Saturday, February 9, 2008
Miracles of Breath
Breathing is the first act of our lives. Within the breath is the secret of life. Breath is linked to the vital life energy in us, or prana. We gain prana through air, fresh food and rest – and also through meditation. A lack of prana results in lethargy, dullness and poor enthusiasm. When our bodies are lively with prana, we feel alert ,energetic and full of good humor. Prana is the very basis of health and well being for both body and mind.
Prana is more abundant in fresh air than in stale air. (compare how you feel after an hour in stuffy, room versus an hour walking in a forest or near the ocean surf..) Yet whatever the air quality we live in our health can be dramatically enhanced with pranayama - deep breathing practices that open the lungs and maximize the absorption of prana.. The words prana + ayama mean to live from the dimension of prana - to live fullness of life. Pranayama techniques recharge the cells, keeping us young and vital with resilient health and brilliant clarity of mind.
Art of Living Workshop
"A few times of the healing breath fully relaxes you. Your life becomes more total. All the faces of your personality come together to make you one whole person. Do the healing breath and meditate. these practices completely transforms you and kindle the love deep inside."
- His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sudarshan kriya
A crest jewel in the Art of Living is the healing breath known as Sudarshan Kriya.
This unique breathing practice is a potent energizer. Every cell becomes fully oxygenated and flooded with new life. Negative emotions that have been stored as toxins in the body are easily uprooted and flushed out. Tension, frustrations and anger get released. Anxiety, depression and lethargy are washed away. Both the mind and the body feel a welcome relief. After the practice, one is left calm and centered with a clearer vision of the world and of oneself. A sense of joy in the moment prevails where once again we can smile from our hearts. And when we feel good about ourselves, love flows naturally in all our relationships with others.
How can a breathing practice be so beneficial? How does it work?
More than a mere breathing exercise, the rhythms of breath during Sudarshan Kriya technique carry deep significance. Rhythms abound everywhere in nature: day follows night, tides rise and fall, seasons come and go, countless biological rhythms exist in the body. There are also rhythms of mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we feel a sense of harmony and well being. When stress throws us off balance, chaotic rhythms are created within us. Then we feel a sense of discomfort and discontent. The mind wavers vacillating between worries about the future and regrets of the pasts. We find that we do not fully enjoy our lives in the present moment, here and now.
A solution can be found with the breath-link between mind and body. Like other rhythms throughout nature, our .breath also moves in specific patterns at particular times. Have you ever observed your breath when you felt anxious? Or angry or relaxed… content... happy?
Every emotion is instantly reflected in the rhythm of the breath.
When we reintroduce natural rhythms into our breath, our body, mind and emotions can be brought from a condition of chaos to a state of balance. This is the practice of Sudarshan Kriya.
The effect is immediate and tangible. The internal discard from past sorrows and disappointments is retuned into a soothing symphony of peace and serenity. Even the most intense or debilitating emotions subside after ten minutes of practice. One is left free to enjoy life – alert to the present moment and centered in the silence of one’s Being.
Sudarshan kriya is a completely natural process that was cognized by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during divine meditation on March 4 and 5, 1982. From these auspicious dates we mark the beginning of the Master’s gift of the Art of Living to people throughout the world.
Sudarshan kriya is a powerful tool for daily living. It is simple to learn and easy to practice. It is a technique of direct experience that you can receive during the Art of Living Workshop. Afterwards, daily practice at home ensures that you enjoy maximum benefits.
"A few times of the healing breath fully relaxes you. Your life becomes more total. All the faces of your personality come together to make you one whole person. Do the healing breath and meditate. these practices completely transforms you and kindle the love deep inside."
- His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Yoga
Yoga
Yoga means union. The practice of Yoga asanas allows the mind, body and breath to merge in the present moment, drawing us back to a feeling of one unified, seamless whole. Yoga asanas are a celebration of feeling at home and relaxed in our own body. We learn to appreciate our body as beautiful gift to us from the Divine.
Each morning gets off to the right when you stretch with simple postures called yoga asanas.
More than mere physical exercises, asanas have a profound benefit for the mind, emotions, body and our total sense of well-being.
Asanas are a gift of wisdom from ancient Masters who observed the natural postures of children at play. By twisting and turning in various ways that feel good, a child honours the body’s desire to become flexible, toned and healthy.
So much tension accumulates in the body. When the body is stressed or unfit, the mind is also affected, causing laziness and lethargy. On the other hand, a fit body is the basis for a sound mind, allowing us to experience the world through a more joyful and refined instrument.
Through yoga asanas we develop a keen attention to the sensation within the body- the debris of tension, pains, stiffness, and our unconscious “holding on”. Through slow meditative stretching combined with co-ordinated breathing, yoga postures facilitate the release of these long accumulated tensions and strains.
With asana practice, we gained increased flexibility and maximum range of movement. The muscles become relaxed and toned. The spine, joints and ligaments are gently massaged, making the body supple. Each posture also and stimulates specify internal organs, improving the blood circulation, strengthening the digestion and aiding the body in the cleansing of toxins.
Asanas leave us enlivened, refreshed, and comfortable with our body, with a compassionate awareness of our body’s needs and messages.
Basic asanas are leaned on Art of living Basic and Advance Courses and often cover a variety of new postures each morning. Through gentle guidance you are taught how to correctly perform each asana-how to stretch the body in beneficial ways without strain. Asanas are always performed in a non-competitive environment with the emphasis on nurturing your inner experience, as opposed to goal – oriented postures.
Once learned, yoga asanas may be enjoyed at home as part of your daily routine.
Yoga at work
One of the most wonderful aspects of yoga is that it can be practiced anywhere – whether in a studio, a gym, on the beach, on a mountain top, or even in our office or workplace.
Many people develop poor posture when sitting at a desk all day, resulting in neck and back pain. Further, with insufficient or no exercise, circulation slows down and very little blood flows through to the muscles. With oxygen flow inhibited, the muscles begin to contract to conserve oxygen. Tension builds in the neck, the shoulders and the back.
There are some simple and gentle yoga stretches and techniques that may be performed even when sitting at a desk or computer. Stretching oxygenates the blood, improves blood flow to the muscles and relieves tension. It also increases blood flow to the brain, which improves concentration and clarity of thought. It helps to alleviate the number one work – related problem, stress.
These stretches may be done periodically throughout the day, and may be complemented with a quick brisk walk around the office. Those who sit at a computer all day may use these techniques to relieve the resultant cramps and aches of the chest, shoulders, arms, hands and fingers.
Taking just a few minutes a day can make us more productive and benefit our overall physical and mental health.
Wrist and elbow Rotation
Sit with your back straight in your chair and rotate both wrists, slowly, ten times in the clockwise and ten times in the anti-clockwise direction. Rotate your arm at the elbow, ten times in each direction. This exercise may be repeated two or three times in a day.
Relaxing the Neck and Shoulders
Start by lowering your head forward towards your chest. Close your eyes and hold this position for a few moments, while concentrating on relaxing the muscles in the back of your neck. After a few moments, slowly roll your head from side to side. Be careful to go only to the sided and not roll your head to the back, as you want to relax your muscles, not overextend your neck.
Next, concentrate on your shoulders. Let your head relax in an upright but natural position. Begin by rolling your shoulders forward. Hold this position, allowing time for the muscles along the upper part of your back to relax. Then slowly roll your shoulders forward and back, up and down, increasing circulation to the neck and upper back area.
Relaxing your Chest
Clasp your hands in front of you, palms facing outwards. Round the back and stretch forward, allowing the upper and mid back to stretch. Again, hold for a few moments. You may close your eyes if you wish and breath slowly and deeply. Then, keeping your hands clasped, stretch your arms up over head and gently stretch back, opening the chest. Again, breathe deeply and just take a moment to relax.
Seated Katti Chakrasana
Keeping your back straight, lift both arms in front, palms still facing each other, slowly twist your body at the waist, first to the right, and then to the left.
Ankle rotation
Rotate your ankles, one at a time, ten times in the clockwise and ten times in anti clockwise direction.
Pushing the wall
Stand with your legs two to three feet apart, with the right foot facing out and the left leg turned inward slightly. Lift arms to shoulder level, lean towards the right at the waist, and with the base of your right palm, push an imaginary wall. Push as hard as you can, do not exert. Feel the stretch along your right arm, and hold this position for a few moments. Smile, relax and enjoy the stretch. Repeat on the other side, with the left foot facing out and the right leg turned inward slightly.
Culture, Interfaith Music and Timeless Wisdom
His Holiness established the Heritage and Sanskrit schools to emphasize promotion of traditional Indian heritage, which is fast dying out in today’s world. The students are provided training and education about India’s rich culture including the ancient Vedas and scriptures. The Heritage school includes free dormitories, an extensive library of Vedic sciences, treatises and commentaries is available in Sanskrit, English and other regional languages to promote study and research. Graduates of the Heritage school are well versed in the ancient Indian scriptures, and also in the modern sciences.
This unique approach is inspired by His Holiness’ vision of modern science blending with ancient knowledge. For more information please visit: www.artofliving.org/bangalore/
Interfaith Music
Music is a universal language that everyone can enjoy, regardless of race, religion, or creed. Music is a fundamental language for all human beings. Sri Sri has created an environment in which people from all nationalities and faiths feel at home and are encouraged to express their culture freely
Sri Sri visits over 35 nations each year, and in every country local musicians and artists welcome him with their traditional music and celebration. Music inspired by Sri Sri often cuts across religious boundaries and brings people together. Examples of such universal music are found at bookstore.artofliving.org
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says “Religion is like the banana peel and Spirituality is like the banana. We are holding on to the peel and have thrown the Banana.” Spirituality – the basis of all religions – is what can provide the solution to the problems facing mankind today. What is needed today is a better appreciation of this unifying outlook which comes out of a thorough understanding of one’s own self, coupled with a healthy respect for all of humanity.
The first step towards promoting peace is to appreciate the spiritual depth of each religion. Each religion has a unique, and sometimes complementary way of dealing with life’s situations. The variety of outlook and differences in perspective should serve as a means of emphasizing the diversity in nature. Each time and space has had its share of the spiritual knowledge which every prophet or founder of a religion has professed. However, each religion does stand testimony to the existence of the One Absolute Reality
Timeless Wisdom
Every major tradition has made a unique contribution towards human evolution. It is not wise to see one tradition as better than another. The wisdom in all the religions of the world belongs to everyone. They all advocate the basic human values of truth, peace, and service.
When attention is given to the spiritual aspect of one’s life, it brings responsibility, a sense of belongingness, and compassion. It breaks down boundaries of caste, creed, religion and nationality. This is the only way that wars can be eliminated and human rights restored today.
Building dynamic leaders for tomorrow
Youth today face a number of important choices at home, at school, and socially as they navigate a rapidly changing world.
With so many influences giving direction to young people, cultivating the qualities of inner strength and compassion will be essential for tomorrow's leaders. We provide tools to nurture the growth of these qualities, so that our society will have powerful leaders dedicated to building a brighter future. The Art of Living Foundation empowers young people to move from being influenced by their environment, to having an influence on their environment. We work to ensure that tomorrow's voices for peace and unity are stronger than those of violence and self-centeredness.
We have programs for youth of all ages that are fun and challenging, with a special emphasis on nurturing human values common to all cultures, religions and traditions such as; non-violence, compassion, caring for the planet, enthusiasm for life and an attitude of service toward others.
Youth Training Program (YTP)
The Youth Training Program (YTP) in India focuses on the education of the rural youth and encourages them to work for the betterment of their community. Arranging medical camps, distributing clothes to the poor, creating sanitation facilities and setting up local cooperative groups.
Working on the principles of love and essential human connectedness as delineated by their founder member, Sri Sri Ravishankar, the Art of Living tries to follow a holistic way of living coupled with humanitarian values. It teaches a wide variety of courses including a meditation course called sahaja samadhi, a natural and effortless meditative technique. It admits that all its self-development courses and programs are a form of yoga, which is nothing but a "union with the Self." The sudarshan kriya and other related techniques, propounded by the Foundation, are all based on the ancient yogic science of breathing, which explores the connection between mind, body, the emotions and rhythms of breath. Over a million people in more than 100 countries have taken Art of Living courses.
The Foundation has Vyakti Vikas Kendras all over India, to teach people how to revive love among themselves, improve their interpersonal interactions and to reach out to the world in a positive manner. Corporate courses are offered to executives and all, to enhance their efficiency and team spirit.
When Sri Sri Ravishankar addressed the August 2000 UN Millennium World Peace Committee of Religious and Spiritual Leaders, his speech was widely received as a path breaking one. The Art of Living, as the instrument of Guruji's ideals, promotes the idea of preventive diplomacy in the case of conflict situations in the global arena. An idea that was proposed to the UN in its 1995 World Social Summit.
Above all, the Foundation endeavors to drive home Sri Sri Ravishankar's message that—even though practices remain different, all great religious traditions share the same common goals and values, and mankind would do well to cut across these barriers and anomalies to connect with each other through love.
International Association for Human Values
The International Association for Human Values is another nonprofit outfit of the Foundation, which works for cultivating and supporting basic human values in societies all over the world. The association boasts of a network of well-trained and motivated personnel to carry out its activities.
Prison Smart
Prison SMART is another laudable program providing training on stress management and rehabilitation for juvenile and adult prisoners, prisoners on parole and probation, victims of crime, at-risk youths, and even the law enforcement officers and probation staff. The Prison SMART Foundation Inc. that carries out these services was established in 1992. This unique foundation is the first of its kind in the USA and now has gained national recognition to offer services in the prisons and juvenile halls across the country. The foundation provides vision, resources and a committed corps of talented volunteers.
Art Excel
The Art Excel program is perhaps the most popular program, which offers courses for all round development of children and youth (8 to 21 years old). Through simple play-way techniques and awareness games the participants learn how to develop their personal potential and manage stress in their life. This highly admired program is currently offered in major Indian cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Calcutta, and in countries like Canada and the USA. The Art of Living program is working closely with UNICEF to make this program available to the world community at large
The 5th Program
One of its many commendable programs is the 5H Program, which focuses on—Home, Health, Hygiene, Harmony in Diversity and Human Values. It aims at bringing about a social transformation so that the complete potential of each individual is expressed. Sri Sri Ravishankar is the inspiration behind the program
Dollar-A-Day Program
From 1985, the Art of Living started supporting the Dollar-a-Day service program, for rural children of India, which provides them with the basic amenities of life and much more. This innovative activity is pursued under Care for Children program where children learn, other than the traditional courses, the fine art of living, the skill of making friends, handling negative emotions and value of service to the fellow beings. The children are taught to take the studies as an enjoyable challenge, pick up the habit of hygienic living and most importantly, develop the skill of community living, a sense of belonging to each one of it.
Professional Affiliations
The Art of Living Foundation is an international Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations participating in a variety of committees and activities relating to health, education, sustainable development and conflict resolution.
The Foundation has accredited representatives at the United Nations in New York, Geneva and Vienna and also works in formal consultation with the World Health Organization (WHO): "Development of a Global Health Policy for the 21st Century" .
Membership Of Art of living foundation
Memberships
- CONGO (Conference of NGO's in Consultative Status with ECOSOC of the United Nations), Geneva and New York
- U.N. Mental Health Committee and U.N. Committee on Aging, New York
- International Union for Health Promotion and Education, Paris
- NGO Forum for Health, Geneva
- National Association of Women's Organizations, Uganda link