Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The Way of Grace

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 past. 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 — the 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 re-introduce natural rhythms into our breath, our body, mind and emotions can be brought back 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 discord from past sorrows and disappointments is re-tuned 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 Healing Breath Workshop. Afterwards, daily practice at home ensures that you enjoy maximum benefits. (To take the Healing Breath Workshop, contact Art of Living. Note: The Healing Breath Workshop is now called the Art of Living Course, Part 1.)

“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 transform you and kindle the love deep inside.”
— Sri Sri Ravi Shankar