Art of Living - Who, What, Where , When, Why, and How?
Art of Living is a worldwide initiative led by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, its spiritual leader who started the movement in India in 1982. It is not strictly physical yoga because the central activities tend to concentrate on breathing exercises, meditation and the spiritual realm. I am not even sure how to qualify AOL (its shortened form is preferred internally) within the Indian religious spectrum.
The Art of Living Foundation is an international non-profit educational and humanitarian organization run by volunteers active in over 140 countries. Its mission statement is:
"Art of Living Foundation is dedicated to serving society by strengthening the individual. We do this by offering programs that eliminate stress, create a sense of belonging, restore human values, and encourage people from all backgrounds, religions, and cultural traditions to come together in celebration and service."
This page has two purposes: to bring together a lot of diverse online resources about the Art of Living, both AOL's and other sites, and to help someone new to AOL and thinking of taking the Art of Living introduction course. When someone first thinks about taking the course, lots of ideas flow through your hear:
- Is Art of Living a religion?
- Is Art of Living a cult?
- Who is this Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and why does he look so weird? And does it matter that he does not look like a yuppie?
- Is there a scientific foundation to the breathing practices taught by AOL instructors?
I took an AOL introductory course in March 2004. It took about 20 hours, stretched over six days. I took a meditation course (four evenings, two-three hours each) in June 2004. I do a daily morning practice (45-50 minutes) of breathing and meditation, and an evening practice of 20 minutes of meditation. I also attend a weekly kriya in downtown DC once a week where I join friends listening to a recording of Sri Sri that leads us through the main practice. My involvement in AOL is part of a greater interest in yoga, meditation and other matters. You can see my weblog for more details about my daily practice. I continue to be a practicing Christian, and my Art of Living experience has strengthened my sense of being grounded and centered in my life. I have not be brainwashed or subjected to any pressure to continue my affiliation with the group. Aside from my participation in group kriya, I have not affiliation to the Art of Living Foundation.
Art of Living is gaining wide acceptance around the world. Here in Washington, the World Bank Group has sponsored many introductory AOL courses. Sri Sri has spoken at NASA, Congress and met President Bush at the White House. The organization is based on volunteers scattered around the world, most operating with independence. The instructors do not receive any pay for their time and effort. Most are driven by a sense of service.
What sets Art of Living apart? Its emphasis on ecumenical outreach of the benefits of Sudarshan Kriya to those who can really use it: children, prison inmates, the HIV infected. The Prison SMART Foundation (Stress Management and Rehabilitative Training) addresses the needs of individuals and professionals affected by the criminal justice system.
- Reduced stress
- Improved self-esteem
- Greater creativity and clarity of mind
- Increased health and well-being
- Enriched spiritual life
Scientific research into Sudarshan kriya has found several effects. Since 1996, Indian research has shown it to be an alternative treatment for depression. In Slovenia it was found that it also helped Multiple Sclerosis patients by improving their mobility, endurance levels, and lung capacity.
- Reduced cortisol -- the "stress hormone"
- Relief of depression and anxiety
- Restores normal sleep patterns
- Increases EEG alpha and prolactin ("well-being hormone")
Special Sections
- Practice of Sudarshan Kriya: my take on breathwork and other cleansing exercises
- Practice of Sahaj Samadhi Meditation: an overview of the meditation practice as taught by Art of Living
Art of Living Foundation Resources
It can difficult to understand the multiple initiatives that revolve around Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Some are focused on India. Others are international in scope. Still others seem to centered in the United States and Canada. The Indian wing of International Art of Living Foundation is registered as Vyakti Vikas Kendra.
- Art of Living Foundation ::: Montreal Ashram ::: Bangalore headquarters
- AOL has many local chapters: DC Chapter
::: United States ::: Some but not all chapters have their own web sites, but the site are not listed at the AOL website. Do a Google search. Since AOL is very active on U.S. college campuses, you can check this site for additional information. - International Association for Human Values has nine programs:
- 5H - Health, Homes, Hygiene, Human Values and Harmony in Diversity is a separate organization from the AOL Foundation.
- APEX Course, standing for Achieving Personal EXcellence, is given to corporate management and staff. I know that APEX courses have taken place at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. An older version can be found at Self Management Seminar
- Prison SMART (Stress Management and Rehabilitative Training) and AOL's info ::: Boston Globe Article
- Rural Development
- Tribal Schools Project
- Breath Water Sound Workshop
- Emergency Relief: New York City after 9/11, Kosovo, Iran, Indonesia
- The Women Empowerment Project is strong in India and Africa.
- Yes - Youth Empowerment Seminar
- ART Excel is "designed to develop human values in youth by teaching self-development and stress-management skills." I know that my AOL friends are working to get the ART Excel program introduced in Washington DC public schools as a means of reducing the violence and stress in these urban classrooms. It's a tall challenge.
- Care for Children is "an innovative school and service program for children and their communities in rural India." It includes a dollar a day program in which donors promise to contribute to the daily support of disadvantaged Indian children.
- eSatsang is an portal for AOL volunteers, instructors and leaders. Some resources are freely available, but for others you have to register.
- Courses Online
- Seva - Yoga in Action - university students engage in international service
- News Blog
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar contains more information than first meets the eye. There are audio clips and literature. However, it seems that it has not been updated since 2002
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - The Way of Grace is a book site. In addition to buying a hard copy, you can get PDF chapters. Also see his small personal site
- SriSriYoga - this seems to be a new AOL venture with a limited number of teacher trainers. Teachers are in Canada, the US, Indonesia and South Africa
- Sri Sri Ayurved is based in India.
- Sri Sri Centre for Media Studies (Bangalore, India) has a 10-month entry-level training program. Has the backing of several big-time Indian media.
Other references
- Victim Service Center Miami: Relax features "Science of the Breath," a RealPlayer movie by Dr. James G. Farrow. The site was put up for a seminar in December 2003.
- LifePostive: Art of Living Section and Slide show on benefits of Sudharsan Kriya
- Science of Breath: Extracts of the Scientific Research Papers Presented at AIIMS During the First International Symposium on Sudarshan Kriya, Pranayama and Consciousness on March 2-3, 2002
- AOL Intro Course Experiences: Bahrani and MIT article ::: Indian retreat
- Yoga Journal articles: Emperor of Air originally published in the September/October 2002 issue and the best independent magazine article I've seen about Art of Living and Sri Sri ::: Western Science vs. Eastern Wisdom originally published in the January/February 2003 issue ::: The Natural Prozac originally in the November/December 1999 issue ::: Better than Prozac, originally in the July/August 2001 issue
- Psychology Today: Yoga: It's Not Just An Exercise in the November 2000 issue
- Yoga and Depression
bibliography prepared by Trisha Lamb Feuerstein at the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) (Adobe Acrobat required, 128 kb)
Who is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Dai Lama founded the International Association of Human Values (IAHV) in 1997 in Geneva.
The Art of Living Foundation has an official biography of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's life, and it seems to be the one repeated in other media. He was born in 1956, and soon showed his spiritual bent, reciting Hindi scripture by heart at an early age. Early in his spiritual maturity, he also served the Transcendental Meditation (TM) Guru and mystic Maharishi Maheshyogi, as a fairly senior and trusted lieutenant. He served as a pundit or reciter of Vedic scriptures in the TM ceremonies. He was largely responsible for spreading the Maharishi's gospel and activity to South Africa and other parts of the globe. He struck out on his own in 1982.
The Art of Living yoga lineage can be traced through Maharishi to the Swami Brahmananda Saraswati (also known as Ramamurti S. Mishra) and Swami Vishvandanda (Of Sringe Math.) according to the lineages in Kathy Phillips's The Spirit of Yoga. Deepak Chopra, the best-selling author of self-help books, is also this same branch of the yogic tradition.
Sri Sri is an honorific term that was added to his name after the Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar complained that confusion was arising about who was who. "Sri" means respected one. One "Sri" (pronounced shree) is a term of respect similar to "mister" and the use of two is analogous to "the reverend." Yoga Journal's Emperor of Air contains the best unofficial biographical information on Sri Sri that I have found on the Internet.
Sri Sri does not want his admirers or others to refer to him as a swami, which refers to the member of an ascetic or monastic order, much like a Catholic monk. His followers address him as His Holiness, and more affectionately as gurudev or guruji.
India Yogi's Indian Saints, Mystics, Philosophers and Gurus includes a short bib. Sri Sri and AOL are a potent force in India. As often happens in the developing world, as the movement has increased its international presence, it has resonated more in India.
Amy Weintraub's Book
I came to AOL through reading the book Yoga for Depression: A Compassionate Guide to Relieve Suffering Through Yoga by Any Weintraub. Weintraub devotes Chapter Seven to "Art of Living — Breathing That Heals." Over 15 pages, Weintraub goes into the details of the daily practices, stories of how it affected people's lives and health, and the scientific evidence supporting the practice.
Weintraub points out that Art of Living methodology is attracting scientific interest. Dr. Richard Brown, of Columbia University, has been a strong supporter of the kriya practice.
Weintraub is a long-time yogini and instructor. She taught for many years at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, which has long focused on the health and spiritual benefits of yoga. She also preaches the values of pranayama in general. The Art of Living's approach is not going to appear unprecedented. In the end, Weintraub gives a very strong endorsement of Art of Living. She took the intro course and then took the intensive, advanced course at the Canadian ashram that AOL has in Montreal.
