The Art of Living

I had read and heard a lot about the “Art of living”, through articles in newspapers, television programmes and also from a few friends of mine who have done the course. I always had this pre-conceived notion that such courses involve worshipping some guru, following stringent religious practices, etc., Little did I know, that this would be the course , that would change my entire perspective towards life altogether. It is a miraculous feeling in which you do something impulsively and end up getting an invaluable and enriching learning experience.

Simply put, “Art of Living” is the art of living in the “present”. Most of our time is spent in either regretting the past or worrying about the future. In doing so, we inadvertently forget the beauty of the present moment, which is precious and which needs to be valued.

This program basically comprises of two basic elements ; Yoga and meditation. Normal human tendency is to cling to the negative. We seem to be so caught up in our sadness, that it gradually starts becoming a way of life. However, yoga and meditation help the mind to effortlessly transcend the negativity and pessimism and truly experience the exhilarating life force. Meditation takes you on a journey within yourself. Contrary to popular belief, its not an escape from life, but a soul-stirring embrace with the very essence of life.

As Sri Sri Ravi Shankar puts it,

Meditation is the journey from movement to stillness and from sound to silence.

The Sudarshan Kriya , a powerful rhythmic breathing technique that facilitates physical, mental, emotional and social well-being is an integral part of the Art of living programs. It helps in eliminating stress and bringing one, completely into the present moment.

Spiritual practices, including prayer and meditation enable us to decipher the purpose of our existence. It often leads to an experience of connectedness with a larger reality, with nature, with the divine realm.

Its very interesting to note, that each one of us who participated in this program had a uniquely different, albeit fascinating experience to share, with regards to how they felt about the course. I certainly felt more serene and more at peace with everything around me. It empowered me to deal with life’s challenges – with a sense of calm and dynamism.

This course has been an eye-opener for me and I would seriously recommend it to everybody.Its an experience worth having atleast once!