His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual leader and humanitarian, was born in 1956 in southern India. He was often found deep in meditation as a child. At the age of four, he astonished his teachers by reciting the Bhagavad Gita. To globalise the knowledge of leading a happy, stress-free life, H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar established an international educational and humanitarian NGO - The Art of Living, in 1982. Today, with a presence in over 151 countries, The Art of Living is one of the largest voluntary organizations in the world. "The aim of Patanjali Yoga is to set man free from the cage of matter. Mind is the highest form of matter and man freed from this dragnet of Chitta or Ahankara (mind or ego) becomes a pure being." - H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar