The Art of Living course is a stress-elimination program, which includes breathing techniques, meditation, and yoga, in order to assist individuals in ridding themselves of unwanted stress and experience inner peace. Millions of people around the world have attested to the benefits of its methods in which they claim have helped them overcome stress, depression, and violent tendencies. Art of Living also helps you build self-confidence as well as self-acceptance.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar officially established the Art of Living in 1981 as a not-for-profit, educational, and humanitarian NGO engaged in stress-management and service initiatives, including conflict resolution, disaster relief, sustainable rural development, empowerment of women, prisoner rehabilitation, education for all, and environmental sustainability. Today, the organization operates globally in over 150 countries, including Saudi Arabia, where, although not an officially registered, is gaining much ground with locals.

Surprisingly, the people attending these courses aren’t the new age, alternative medicine bohemians one might expect. Conventional medical doctors, educators and political science graduates are just some of the diverse range of professions and personalities attending local classes. “People from all walks of life attend my workshops, from bankers and businessmen to the working class,” says Art of Living instructor, Farida Iqbal.

From intimate 10-people workshops, to larger groups of 30, Iqbal has seen a diverse range of Zen-seekers walk through her doors. “Recently, I’ve notice more youngsters attending — students who are trying to cope with the stress of balancing school and life,” reveals Iqbal. She insists that there is no real stereotype of her student, “We have people of different nationalities, languages, and educational backgrounds attending because what’s great about the Art of Living is that many of the processes deal with the universal language of human interaction and not so much the spoken word.”

“I never thought the course would have such a profound effect on me,” said Leen a Riyadh businesswoman, who took the course after a friend commented on her incorrect breathing at an aerobics class. “I was surprised to find that it wasn’t only about the breathing techniques, but also about the way you look at life,” she explains, “I learned how to let go, be patient, how to deal with issues. It really gave me the opportunity to go deep inside myself and find inner peace.”

In addition to the breathing technique, the course also involves a philosophical component, which often gains unwarranted controversy in the Kingdom. “We conduct processes that build insight and skills for effectively dealing with challenging emotions, relationships and situations,” states Iqbal. There is nothing religious about the course, although it is spiritually uplifting. 

Beginning the course with a disclaimer Iqbal, asserts, “The Art of Living is not a religious course, nor does it have anything to do with religion.” In fact, Iqbal claims that the course has brought her closer to Islam, as she has never been more in accord with the principals of the Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) and closer to true inner peace than now. 

“After prayers we sit and do tasbeeh (supplication). In a way, that is a form of religious meditation,” says Iqbal, whose students often include muhajib (covered) women. We need to connect the outer world of activity to our inner selves in order to enjoy a more peaceful life.”

At the core of the workshop is the breathing technique, Sudarshan Kriya, which incorporates specific natural rhythms of the breath in an attempt to harmonize the rhythm of the body and mind, in order to bring them in tune with the rhythm of nature. “By being in tuned to the universal rhythms, you eliminate stress, fatigue, and negative emotions, such as anger and depression,” explains Iqbal. And the best part is, you leave the session feeling energized yet relaxed — a difficult feeling to describe, but an easy one to immediately become addicted to.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer,” claims Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

“Just as emotions affect the patterns of breathing, the mental, and behavioral patterns can be changed by altering the rhythm of our breath,” states Iqbal when explaining the premise that breath is the link between the body and the mind. “Once you understand this connection, you can proactively bring about changes in our mental and behavioral patterns just by consciously altering the rhythms of our breath.” The breath can be mastered and utilized as an effective and quick stress relief technique to flush out anger, anxiety, and depression.

The course also includes basic yoga exercises that are easy to follow-up on at home. “Even after the workshop is complete,” reveals Iqnal, “regular weekly follow-up meetings continue to take place and all are welcome.”