The ART Of LIVING Courses

The Art of Living courses are conducted by the Art of Living Foundation (Art of Living official website), which is a global, non-profit organization, dedicated to various social welfare activities like health and education, even global warming. The Foundation also conducts humanitarian and disaster relief programs, trauma relief programs, as  well  as programs for the welfare and upliftment of prisoners.

The courses are self-development workshops offering techniques and practical knowledge to release stress and restore
peace of mind. There are courses which instill in participants a sense of purpose about their lives, and dynamism to get to their goals. Whether happy and successful, or struggling with poor health, depression or anxiety, participants come
away feeling lighter and empowered. The courses bring immediate improvement in energy, sleep patterns, peace of mind,
and an overall feeling of well-being. Continuing with short, easy practices at home nourishes all levels of the body, mind,
and spirit everyday.

There are many courses conducted by the Art of Living Foundation, most popular of them being:

- The Art of Living Part - 1 (Basic) course
- The Art of Living Part - 2 (Advanced) course
- DSN (Divya Samaj ka Nirman)
- Sahaj Samadhi Meditation
- Sri Sri Yoga Course - a basic course on Yoga asanas, pranayams, kapalbhati, and meditation
- Yoga and Ayurveda courses (official India website, Europe website)

The masterpiece of the part one (the basic course) course is Sudarshan Kriya. This unique practice is remarkably effective at dissolving accumulated stress and negative emotions while triggering a natural healing response. Sudarshan Kriya works quickly and does not require physical exertion or mental control. Unlike meditation where the benefits depend on the mind becoming quiet,
Sudarshan Kriya works regardless of thoughts or emotions. For those who meditate, the practice creates a calmness of mind that sets the stage for deep meditation to occur afterward.

The benefits of doing Sudarshan Kriya on a regular basis are well researched and documented. One very good website which documents scientific research on the participants of AOL courses, and practitioners of Sudarshan Kriya is the AOL Research website.

The Art of Living foundation has many dedicated teachers and volunteers, who give their absolute best to the organization and conduct of each course, in the truest sense of seva - selfless service - a concept at the heart of the Art of Living movement.

There are many very inspirational teachers in the Art of Living world - if you get an opportunity to attend a program by one of them, there's no way you should  miss the opportunity. In fact, all the teachers - bar none - have been "personally" trained by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar ji himself, and approved as a teacher. In fact, Guruji personally ensures that,  in spite of a dire need to a large number of teachers to carry the message and knowledge to the willing world, the quality of the teachers is not compromised a bit.

Some of the luminaries in the AOL teacher community - other than His Holiness himself - are Anand Rajendran ji, Mahesh Giri ji, Vikram Hazra ji, Bawa, Dinesh, Rishi Vidyadhar ji, Rishi Nityapragya ji, etc. There are many many more exceptional leaders and teachers in the AOL world - this page won't be enough to list them all.

Monthly Magazine

The Art of Living foundation also publishes a monthly magazine called Rishimukh (meaning, literally, coming from the mouth of the saint). The monthly is dedicated to spreading the message of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and covers topics regarding holistic living, ancient wisdom, and talks by Gurudeva.

Further details about the magazine, and the subscription details can be obtained from the Rishimukh official website.

Other sources of information and inspiration

Some of the Art of Living teachers are also active on social networking websites like Facebook, Orkut and there are also communities available which regularly post and discuss the new happenings in the Art of Living world.

YouTube also contains many videos of various Art of Living events, bhajans, satsangs, and talks by some the teachers.

A good write up on Sudarshan Kriya is available on the AOL Coimbatore website.

The organization also runs a university (Sri Sri University) which offers various undergraduate and graduate level courses.

Besides, the following are some popular blogs related to Art of Living courses and activities:

http://bawandinesh.name/

http://anandji.wordpress.com/