As I started meditating, my football improved, my relationships improved, my life improved!

Dinesh Kashikar, Senior Sri Sri Yoga Teacher, Bangalore

As a student in IIT Mumbai, when someone asked me to join a course on meditation, all I said was "Me! Meditate?" As a typical (or should that be atypical) IITian I was focused on getting good grades, yet being a cool guy - involved in lit and cult activites and generally being a lukkha.

Yet, after four years of doing nothing and everything - being the general secretary of the hostel, playing football, going on a month-long trek in the Andaman forests, enduring a grueling NCC camp, running a summer canteen during the vacations...I still felt there was something more to do with life. I finally felt that, MAYBE, just MAYBE, there is something in what my friends claim about meditation. And I signed up for the course on my 21st birthday.

As I started meditating, several things started to happen: my football improved, my relationships improved. I actually called up my parents and told them how much I loved them - my life improved!

Today as I look back on my years in The Art of Living Foundation as a disciple and a teacher, I am struck by the fact that, if it hadn't been for my 21st birthday gift, I would probably have been stuck running the rat race for all I was worth. Today I am in the enviable position where my classmates look up to me and say “Hey! You've done well in life, wish we could have done the same”.

As the Nike ad proclaims, 'Just do it!'