Art of Living Courses

Basic Programs

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The Art of Living course offers

Practical tools like Sudarshan Kriya
Yoga Meditation to unlock your fullest potential
Ways to easy stress relief and enhance all aspects of your life

Participants learn

Heal and harmonize the body, mind and spirit
Skills to handle the mind and negative emotions
Practical wisdom to improve relationships

New to The Art of Living?
Take a look at our Basic programs section:

The Art of Living Part I course is your passport to a whole range of The Art of Living programs. It is available for all adults over the age of 18.

If you are a parent or are aged 8 to 14, there is a special program for children, called Art Excel, if you are a teenager there is another introductory program for you called YES!

If you are a student or just beginning your professional career and are aged 19 to 30, and you like a challenge (!) – take a look at the YES!+ course.

If you are most interested in Yoga and asanas, take a look at Sri Sri Yoga.

What more? Once you complete the Art of Living Course, we have our Follow-up-sessions. Learn more

Are you a graduate of a program by The Art of Living?
Take a look at our Advanced programs section.

Art of Living Courses in Mumbai

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The Art of Living - Introduction

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The Art of Living is a not-for-profit, educational and humanitarian NGO engaged in stress-management and service initiatives. Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the organization has worked in 151 countries.

The organizational activities are guided by Sri Sri’s philosophy of peace: “Unless we have a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, we cannot achieve world peace.” To guide individuals to inner peace, the Art of Living offers stress-elimination programs, which include breathing techniques, meditation and yoga. These programs have helped millions around the world to overcome stress, depression and violent tendencies.

The Art of Living has spread peace across communities through diverse humanitarian projects, including conflict resolution, disaster relief, sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education for all and environmental sustainability.

For further details on the Art of Living, please visit the Art of Living official website

Check out the Art of Living Foundation videos

H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a renowned spiritual leader and multi-faceted humanitarian whose mission of uniting the world into a violence-free family has inspired millions of people worldwide. The icon of non-violence and universal human values, Sri Sri seeks global peace through service and dialog.

Born in 1956 in southern India, Sri Sri's appeal transcends class, race, religion and nationality. Millions of people revere him as their spiritual leader, and look up to him for inner peace and promoting ecumenical values.

In 1981, Sri Sri started the Art of Living Foundation, an international nonprofit educational and humanitarian organization. The Foundation, now active in more than 140 countries, offers educational and self-development programs designed to eliminate stress and foster a sense of well-being. In Europe and the United States, the Foundation's programs are helping inner city youth turn away from gang violence, drugs and alcohol. Sri Sri's Prison Programs have helped transform the lives of an estimated 150,000 inmates around the world.

In 1997, Sri Sri founded the International Association for Human Values, a humanitarian nonprofit organization that advances human values in political, economic, industrial, and social spheres. In South Asia, South Africa, and Latin America, the Association's sustainable development programs have reached more than 30,000 rural communities.

For further details, please visit Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's official website.

FAQ's

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My son or daughter is encountering emotional problems. Can you help?
Teenage depression is of great concern today. The suicide rate in teenagers has tripled since 1970. Statistics show that slightly over 50% of those students suffering from acute depression in their teenage years go on to attempt suicide at a later date. Dr. Pepper notes, “Paying attention to children who are depressed or anxious becomes a national priority.” In a study of childhood depression, Dr. Richard Harrington (July 2000) notes that depression “could be associated with effects of social and cognitive functioning” and that “symptoms such as loss of concentration and psychomotor retardation may interfere with the process of learning. This in turn might lead to low self esteem, a reduced sense of academic competence and further academic failure.”

Another study of adolescent and childhood disorders notes that the price of non-treatment is the tendency to “self-medicate” depression or anxiety by using drugs or alcohol. Since the majority of stress factors affecting youth in schools today parallel the psychosocial difficulties noted by research consistent with depressed youth, and because the rate of depression in youth is increasing, any serious educational endeavor must address these issues. Three open studies have shown that SKY can significantly improve depression. Refer to medical summary page. “73% of patients showed improvement following SKY (techniques) therapy. SKY... was effective in depression regardless of the severity of depression or the severity of the patient’s biological dysfunction.

(Refer to Art of Living Foundation, Sudarshan Kriya Medical Research Summary Page for references of studies www.aolresearch.org).

Are these Yoga courses?
The courses use techniques inspired by Yoga, but place them in a much broader context of practical, personal development. There are also breathing techniques, including the unique and powerful Sudarshan Kriya ®.

What is the Sudarshan Kriya®?
This is the main breathing technique taught in most of our programs: Art Excel, Yes (children and youths learn special versions of Sudarshan Kriya for their age groups), Yes+, Part 1. It was created by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1982, and has given deep relaxation to over course graduates to date. The Sudarshan Kriya is such an effective relaxation technique, that is used in programs for those suffering the greatest stresses imaginable – people suffering trauma after natural disasters and wars. Part of the Art of Living programs is a set of daily relaxation exercises, which course graduates take home with them, including a home version of the Sudarshan Kriya. To find out more, contact an Art of Living representative near you.

I am a religious person. Is there any reason I should not do an Art of Living course? Is there any conflict with my religion?
The Art of Living is open people of all faiths, atheists, people of every nationality. We respect all the religions and cultures of our members, who include representatives of all the world’s traditions. In fact, one of our basic statutory goals is to provide a place for people of various backgrounds to come together. Our techniques are similarly universal – they are based on breathing, which we all do!

I am not a religious or spiritual person. Perhaps the Art of Living programs are not for me?
See the previous answer!

What does the Art of Living offer to teenagers?
Everyone interested in a sport will know about a famous sportsperson who had more talent than their competitors, but lost because of nerves on the big day. They could not perform best under pressure. The YES courses deal with just those personal skills that make a difference.

The Art of Living Foundation combines its knowledge and experience in the areas of personal development and community service to open up new dimensions in learning that will produce unequivocal positive and measurable results in students’ exam results, performance in sports, the arts, as well as in terms of self esteem, inter-personal relationships, team work, sense of responsibility and a global perspective.

How do The Art of Living programs help children at school?
The Art of Living’s Art Excel course supports the all-round development of kids, providing the perfect backdrop - in terms of coping skills, interpersonal abilities - to the specific intellectual, sports, artistic and other abilities they are learning.

One of the greatest inhibitors to learning is stress. Unmanaged emotional reactions to stress not only lead to behavior problems in young people, but also create physiological conditions that inhibit learning and potentially increase the risk of disease later in life (McCraty, Atkinson, Tomasino, Goelitz, Mayrovitz 1999).

Who are the courses aimed at?
Everyone! The Art of Living programmes offer something for everyone:
If you’re a young professional or a student, the dynamic Yes+ course is for you! (Click here for course dates near you.) If you’re looking to handle everyday stresses and strains, enjoy some quality relaxation, perhaps learn something about breathing techniques or meditation – the Part 1 course is for you. (Click here for course dates near you.) If you’re a parent and you’d like to help your children deal with emotions – as well as having a great time with other kids their age! – take a look at our Art Excel program. If you’d like to get more fit and flexible, Sri Sri Yoga courses.

If you’re a manager or an executive, click here to visit the APEX website. (APEX is not just for managers and executives – it is offered to employees in companies etc – If you have or have had a serious health problem, or if you take medication, speak to an Art of Living teacher before signing up for a course – you may need to go steadily with some of the exercises and in consultation with your doctor.

What if the Art of Living course is not offered in my area, or the right program for me?
If there is no course offered in your area, contact the teacher nearest you, if you can form a small group of course participants from among your friends, that trainer will be able to come or arrange another trainer in their place. Please visit the Art of Living India site for contact details.

How do I find out if the Art of Living course is offered in my area?
Please visit the Art of Living India site.

Meditation and breathing techniques [learnt on the Art of Living Part I course and the Sahaj Samadhi meditation course] calm the mind. They help us feel good. But in our daily life we have to handle paying bills, parking tickets and other mundane things.

You take a shower in the morning to clean your body. After that, you do all your daily activities. You don't have to keep on taking a shower throughout the day! It is like that. You meditate and calm your mind, then go on with other activities. It is not easy to keep yourself undisturbed but it will happen as you keep doing the practices regularly. Then it will become easy.

The Sudarshan Kriya is known to be a de-stressing technique. Does it bring about a change in people in terms of their perception of life?
When you are free from stress, your perception, observation and expression will be different. When you are stressed, it will be different.

Can you talk about fear and letting go of fear, and why it’s so difficult to do?
It’s not difficult, just take a few deep breaths, do a few Bhastrikas and pranayams [breathing techniques from the Part I course] and that’s it. Where’s the fear? Fear is just love upside down. You have to turn it the right way up. When there is love there is no fear, and when there is hatred there is no fear. Two types of people in the world have no fear - those who are in love, and those who are in hatred. Both love and hatred create a sensation in the heart region.

We do this in a 5-, 6-days Part II course, in which we discuss all different emotions and the places in the body where they are generated, how they are affected and so how they can be handled. For 5 days - of which 3 days you remain in silence - we observe different sensations, emotions and come to understand better. No fear!

Do you feel Ayurveda is the most comprehensive of traditional healthcare systems and could you explain what Ayurveda is as well?
Ayurveda, Ayurvedic medicines have been proven to be have no side effects at all and have been practiced for thousands of years. So I feel we have to take the diagnostic systems from allopathy and there are other modern gadgets we have to use. But as far as treating the patients, once the diagnosis is done, it [Ayurveda] seems to be working very well. Again, you know, we can't be very fanatical about any system. We have to have a holistic approach to health because if we are fanatically attached to any one system, I think we will not be benefited the most. Definitely Ayurveda, I feel, has been time tested for many ages and it has helped millions of people keep their health. You know, there are people who are living healthily for 100 years, or for over 100 years, and their health is sustained by just Ayurveda - in many parts of the Himalayan region, in Tibet, in Southern India. It's amazing how it works if you follow certain principles, not just the medicine aspect of it, but also the lifestyle - how you eat, what you eat, when you fast, and how much water to drink. I think it's most valuable, though it has to undergo more research and scientific up-grading for today's world. To find out more, visit the Sri Sri Ayurveda site.

What's the practicality of Ayurveda in modern world?
Its very practical. No other science teaches you to measure a person's tendency just by looking at the person. It’s precious knowledge. It not only cures diseases but prevents them too.

Regarding the applicability of sustainable development or human values to the conflict in the middle east to Iraq to Afghanistan. I would ask if you have any particular insights you feel that you would like to offer?
You know now we can go on analyzing the past, whatever happened, speak for or against any action or opinion, but that will not lead us anywhere now or in the future. What is needed now is a trauma relief programs that people can do today. Millions of people are suffering from post-war trauma. They are unable to sleep, they are unable to eat, and they are unable to get along with their lives or think about the future. So we are planning to open further trauma relief centers as we did already in Kosovo, in Bosnia, the former Yugoslavia, and Sedonia and Russia and also in Kashmir and where we had a lot of terrorist problems. [Art of Living trauma-relief centers also make use of Sudarshan Kriya and other powerful breathing techniques from art of Living courses in the context of programs directly addressing the circumstances of trauma sufferers.]

Why do Sudarshan Kriya?
Everyone should do Kriya, it is like washing the body, everyday, if not done weekly or fortnightly, or monthly... the more often this is done the better it is. This makes us strong, and we can stop doing Sudarshan Kriya the day we become unshakable. ‘Unshakeable’ means that whatever happens we have a smile on our faces.

What is a ‘sixth sense’ and is it ok to follow it?
Yes, it is ok to follow your intuition. That’s why you do Pranayama, meditation - your intuition becomes strong and that’s why you can take proper decisions.

What is the best thing to do for children?
... to give them a good education...make them blossom....We have a program called Art Excel - All Round Training in Excellence...If you take a look at statistics...in a class of forty students, how many does friends does a child have? A handful. I tell children to make one new friend everyday. We need to teach them human values: friendliness, compassion - this awakening and education is what we must strive for.

As a teacher, I have been trying to inculcate human values in my children. Whenever I digress from the usual curriculum, I find them a little bit bored, looking at their watches etc.

You must make it more juicy. Our experience is the other way around. The moment something is different from the curriculum, they simply get glued to it and they want more. Are there any Art-Excel teachers here? The children just grab the Art Excel program and they don’t let the teachers go home! Just anything extra-curricular may not be interesting but something which is so juicy, which makes them learn interactively, which has games included in it will make them take interest in it.

What are the benefits of meditation?
You get less/no blood pressure problems; health problems reduce/stop; your mind becomes clear, intuition develops; obstacles are removed; mental peace, happiness dawns - and there are plenty of other benefits as well.

Follow-up-sessions

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You have completed your first course by The Art of Living! But the real course has only just begun – applying all the techniques you have learnt in real life.

Each time life throws up a challenge at you, now you have two challenges – the situation and can you implement the technique you learnt?

So, weekly follow-ups are invaluable to really absorb what you have learnt, and to regularly relax and take time out from your routine. You will also notice straightaway that when you exercise in a group, the atmosphere and thus the relaxation is even greater than on your own.

In many regions, there are weekly follow-ups provided. To find out the weekly follow-up sessions and other important Art of Living events happening near your place, visit the Art of Living India site.

Art of Living Foundation videos

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Knowledge workshops

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Knowledge Workshops are courses based on lectures given by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, for example the Bhakti Sutras, Patanjali’s Yogasutras (a commentary to a classic Yoga text) or the Ashtavakra Gita which covers many deep issues but turns on the story of a meeting of a King (Janaka) and a wise-man (Ashtavakra). Ashtavakra Gita is a source of inspiration for many everyone, especially those who have thought about the relationship of success in the material world (represented here by King Janaka) and spiritual values (represented by the sage Ashtavakra).

Find out Knowledge workshops at your place

Many of these lecture talks, books, bhajans and much more are available in the Art of Living online-shop

Advanced Programs

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There is such a range of programs and activities going on in The Art of Living that we have provided a recommended order of courses to help you as a guide. This is not a strict order, but do consult with you Part I instructor if you would like to ‘jump forward’ to a more advanced course. It is also our experience that many people enjoy repeating the Part I course, which you can do for a much reduced fee.

After taking The Art of Breathing (Part I) or YES!+, you will probably want to check out knowledge workshops. These are courses based on lectures given by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, for example the Bhakti Sutras whose topic is the perennial matters of love and relationships.

After that, a natural step is to take a meditation course, Sahaj Samadhi, which teaches you how to meditate at home.

The next step might be The Art of Silence (Part II), which provides a thorough and deep rest in the space of just 4 days.

After The Art of Silence (Part II), you will almost certainly want to participate in the Part III course if a longer deeper rest is required or DSN if you are looking for a challenge!

There are many more courses that the Art of Living offers. You may use the right side Index to browse through each of them.

Not yet taken a course offered by The Art of Living?
Please visit the Basic Programs section.

Know Your Teen (KYT) - Age 13 to 18

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Know Your Teen (KYT) is a 3-hour workshop for parents of teenagers.

Teenagers can be some of the most delightful people on the planet. Their creativity, dreams, and passions to explore the world & interest for gadgets, computer gaming, the internet are all beautiful qualities these budding adults naturally possess. Yet, with the onset of 21st century living, the influx of the media in our homes, the disintegration of the extended family, and other lifestyle changes, teenagers can fall prey to negative influences, making parenting more challenging.

Know Your Teen a workshop from the Art of Living Foundation, which helps parents understand their teenagers better, and discover the root cause of behavior patterns. It points out teenagers thoughts that adults tend to overlook, which may have a deep impact on children. In short, Know Your Teen gives parents the tools they need today to skillfully nurture and raise the modern teenager.

Know Your Teen is an interactive 3 Hour workshop for parents which helps to:

handle your child’s transition to teen.
stay involved in your teens life – physically & emotionally.
understand their need to appear trendy and be accepted among peers.
help your child become/remain emotionally healthy
be a friend and guide, who can help in choosing their career – What they want to be in life!

For further details, please visit the KYT website.

HIV/AIDS

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As thousands across the globe fall prey to the disease through ignorance, lack of education or an incorrect lifestyle, the Art of Living has committed itself to helping the world meet this challenge. The approach is two-pronged: supporting positive people to live a healthier life while also spreading awareness and educating people on the precautionary measures.

Sri Sri has specially designed a course for HIV people which focuses on simple, breath techniques which eliminate stress and support immune function for enhanced health and a better quality of life. The course structureunderstands the needs of positive people.The cornerstone of the program is the Sudarshan Kriya which is a powerful breathing technique that utilizes specific rhythms of the breath to clear the body and mind,

Ways to deal with depression are given special focus, as the rate of depression among patients is twice as common when compared to a group of unaffected persons. It is understood that stress, poor mental and physical health and a sense of isolation from the community contribute to the progression of HIV infection. The Art of Living HIV Course addresses all these aspects through yoga, breath techniques, meditation and nutrition guides. Participants have said that the techniques are simple to learn and practice and have expressed comfort as these non-invasive techniques carry no side effects andcomplement any existing medical regimen.

Our programs help in

Stress-elimination techniques help eliminate depression, anxiety and fatigue which are born from living with HIV

Improve cognitive function Strengthen the respiratory system
Increase energy & stamina
Reduces cortisol levels (stress hormones) which improves immune system function
Enhance immune function Improve cardiovascular health
Restore harmony to the entire system
Sensitize other people to integrate positive people in society
Extending care & support to positive people

Non-aggression program

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Channelizing aggression and Anger Management in youth

Growing up was never easy. A few decades ago, we would hear the little complaints of ten-year-olds with a wry smile – ‘too much homework’, ‘scared of my teacher’ and ‘I don’t have enough friends.’

’Children today face challenges which are huge for their tender years – violence in schools often resulting in shoot-outs, drug abuse, promiscuous behavior at a very young age, disharmony at homes and a lack of role models.

Where does a child go? Engulfed in confusion, fear, insecurity, rejection and pressure, the child falls prey to unsocial behavioral patterns, often ending up in a detention center.

The Non-Aggression Program (NAP) seeks to give a direction to children and helps to rehabilitate them. Giving them tools to cope with their emotions, children are better able to face the myriad challenges around them in a stable and strong manner.

The program checks aggression among children, helps them to give up addiction and boosts their self-confidence. Such programs are imperative if we are to have a generation of young, responsible, happy individuals who can contribute to society.

This program has been taught with success in many parts of Europe, in the United States of America as well as other countries.

Course details

Program is held for high school children, juvenile offenders, juvenile ex-offenders, juvenile drug addicts, and socially troubled juveniles

De-Addiction

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While the program helps addicts with problems associated with their specific addictions, the cornerstone is the spiritual therapy.

The Sudarshan kriya is taught which is a powerful breathing technique that establishes mental strength and control, which is critical for emerging out of addiction and further possible relapses.

Pranayamas and meditation regulate ‘prana’ (life force energy). Regular sessions, alongwith psycho-neuro immunology’ (mind-body medicine) activate and harmonize mind and body rhythms as well as emotions, reduce stress, and expand awareness.

Ayurvedic treatments and herbal preparations are also included in the de-addiction program. The uniqueness of Ayurveda is that it removes the cause of addiction and helps in cleaning the toxin elements in the body, giving little discomfort from the withdrawal process

Apart from this detoxification program, the Art of Living conducts stress-elimination programs for addicts across the world. The strength and peace that they derive from the program techniques have helped many to abstain from abusive substances.

Benefits

Help addicts get over their addictions
Provide spiritual therapy to strengthen their minds
Provide effective treatment and adopting measures against relapse
Devise means of social integration for recovered addicts
Help recovered addicts find gainful employment
Help patients to develop a positive attitude to take appropriate decisions independently
Assist family members to understand the dynamics of drug and alcohol dependant individuals

Course Details

Open to all those who need help in overcoming addictions.
For more information on the program in Kolkata, India log onto www.vvmrc.com
For information on the stress-elimination programs, find a centre near you.

Check out De-addiction videos

De-addiction videos

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Trauma Relief

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Healing the scars

The world has seen innumerable conflicts and even at present is in a vortex of violence. The victims – innocent people – who have been caught in the crossfire are left vulnerable and wounded. Victims of natural disasters – be it hurricanes, floods, tsunamis – are also left in a start of shock. The Art of Living’s especially-designed trauma relief aim at helping people in trauma.

Disasters – whether man-made in the form of terror attacks or natural disasters - require healing. The Art of Living’s approach for trauma relief is two-pronged – material aid to comfort the victims and stress-elimination to give solace to the mind.

Healing the mind is given equal importance so that the affected persons are able to gather their lives post-trauma and move ahead.

Our trauma relief workshops are held all over the world – 9/11, South-eastern Asia’s tsunami, Iraq war, Hurricane Katrina.

Innumerable studies have affirmed the significant bearing that the Art of Living’s program, especially the Sudarshan Kriya, plays in the recovery process.

Course details

Trained instructors deliver the course in approximately 20 hours, spread out over 8-10 days

Check out Trauma Relief videos

Trauma Relief videos

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Living Well Course

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Healing the body & the mind

Living Well is a course designed especially for people with depressive or diabetic disorders. In partnership with the DRFHE (Dr. Reddy’s Foundation For Health Education) , the aim is to help people to reduce risk factors through awareness and lifestyle modification. It also aids patients to manage their chronic condition through a self management support system. The program gives hope to patients, ensures compliance with therapy and addresses social and psychological challenges faced by them.

Effectiveness

The combination of powerful motivation, in-depth knowledge of the cause and psychological effects, along with the Sudarshan Kriya and pranayama is what that makes the course effective. 68 per cent of course graduates experience remission from depression, both at the one month and three months retest times. The advantage of the course is that it is free from side effects, treatment expenses and medicine dependency that other treatments can create.

Course Details

Spread over a span of seven days, the course spans 18 – 20 hours.
The Sudarshan Kriya and presentations specific to the disorders form the base of the course.
Yoga asanas, for a healthier body, are also included.

Find out Living Well Courses at your place

YLTP videos

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Breath-Water-Sound videos

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Prison SMART videos

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Sri Sri Yoga videos

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Sahaj Samadhi Meditation videos

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DSN Course videos

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Part II course videos

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APEX course videos

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