Monday, April 27, 2009

Art of Living - Sudarshana Kriya

Art of Living - Sudarshana Kriya

Sudarshan Kriya, is a powerful breathing technique taught at the Art of Living (AOL) centers. This unique rhythmical breathing process is said to have been revealed to his Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar during a spell of silent meditation that he had gone into for 10 days in 1982.

One of the breath's behavior; for every feeling or emotion there is a corresponding rhythm in the breath. Sudarshan Kriya incorporates specific natural rhythms of breath to release stress and bring the mind to the present moment. Thereby allows a healthy and pleasant mind to produce chemical messengers, which travel from the nervous system to the immune system, resulting in the overall betterment of both body and mind. It is preceded by Ujjayi Pranayam and Bhastrika.

Different people have different experiences at varied times while doing the long kriya. It is best that only an AOL teacher impart the kriya. The long kriya is felicitated at AOL follow-up workshops all over the world free of cost. Schedule for the same could be obtained from http://us.artofliving.org/locator/index.html

Benefits I felt on doing Sudarshan Kriya

Clears mind of various unwanted thoughts
Feel good factor
Reduced stress and tension
Brings as un-intentional smile, relaxing facial muscles

The practice is instrumental in creating a sense of harmony in the body, mind and spirit. After the practice, there is a feeling of calm and centeredness, with a clearer vision of the world and self.

Health Benefits
As a pilot study, biochemists at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) studied the effect of Sudarshan Kriya on the antioxidant status of individuals. A team lead by Dr Neeta Singh and Dr Vinod Kochupillai, tested the blood of 42 persons who were practicing Sudarshan Kriya for over 1 year and compared it with the blood of 42 healthy individuals who were not practicing any form of physical exercise or stress management techniques.
What the researchers found was thought provoking. Clearly, the cellular activity between the two groups was different. The Kriya practitioners had a better antioxidant status at the enzyme and the gene level. Also they had less DNA damage and cell aging. Though biochemical science and spirituality may seem miles apart, it is heartening to see ancient practices and modern science converging to live a richer and healthier life.

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