Internationally-acclaimed inspirational speaker Sister Shivani led  around 4,650 attendees to a special evening filled with inspiration and uplifting experiences at the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Sheikh Saeed Hall 1 on Saturday (October 6, 2018) during her public talk on the topic ‘Awakening Harmony & Happiness’.

Sister Shivani’s clarity in her thoughts, words and deeply calming stage presence created a powerful ambience during the three-hour event and engaged the multicultural audience and people from different walks of life – from CEOs to housewives, professionals and students – to a journey of self-reflection.

She led the audience into inquiring their view of right and wrong within relationships and advised to start changing one’s vocabulary from looking at right and wrong to accepting that we are different; incorporating a guided meditation of self affirmation in between.

“We are just changing one word: from you are wrong to you are different. We both are right but different,” she said.

Organized by Roots Events, under the initiative of Raja Yoga Center and supported by the Consulate General of India, this major event was aimed at elevating awareness and engaging more people on how to tap these highest aspirations within everyone.

The Dubai event took off with a unique repertoire of calming activities, including soft music, interactive digital display of positive thoughts, and a video showing simple ways to meditate for the audience to spend their time with, as many reached the venue as early as 4pm. They were ushered to their seats and were also handed with ‘virtue treasure boxes’ filled with dates.

Prior to Sr. Shivani’s talk, several special guests which included H.E. Mr Vipul, Consul General of India in Dubai; Ret. Lt. Col Mohammed Murad, and Raja Yoga Center Director Sister Jyoti shared their messages for the occasion.

Ret. Lt. Col. Murad said during his welcome address that it is important to understand how harmony and happiness can build a foundation and without them, it is impossible to function as normal human beings. Having worked for 20 years in challenging scenarios as part of his role, he realized that it is important to look after the wellbeing of those people working for emergency services. “Happiness is nothing but harmony working in the background.”

Chief guest Consul General of India His Excellency Vipul, highlighted the important teachings of Raja Yoga in India and the popularity of Sr. Shivani, citing how many of her followers in Dubai got excited upon hearing her visit. He remarked that great souls in the past such as Mahatma Gandhi and souls in the present time such as Sr. Shivani shall uphold the heritage and culture of India.

The Consulate General of India had earlier announced that the event is one of its first supported activities in line with a two-year programme commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Father of the Nation of India.

Sister Shivani has also mesmerized nearly 1,000 attendees in Abu Dhabi on the same topic the previous evening. Her visit to the UAE has been facilitated by Raja Yoga Center, an organization committed to helping individuals enhance their personal and professional lives through a practical method of meditation. It has been serving various communities in Dubai through a wide range of courses, public events, workshops, seminars, retreats, and numerous other social activities. The center also houses a ‘quiet room’ for individuals wanting to unwind, relax and recharge their mind.

Sr. Jyoti, Director of Raja Yoga Center who has guided thousands of practitioners in Dubai for decades, explained: “If I am clear that I want to experience positivity in my life and relationships, then I need to invest time and effort in improving the quality of my thoughts. While there are many temporary methods to help us do so, it is meditation that provides a permanent solution.”

Roopesh Nambiar, CEO, Roots Events and organizer of the event, commented: “The UAE is keen on promoting happiness and has also appointed a Minister of State for Happiness and launched the Happiness and Positivity Programme. We, being part of the UAE, want to make our own contribution to this great initiative. We are delighted for the opportunity to partner with Raja Yoga Center and organize a beautiful event like this for the people.”

Sister Shivani’s simplicity in explaining self-awareness concepts has continued to attract millions of people listening to her talks during her tours in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and most recently the Arab Gulf region including Oman, Bahrain, and the UAE. More than 91 million viewers and over 600,000 subscribers follow her on YouTube and over two million on Facebook. She made a closing note with a guided meditation for everyone.