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."