People have different ideas about meditation. According to many, meditation means concentrating on something. But Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Meditation is the absence of concentration.”
Meditation is about accepting the present moment—fully experiencing each moment as it is. Yet, the result of meditation is improved concentration. A person can go deep within and rest in full awareness during guided meditation. Meditation becomes completely effortless when done under the guidance of a teacher.
Very often, we identify with the body. Guided meditation takes us from the level of the body to the level of the spirit, making our spiritual journey much faster and more enjoyable. Regular practice of guided meditation transforms not only the practitioner’s life, but also profoundly impacts the environment around them.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation, has gifted the world a rich variety of guided meditations and meditation courses. Each Art of Living course — Happiness Program, Art of Living Part 2, Sri Sri Yoga, Art of Meditation, and DSN — offers guided meditations and teaches the practitioner how to meditate.
Some of the guided meditations led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar include:
- Sun Meditation
- Full Moon Meditation
- Panchakosha Meditation
- Aura Meditation
- Hari Om Meditation
- Smile Meditation
- Om Meditation
- Contentment Meditation
- Ram Meditation
- Hara Meditation
All of these meditations are available through the Art of Living bookstore.
“In deep meditation, you are time—and everything happens within you. Events unfold in you, just as clouds come and go in the sky.
When you are ahead of time, it drags and feels boring.
When time is ahead of you, you are surprised and shocked—you can’t digest what’s happening.
When you are in sync with time, you are wise and at peace.”
— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
