Art of Living Program

[Bhakti Yoga Seeker]

I would like to hear the opinions of those who are familiar with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living program that is mainly focused on Kriya Yoga. Their website is at http://www.artofliving.org/

I took the course a couple of years ago and found it to be very interesting although I haven't kept the practice up. The program seems bonafide but I object to the program operates like a business by charging money for pretty much everything and in often excessive amounts. I am curious to know what other people think including pros and cons that people have experienced. Namaskaar. :) ~BYS~

[Yogkriya]

Yes. This is a good program. I did the advanced course in Germany this year in June.
Although I practice Kriya yog too, but I'm not essentially an Art of living devotee etc.
I've met Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on a few occassions and talked to him.

As part of the after course celebration celebrating SriSri Anniversary, we were offered a boat ride on the river that costed 300 Euros !!! The ride included going to the river outside the city by bus, a 10 minutes meditation and lunch. Still this is very expensive I think. There were people from Londond and other places who were of the same opinion. Cost for the course was about 160Euros if I can remember correctly.
Yes the costs are high indeed. But the program is good. And most attending members are usually people from upper class of society. People who are influential, wealthy and travel internationaly. I don't really see poor people who can get in.


I would like to hear the opinions of those who are familiar with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's Art of Living program that is mainly focused on Kriya Yoga. Their website is at http://www.artofliving.org/

I took the course a couple of years ago and found it to be very interesting although I haven't kept the practice up. The program seems bonafide but I object to the program operates like a business by charging money for pretty much everything and in often excessive amounts. I am curious to know what other people think including pros and cons that people have experienced. Namaskaar. :) ~BYS~

[Vishahara]

the program of Art of Living is commercial and quite primitive - that is not kriya yoga like Yogananda tradition or Satyananda.... Ravi Shankar teachs well known in every hatha yoga school bhastrika breathing and call it very secret and advanced sudarshan kriya

[sm78]

my mother is doing the basic course which teaches some pranayams and sudarshan kriya and just by the 2nd day she says, she now knows what she really is and felt the feeling of pure I ~ "I am within Me" sort of feeling. At the end of the kriya she also cud feel the smell of chandana and honey around her !!!

My mom is not particularly spiritual. She went, cause by sister who actually enrolled fell ill, as a replacement.

Also from little description of what is done in the course, it certainly doesn't sound like "primitive" bhastrika pranayam.

Now I must do this program as my skeptic mind is suspecting hallucinative techniques being used. It is rather queer that most (almost all) who do the program regardless of their spiritual inclination turn out as yogis in a day or 2 ~ like my local daily reporting yesterday the case of a dozen rowdies in Hyderabad who have become social worker after doing the program, performing regular annadanam in their areas rather than looting people which they are more used to.

Whatever this program is, it is certainly not standard and has a deep psychic effect.

[extreme_me]

This is cool! I think I need this one.
I'm new in Yoga and I think this will help me that much.

[soham3]

Ravi shanker's fortes are

(a) knowledge of sanskrit,
(b) some yogic techniques and
(c) some siddhis & healing powers.

Do not get carried away by him.
Be receptive to any thing good that he or any body else has to offer.

[syvedi40]

"the program of Art of Living is commercial and quite primitive - that is not kriya yoga like Yogananda tradition or Satyananda.... Ravi Shankar teachs well known in every hatha yoga school bhastrika breathing and call it very secret and advanced sudarshan kriya" - Vishaara

I agree with the above statement of Vishara. A decade back I attended the program on a purely voluntary basis. No money was asked for. We used to pool some money for the teacher for meeting his bus charges!
The kriyas taught are not very special.

Now the sense of service is lost and it is only a money spinning organisation! Many persons who have attended his porgrams are disillusioned with the claims made.

[soham3]

See the following link :

http://www.deeshaa.org/is-sri-sri-ravi-shankar-a-con-man/

[Spiritualseeker]

Namaste,

You may also be interested in the Self realization Fellowship courses. They are really affordable. I am starting soon (waiting for the first package with basic meditation instructions). After a year you have the choice of being initiated into Kriya yoga and to have a Guru-disciple relationship.

-juan

[Sagefrakrobatik]

I do not think i got as much out of it as I would have liked. My class visited the Art of Living center in Trivandum a few weeks ago and everyone wanted to do the Art of Living courses. It was really hard at first we did the courses for four days and had to start at 6:30 in the morning. The yoga was intense because i was not used to kneeling for so long. We participated in different activities that were suppose to give us new insight into life. After every session the instructor had us write down questions for homework. I would have liked to try it again with a little more focus but the whole "SOOO KAAAM" exercise was a little much for us. But i would give it a shot again. I got a certificate saying i completed the course i would do all four classes but im kind of skeptical. I dont think i would benefit but its worth a shot.

[Sahasranama]

I have only heard him on youtube. I think he has a very pleasant singing voice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEA7o439LG8

[rammala]

I think it would be interesting for the contributors to go through this link on this subject


http://www.indiamike.com/india/yoga-spirituality-and-religion-in-india-f54/ravishankar-and-osho-t106815/


It is a very long discussion this very subject.

[sm78]

http://aolfree.wordpress.com/

http://www.tehelka.com/story_main50.asp?filename=Ne100911Art.asp

[Sahasranama]

Thanks for posting that, that is the funniest tittle: The Art of Living Illegally. :)

It was also really irritating watching him argue against Joker Nalayak. He was more interested in appeasing/ not offending potential clients than demolishing Islam.

[Sahasranama]

my mother is doing the basic course which teaches some pranayams and sudarshan kriya and just by the 2nd day she says, she now knows what she really is and felt the feeling of pure I ~ "I am within Me" sort of feeling. At the end of the kriya she also cud feel the smell of chandana and honey around her !!!

My mom is not particularly spiritual. She went, cause by sister who actually enrolled fell ill, as a replacement.

Also from little description of what is done in the course, it certainly doesn't sound like "primitive" bhastrika pranayam.

Now I must do this program as my skeptic mind is suspecting hallucinative techniques being used. It is rather queer that most (almost all) who do the program regardless of their spiritual inclination turn out as yogis in a day or 2 ~ like my local daily reporting yesterday the case of a dozen rowdies in Hyderabad who have become social worker after doing the program, performing regular annadanam in their areas rather than looting people which they are more used to.

Whatever this program is, it is certainly not standard and has a deep psychic effect.

Simple pranayama techniques can have very pronounced effects, for instance if you do shanmukhi mudra with bhramari pranayama, you can feel a deep sense of calm very quickly. If you combine these simple techniques with an ambience of spirituality/ chanting/ hugging, it can easily change a person. I don't think people need really complicated secrets to feel a transformation. These gurus simply know how to exploit this and attract disciples who will pay them good amounts of money for it. People will value something more if it is hyped as a secret and if they had to lay down a small fortune to learn it, have heard other people's success stories with the technique and make an association of the ambience of the gatherings and the personality of the guru with the secret they paid for.

[sm78]

Simple pranayama techniques can have very pronounced effects, for instance if you do shanmukhi mudra with bhramari pranayama, you can feel a deep sense of calm very quickly.

Yes maybe, I had mostly felt lighheaded when I practiced them earlier in my life. I doubt the efficacy of pranayama as a healing teachnique. If anything it can do damage by burning up the body quickly instead of nourishing it. Asanas and vinyasa do at least have good health benefits and healing value as they aid in release of nourishing harmones.

I don't know also if there is anything spiritual to be gained from pranyama without or outside the context of mantra. Pranayama (along with bandhas) to me only makes sense within a set up of mishra yoga as a specific advanced practice to merge the breaths and aid in kundalini rising. But that has to be performed under correct guidance within the larger gamut of mantra and laya sadhana, not as a stand-alone routine.

But now since the "kriya" yoga, people have been selling pranayama as end-all, get-all technique. But I am yet to see any benefits in people I know including my family. I have seen immediate noticable benefits of other healing techniques like Asans, Reiki, Tao, Accupressure etc...but stand-alone pranayama always made the situation worse if anything. It also dries the mind and nourishment of the brain I think.

And ravi shankar's patented sudarshan kriya is nothing but extended bhastrika which leads to hyperventilation and certainly more dangerous.



If you combine these simple techniques with an ambience of spirituality/ chanting/ hugging, it can easily change a person. I don't think people need really complicated secrets to feel a transformation. These gurus simply know how to exploit this and attract disciples who will pay them good amounts of money for it. People will value something more if it is hyped as a secret and if they had to lay down a small fortune to learn it, have heard other people's success stories with the technique and make an association of the ambience of the gatherings and the personality of the guru with the secret they paid for

Yes this holds for all guru businesses and Ravi shankar is particularly a pioneer. But I can't believe how many people still fall prey to him, when now his business is "in your face" and no longer under the veil of spirituality. He has branched in to real estate (sumeru realty or something, sells homes as twice the market price of the area resulting in adverse market price shifts for the consumers), education business (posh schools only the richest can afford), ayurvedic psuedo medicine business apart from the regular courses and satsang business.

My mother has now understood the fallacy after one course, but what to do with those who keep pouring their money to make a very greedy man very rich. SS is just an example in case. He is extreme, as he doesn't pretend any seva or other eyewashers and means business from get go. Perhaves his feminine voice is the secret behind his business success. But the greater problem is the political patronage by corrupt and god-fearing, guru-believing politician like Yeddurappa in the article you refer. As long as you stay within India psuedo secular domain, religious leaders get away with lot of things and serious criminal activities, with political patronage.

Ofcourse if you are true hindu religious man and want to point out areas which hurts sentiments and corrupt pockets, it becomes another story like Ashimananda, Sadvi Prgya and other have found out. No proof except a confession (which could be at gun point) and continous torture, while Islamic millitants openly issues fatwa and an entire state police goes to implement it to apprease Islamics (I am talking about Rushdie case). As long as SS doesn't get into such situations, his business will be booming and there will be a Yedurappa to sort out his land grabs. But lately, his greed and ambition has been drawing him towards danger (only a lil bit though).

Sad point is, Hindutva activities will still defend these guys as Hindu saints and blame fictionary western/christian interests for doing so.