Art of Living Foundation Youth!

Meet the Team
Click on the continent name below for testimonials and to meet some of our team:

“It’s a meditation class designed to help you focus on your breathing in order to help you concentrate, relax your mind, etc. It helps you to de-stress and think more clearly.”

“Outstanding. A life-changing experience. Anyone can benefit fully. Particularly important for a fast-paced lifestyle.”

“Very good – highly energizing – the perfect blend of spirituality and healthy breathing.”

“All three were really nice and they want to help you make sure that you’re able to do everything correctly.”

"Based on the quality of this feedback, I am looking forward to offering the course again, in our program."

Carmen E. Valverde, Coordinator
Instructional Program
Rutgers University, New Jersey

"YES!+ was a blast. Using the skills I learned in YES!+ helped my studies, relationships and getting beyond the limitations I had set for myself. I now feel really confident I can achieve about anything I want if I set myself to it."

Daniel Moss, age 22, Indiana University

"YES!+ is a dynamic course. It provides real solutions and insight into the challenges youth is facing today in all aspects of life. This course is as useful as it is fun and it addresses fundamental and very practical knowledge points."

"I have a new freedom in my life that comes from being able to focus and get things done. YES!+ was gave me tools to empower myself and was really fun. I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to take a look into the depths of themselves and see the potential of life."

Heather Ernest, age 25 - University of Massachusetts, Amherst

"After Practicing Sudarshan Kryia for a few weeks, I could actually focus on schoolwork without getting stressed-out about everything I had to do. I had depression for the last few years and it dropped away completely."

"Yes!+ was really great. It helped me to realize where I am in my life and what I want to do, as well as totally boosting my confidence about my personal capabilities. I can give 100%, such an easy way to acomplisg anything, just give my all! All of the techniques I learned reduced my stress and anxiety and now I can go forwards and achieve my goals."

Kamlesh Patel - Geneva, Switzerland
Director, International Association for Human Values - Geneva

Kamlesh Patel has been working with sister organizations the Art of Living Foundation (AOLF) and the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) for the past 15 years. He is currently teaching the foundation’s Art of Living Course, the Teacher’s Training Course and YES!+ programs full time as traveling faculty. In addition to being one of the associations’ UN representatives, he is director of the IAHV’s office in Geneva, Switzerland. Presently working primarily in New York, Europe and Scandinavia Kamlesh is actively engaged in various humanitarian projects and peace initiatives.

A major focus of his work in the non-profit arena has always been on youth. Concerned with the challenges that affect youth from all different backgrounds, he has taught AOL’s self development and trauma reduction courses to a variety of youth including students from the most prestigious universities in the US such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cornell, and Columbia; young professionals and inner city juvenile offenders. Currently he is working on a series of inter group dialogues, a peace initiative of IAHV, to take place in 5 major cities in North America and Europe to bring hope to the youth of Sri Lanka.

Prior to working full time for AOLF and IAHV, Kamlesh held key positions in the private and public sectors. Educated in the US he holds a BS in legal studies and received an MS in Public Management and Organization Theory. He also pursued further postgraduate coursework in Political Sociology & Social Movements.

Natalie Kaharick
Associate Director of the Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP) in North America.

Natalie Kaharick is a dynamic example of a successful youth leader in action. At the age of 23, she became the Director of the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts for the International Association for Human Values (IAHV). Beginning at the Astrodome just two days after Hurricane Katrina struck, Natalie has since taught stress and trauma relief workshops to thousands of affected citizens throughout Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region.

As an instructor of the Youth Leadership Training Program, Natalie has trained youth from some of America's most prestigious universities (Stanford, Purdue, Brown…) to teach these specialized trauma relief workshops. She also has spoken on behalf of the Art of Living Foundation at the United Nations' Youth Conference for the past two years.

Natalie holds a Bachelor's Degree in Art History and is an alumna of the prestigious Semester at Sea program. She was employed by the Carnegie Museum of Art before deciding to dedicate her time to humanitarian work with the Art of Living Foundation.

He attended the distinguished Williams College in Western Massachusetts, USA, where he was involved with diverse activist roles, including social justice and environmental projects. In 2004 he graduated with a double major in Political Science (International Relations) and Chinese with a concentration in Environmental Studies. He has lived and traveled in different parts of Europe, Asia, South Africa, China, Brazil, and since 2004 has made Mexico his base working for the Art of Living. He has taught and coordinated projects with street children, impoverished communities, battered women, juvenile delinquents, general public, university students and young professionals.

Diego's strength lies in his ability to work with various groups of people with ease. Managing a team of youth leaders with funding from the World Bank on 2 separate occasions, he successfully reached more than 2,000 youth in a 6 month time frame through teaching AOL programs and coordinating events such as the the Art of Living's 5K Run for Youth for a Stress-Free Violence Free Society. As part of his initiatives to inculcate human values, Diego also spearheaded efforts in various schools across Mexico to engage students in recycling drives and sustainable development initiatives that have received national press coverage. Diego has also coordinated rehabilitation programs for youth in prisons creating sustainable development composting program, vocational training and public art projects that provide juvenile delinquents the tools to assume responsibility for their past actions and future lives.

Diego works full-time with the Art of Living and teaches Part I courses for adults, the YES!+ course for young professionals and university students, YES! for High School students, the Art of Living Prison Program and the Breath Water Sound Program for marginalized communities, in Mexico, Costa Rica, and the USA.

Annelies Richmond, New York City
Art of Living Teacher Trainer and Youth Programs Instructor
Annelies Richmond is an international teacher and trainer of stress management, yoga, leadership and human values programs for the Art of Living Foundation. She began her teaching career at the age of 14, when she tutored dyslexic children and children
with learning disabilities. She later went on to dance professionally for 15 years at various ballet companies around the U.S.A., spending her last 7 years as a dancer for the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, during which time she tutored young people in subjects
varying from reading to dance.

Ms. Richmond has been teaching Art of Living Programs for adults and youth alike for the past 7 years in New York City and is now directing the youth programs for Art of Living New York. She has been invited as a guest speaker and teacher at Columbia University,
Barnard College, City College of New York, Baruch College, at the United Nations, and the U.S. Department of Education. She pioneered the initiative to bring Art of Living Youth Programs into the public school system in New York City when she organized an ART Excel (All ‘Round Training in Excellence) Program for 180 4th graders, at Public School 161 in early 2005. Since then, she and her team have had great success introducing the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES!) into many public high schools in New York City,
which is now being offered as a credit elective in some of these schools, much to the delight of students and teachers.

Madhurina “Mona” Shah-Joshi, Atlanta
Art of Living Teacher Trainer and Program Instructor

Mona Shah-Joshi has been traveling and teaching Art of Living courses throughout North America, Europe, and India since 1994. She is a highly regarded lecturer and instructor on yoga, life management, human values, and issues relating to harmony and diversity in society. She has been invited to speak at various universities and professional organizations, including the U.S. Marshall's Office in Washington, D.C., American Express, NIIT, Pathways Transitional Center, and Delta Airlines Headquarters. She has been invited to conduct Art of Living courses at several universities throughout the United States.

Ms. Joshi has also been teaching the Art of Living Foundation's youth programs, ART Excel (All Round Training in Excellence) and the Youth Empowerment Seminar since their inception, working with both suburban and inner-city youths. Ms. Joshi is actively involved in developing social service projects with the Art of Living Foundation and the International Association for Human Values. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland in 1993 and received a Masters Degree in Literature and Letters in 1996.

Radhika Prabhu, Baltimore native, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Honors Program in Political Science at Boston College in December, 2004. She is a full time youth and adult instructor for the Art of Living Foundation and has taught programs for the Foundation in Mexico, India, Canada, the United States, and Argentina. She has been affiliated with the Art of Living for 12 years.

New Orleans Team -
Just a few of the youth working to rebuild lives in New Orleans

Exerpts from testimonials by students in Kenya

"The Art Of Living course was great & I feel rejuvenated after finishing this course. The relaxation techniques were greatly beneficial & I feel more focused & happy. It got rid of the mental turmoil showering my mind with peace & tranquillity. I have been through three tragedies last year. I was searching for a course to help me emotionally heal and I made the right decision by attending this course."

"My experience from the Art of Living was brilliant. I feel that I am more focused at work, before I would start something then move on to something else then come back to it, and it used to take me really long to finish a task. In a way it has helped me to organize my work just by being in the present moment. I feel much more relaxed and not stressed or angered, beforehand I used to drive fast get angry with other road users, courteous was not in my vocabulary then. I felt reborn, more alive than ever, even better than going to the gym, or on holiday. It was just an unexplainable feeling. Thank you for the experience."

"I enjoyed a lot in the course. I am a very short tempered person and i worry a lot and easily get streesed and tensed. By coming to this course, i have become more calm and i am not getting angry very fast and my mind is much more relaxed and cooler. After the Kriya i feel very chilled out and relaxed, it feels very good and so i am going to continue doing it. Thankyou!"

"After doing the course, I realized how I can be happy seeing others happy rather than looking at my own life. I learnt to control my anger and spread this great knowledge with other youths in Nairobi. I feel very satisfied that I was able to bring a smile to so many people's faces and help them face their problems in life, with a smile. The techniques we learned have been so powerful that they helped sort out a few medical problems that I was facing. I intend to continue practicing these techniques as they help me get through the day no matter how stressful it is. I have thoroughly enjoyed this course which is why I attended it 3 times in 1month!"

"The experences i have had over the past few days in Art of Living were very good. I felt relaxed and my anger had calmed down alot. I didnt let peoples feelings about me get to me and i learnt one thing for sure, that you should give your 100% to everything and learn to forgive people and not to start a fight with people. I have been very shy and concoius but now i have built my confidence."

"The Art of Living course is a truely unbelievable experience made up of many
touching memories. It had never occured to me how powerful my breathing is until i
did the Kriya. All in all what i got out of this course surpassed my initial expectations
by miles."