Peshmerga Forces who Secure the High Tension Borders of Kurdistan, now Have an Indian Connect

- 400 members of Peshmerga Forces Have Been Trained So Far in Indian Breathing Techniques and Yoga

BENGALURU, July 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In what is telling about the universality of Indian spiritual techniques in mind training, 400 members of the Peshmerga Forces, who took on the ISIS in northern Iraq, underwent The Art of Living program. In the program, they were trained in deep breathing techniques like Sudarshan Kriya (a powerful rhythmic breathing technique cognized by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, practiced by over 450 million people world over), pranayamas and Yoga along with other life tools to handle the mind, enhance clarity, calmness and alertness. 

"We got permission from Brigadier Ramadan Shily to enter the Peshmerga platoon to train them in the Happiness Program," said Mawahib Shaibani, Country Director of International Association for Human Values, sister concern of The Art of Living, Iraq, who has received her training in trauma and stress relief workshops and rehabilitation at the Art of Living International Center in Bengaluru.

"They reported amazing experiences of feeling peace even though they are in the midst of a conflict zone. They felt happy and well rested by the end of the training. Some of them want to become trainers now, to be able to share this transformative knowledge," Mawahib said. 

The 400 peshmerga forces being trained, secure the border area in Sihaila between Syria, Turkey and Northern Iraq (Kurdistan). 

This is not the first time the Bengaluru-based NGO has had rehabilitative engagement in the region. The organization has been working actively with the genocide facing Yezidi community. In 2014, Sri Sri was one of the very few global leaders to draw attention to the Yezidi genocide and send help, rescuing and rehabilitating to almost 2500 Yezidi women captured by the ISIS.

The Art of Living previously facilitated a Community Leadership Training Program (CLTP) and Life Skills and Resilience-building program were taught to 500 community members, reaching women and girls who were survivors of violence, raising their awareness of local resources.

In Iraq 50,000 people have undergone life skills and trauma relief programs facilitated by the organization. 6000 Iraqi women have been provided with vocational training. More than 200 peace ambassadors have been trained to provide trauma relief to those affected.

More than 1,50,000 war survivors including child soldiers in Iraq, Israel-Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Krygztan, Sri Lanka, the Balkans and Afghanistan have benefited from trauma relief programs.

About The Art of Living:

Operating in 156 countries, The Art of Living is a non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization founded in 1981 by the world-renowned humanitarian and spiritual teacher - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. All the programs are guided by Gurudev's philosophy: 'Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace.' 450 million-strong The Art of Living is one of the world's largest volunteer-based organization.

Apart from offering signature wellness programs where participants learn various powerful deep breathing techniques (including the signature rhythmic powerful deep breathing practice of Sudarshan Kriya) along with life tools to manage one's mind and emotions to live life to one's highest potential, happiness and productivity across identities of age, class, gender, caste, religion or nation, the organization is also engaged in multiple areas of social development including education, environmental conservation, disaster relief work, integrated community development, child welfare and women empowerment, conflict resolution and trauma relief.

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/945768/Peshmerga_Forces_Art_of_Meditation.jpg  

Media Contact:
Neelam Kochar Singh
[email protected]
+91-9342582375
Art of Living