during the lecture I got the bright idea to sit and strain in the same position that over the years had caused my hip problem. I wanted to “test the healing” that had taken place. After awhile I re-dislocated my hip in a major way. Boy was it painful! I thought, “Well Lew, you never could leave well enough alone.” That night I had no dreams. But the next morning I woke up and my hip was back in place with no pain. Not only that, but I could feel a major change — a whole new physical environment for my hip to reside in. Since that time my hip has never given me any problem. — Lew Leonard

A beautiful Indian classical singer was stricken with cancer of the throat. She came to see Guruji, unable to speak at all. He uttered only a few words, “Don’t worry, everything will be all right,” and gave her a few basil leaves to eat. Within two days she regained her voice and sang again with such devotion as tears rolled down her cheeks. X-ray reports later showed the entire tumor was gone.

After a decade of effort I completed a Ph.D. and received a prestigious fellowship from a high-profile museum. I believed these accomplishments would open the doors to permanent happiness. Yet I was drained from the prolonged effort I had expended. My entire sense of self began to crumble within a few months. Few things humored me or brought me happiness. I could barely sleep and I did not care to eat. Though I worked at the art museum, I could not appreciate anything of aesthetic beauty. I entered the darkness of major depression and smoldered there for half a year. Two close friends urged me to try the Art of Living. My recovery began with the first healing breath. I began to reclaim the basic qualities of goodness and caring that I always had, but had lost sight of. I became less self-critical and more accepting of others. Having felt shut down emotionally for so many months, singing opened my heart at weekly Art of Living gatherings. I felt beauty flood my being. I cried tears of joy and relief, realizing that my recovery was not only possible, but had already begun. Now I know that who I am does not come from what I achieve or the recognition I receive from others, but rather from my own inner sense of Self. — Susan Isaacs

My sister suffered from hyperactivity. She would run around all day long. She began to take medication, but it didn’t always help and it caused her body to swell up. One of my uncles mentioned a swami from Bangalore and said to go and meet him. So we went to him. Swamiji told her to attend one of his courses. She attended a course for about a week. After that she was able to reduce the doses of the tablets. After a few courses she stopped needing any medicine at all. Before, she had to have 17 tablets a day. It was the grace of Swamiji. He cleaned her out. It has been eight years now and she’s now married and living happily with her four wonderful children.
…My son’s name is Chitan. He’s eight now, but after he was born his eyes got a sort of liquid in it, like a jelly. He couldn’t open his eyes. So by God’s will, Swamiji happened to be at our house. Swamiji looked at my son’s eyes and said, “The boy will be all right soon. Get a real pearl and tie it around his neck.” So we made a little pendant of a real pearl in silver and put it around his neck. Since then there has been no problem with his eyes.
…My grandfather passed away two years ago. We phoned Swamiji in Bangalore. When he picked up the phone he said, “I know already what has happened. Your grandfather has passed away. Before he went, he met with me and then went to heaven.” — Ashok, England

When the Art of Living came to me I was going through a terrible situation. After a birth with complications I was very ill. I was not breathing well and sometimes would just fall down on the floor. After the first day of Sudarshan Kriya I was breathing correctly again and the stress in my heart was gone. I have no words to express my gratitude. — Flory, Costa Rica

Normally I would have severe hay fever symptoms persisting during the summer for several months. Last year the symptoms decreased 50%. This year the symptoms disappeared. — James Weldon

Prior to starting Sudarshan Kriya I had asthma and allergies. After doing Kriya for a few months I noticed that my allergies disappeared and the asthma reduced to almost nothing. Now after several years they continue to remain dramatically less than the many years I suffered before.

The Art of Living techniques have a powerful, invigorating effect on my physiology. In the morning they are very stimulating and greatly increase my levels of mental clarity and energy. I also get ill less frequently. I feel that my whole immune system is strengthened and I do not get sick.

A year ago my wife was involved in a bad accident and broke many bones. She became bed-ridden. A few weeks later I went to Bangalore. Gurudev told me I would see my wife walking when I went back home. On my return, to my total surprise, the one who was in a wheelchair was walking! She has no more complaints. She can walk and move just as before.

Years ago dermatologists diagnosed my skin disorder as “Hali Hali.” They said it was incurable and that all I could do was apply cortisone creams to relieve the pain. No one was able to help me. I’ve had it for 25 years. After sitting down and writing Punditji, asking him for help, I found my skin getting better and better each day, until now it is almost all gone. I am so grateful for this healing, but most of all I am grateful for the healing of soul and mind.

A surgeon in Germany developed the fastest and deadliest type of cancer which spread to all parts of her body, including her brain and liver. The doctors said she would not live more than three months maximum. She heard Punditji was in Heidelberg and went to see him, brought there on a stretcher by her husband. She had already made out her will. Yet after seeing the Master, the doctors later found she had no more cancer. Though she lost some weight, she became healthy and very happy.

I was diagnosed with insulin dependent diabetes in 1973. Doctors noted degeneration more quickly than normal: eyes, feet and heart. I had a low quality of life and a short life expectancy due to complications. I took the Healing Breath Workshop in November 1991. My insulin requirement dropped 40% during advanced courses and when I follow the regimen developed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. I believe the increased oxygen and prana from these practices has allowed my system to begin healing. I have no symptoms or complications and my quality of life continues to improve with joy and enthusiasm. — David Hartman Turner

I have multiple sclerosis and there was not much hope of it staying in remission. I also had a lot of emotional problems, have been in therapy for 23 years and through four drug and alcohol treatment centers. I’m a recovering addict. Since learning Sudarshan Kriya a year and a half ago and practicing regularly the past several months, I have more energy and less turmoil than any other time in my life. I’ve become more compassionate and loving. I have increased clarity of mind and made the Dean’s list. I was recently tested for MS. I still have it, but I have no symptoms. I used to have 30% paralysis on my left side; now I’m completely fine. I’m not weak or tired. — Jeanine

For fifteen years I was a successful executive handling high level management responsibilities in different countries. One day I found myself struggling with excruciating neck, back, leg, knee and foot pain, severe enough to eventually force me to stop working. During my Art of Living course weekend, I experienced a major change. To my great surprise, and that of my doctors, the pain in my neck and back totally disappeared and was dramatically reduced in my legs, knees and feet. Soon after that weekend, all pain disappeared and I felt revitalized and pain-free for the first time in a very long time. My physical therapist did not quite understand what had happened to me, but told me that he believed I did not need to see him anymore. I stopped my therapy, never to return. — Marielle Bougeois

I used to wake up every morning with a headache. Now they’re gone. I am convinced the breathing cleared them. — Denise Ramachiari

The story of my niece, Natala, is like a nightmare turned into friendly daylight. Up to her thirteenth year she spent most of her life in hospitals. There was surgical intervention almost every year — tumor on the thyroid gland, kidney problems and so on. She had been born with an angioma reaching from under the arch of her right sole, along the whole length of the leg and hip as far as the waistline. It looked like a dark stream running in turbulent swellings or bulges. It kept growing together with her whole body. Doctors said it had better be left alone, although it made her limp.
When Natala was twelve, however, it became so painful that walking was impossible. She was hospitalized to be operated on. The procedure was supposed to take thirty minutes but took over five hours. The angioma was found to have been grown deep into the muscles, blood vessels and nerves all along the calf up to the knee joint where it disappeared. The joint capsule was cut open and five tumors taken out from within. She had to be re-anesthetized during the operation, which made her very ill afterwards. The doctors doubted if she would ever be able to walk again.
Months passed while Natala kept lying in bed with her right leg high up in traction, in a state of dejection and despair. There was no way to attract her interest or to cheer her.
Ten months later, in India, I made myself bold enough to ask Guruji to help her. He closed his eyes a second and replied in a rather stern (or so it seemed to me) tone of voice, “Tell her to turn to God — as a child. Then and only then she will be helped.” I felt sad, thinking he had refused to help.
Yet on returning to Poland two months later, I found Natala well and able to walk. She had begun improving exactly at the time I had this talk with Guruji. All the same I repeated Guruji’s message to her and showed her some pictures of him. She fell in love with him right away and cried out, “Oh, I must see him.” Her mother, who had never thought much about spiritual leaders or practices, observed, “He is a Christlike Being.”
At an Advanced Course in Poland in June 1993, Guruji recognized Natala amidst a group of people and blessed her this time in person. Everyone was so happy to see her dancing at satsang. — Anula, Poland

I met Gurudev for the first time in September, 1989. That was the time when I was physically very ill and mentally depressed. I used to pray to the Lord to take me away from this world. I was lonely, even though my loving family was always around me. One morning my friend informed me about Gurudev’s visit and immediately I went to meet him. When I saw his face glowing, I felt something raising up from my heart. That moment I felt that all my pain and sufferings had come to an end. My mind became very clear and there was only joy within me. — Vasanthi, Singapore

I had a growth on a nerve that had been bothering me for years. I was always in pain and was scheduled to have it removed. After learning Sudarshan Kriya it began to subside. Since then I’ve had no pain at all and the growth has disappeared. I can only attribute this to the Kriya. — Wendy

I used to lack confidence. I could not speak in front of people. I was a very nervous person. I met Punditji in 1984 and was very skeptical in the beginning. But he would always tell me, “You will come to me soon.”
One Saturday on a course he told me that I was going to dance. And I said, “Oh, no. How can you make me dance? I would never dance in public.” He said, “You remember me at that time.” I didn’t know what he meant.
After the course I became lost in London. As I was roaming around I proceeded towards a tent where there was beautiful chanting going on. As soon as I entered the camp, I felt a surge of energy within my whole body. My body just started moving by itself. And I became the witness of this happening — I was dancing!
I’m very confident now. In fact at work they call me Mr. Relax, because it takes a lot to get me agitated. — Raju Fulchand, England

My left leg had bothered me for almost six months. The doctor explained it was rheumatism and prescribed some pain killers. On an advanced course I had severe pain; it was one of those days which was rather damp and cold. I decided to rest and attend the course session late. Guruji noticed this, as he always does, and later questioned me lovingly with his usual smile and soft voice. I replied that my leg was hurting. At once Guruji looked at me, tapped my leg and exclaimed, “What pain? There is no pain in your leg, it’s all right.” All of a sudden the pain disappeared, and to my surprise I have never had a tinge of pain in my leg since that miraculous tap. — Sandy Chugani, Hong Kong

The Master’s grace touches an ever-widening circle of people around the globe with miracles of healing…

Life is a mystery. Love is a mystery. Even your sleep is a mystery. We must always remember that this creation is full of secrets. Any day it can bring up any secret. The Sanskrit word for health, swasta, means stabilized in one’s Self. Health is being centered. When the mind is free of fear, free of guilt, free of anger, and is more centered, then it can heal the system of any ailment. The consciousness that creates the body also has the power to heal. There is a huge power in consciousness. — Sri Sri Ravi Shankar