Iqaluit (Mar 31/03) - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual master and guru from Bangalore, India, is keen to take his New Age vibe to the High Arctic.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a spiritual master from Bangalore, India, is making one of his dreams come true. He's coming to visit Canada's Arctic this April. - photo courtesy of the Art of Living Foundation

The guru will be in Iqaluit April 14-17. He intends to spend at least one evening sharing his teachings with residents. His followers world-wide number in the millions.

Shankar -- not to be confused the Grammy awarding sitar virtuoso of the same name -- has travelled to over 130 countries around the world to spread his message: One world, one family.

"His message is really that we're all part of the bigger picture," said Woody Woods, a former Iqaluit resident who will be accompanying the spiritual master to the capital next month.

Woods has known Shankar for 17 years. They met by chance in Halifax. Carrying only a small suitcase, Shankar had come to Canada because he happened to know someone in New Brunswick.

Shortly afterwards, the spiritual leader went to Halifax with his friend and while there, Shankar started giving talks at the local Indian temple. Woods went to a session one night and said it was a life-changing experience. He kept in contact with Shankar after moving to Iqaluit, and it was while telling him about the Nunavut capital that Shankar took an interest in the Arctic, said Woods.

Another person affected by Shankar's teachings is Marcy Jackson from Vancouver. She took a course with Shankar through his Art of Living Foundation. She too will be in Iqaluit when he arrives.

The international foundation created by Shankar teaches coping skills, and breathing techniques meant to help people relax. Jackson was so influenced by what Shankar was teaching that she joined the organization and is now the regional co-ordinator of the Art of Living Foundation in Vancouver. She said Shankar teaches people about being in the moment and about finding God within one's self regardless of one's religion.

Woods and Jackson were in Iqaluit last week to set up meetings for Shankar and a public forum, which will take place at Parish Hall on April 15 at 5:30 p.m. Woods said Shankar wants to learn about Inuit culture as much as possible.

"We're going to go out on a dog sled one day. He's going to see someone build an iglu and really find out about life up here," said Woods.

The trip will be documented on video by Woods and turned into a documentary called "Guru in the Arctic." He said it will air on Vision TV in November.