Hello!
It was 4 years ago that I was first told about something called the Art of Living and how it helps transform lives by empowering individuals. Like any other youngster my age, I felt strongly apprehensive in even remotely being a part of anything that seemed connected to religion/spirituality/Yoga and so on. Thankfully I was convinced by my school senior and now an AOL teacher Pranav Bhatia join one YES + (Youth Empowerment Seminar) course in which you invest 3 - 4 hours each day for close to a week.
There were many other youngsters from all walks of life in my course and each one seemed to have similar confusions regarding what the course will actually give them. 3rd day of the course and we were introduced to something which we are never ever going to forget all our lives. Called the ‘Sudarshan Kriya’ , it was a breathing exercise where you have to breathe in particular cycles of long breaths. Only if it was possible for me to tell you how it feels the first time one does the Kriya I would have definitely told you, but just so happens that you can't explain it. It just does magic to your body and you suddenly feel relaxed, light, tension free, less burdened and many other things. Till date I am perplexed how a simple breathing exercise did that to me, but it did. The rest of the course also was a very memorable experience which included a wide array of teachings which cater to youngsters and help them in their personal and professional lives.
Just like we treat all other good things that happen in our lives, after that short stint I sadly moved away from AOL to my ‘regular mundane life’. Three years later, something clicked inside me and I decided I need to give the AOL advance course a shot to try something new. Must give you a brief about this particular exercise - The advance course is a 4 day course, where you spend the entire day at the course. One of the most remarkable features of the course was that every participant had to stay quiet (keep ‘maun’) for 3 WHOLE DAYS! :O I don’t remember the last 15 minutes of my life that I spent without uttering a 100 words at least. “3 days? Are you crazy??” I said to myself. But then maybe being crazy is what it was going to take to experience magic that was about to unfold :)
What followed over the 4 days during the course is something I can’t really pen down. I have done quite a few interesting things in life, ones that i am very proud of, but the moment the 4 days were over, i said to myself "These have been the 4 best days of my entire life" (so far, as they tell me AOL has more to offer :D :) )
The feeling is like that of the favourite pasta you crave to have, like that dream holiday you have always been wanting to go to, like what you felt when you by mistake topped an exam, like eating the best chocolate in the world that you didn't know existed.
Is the experience momentary you may ask? The answer is no, it stays, it stays on for long :) Why? How? Don’t really know, but can vouch for it for sure because I can feel it :)
Until I did this course, ‘Bliss’ was just a word. Now I know what it means to feel bliss :)
Coming over to you, you've experienced a lot in life. You've done so many things. You've achieved so much. Why do you do all of that? To feel happy and content and satisfied, right? Now how about getting to know that all that happiness and peace actually lies within you and you can feel it each and every day that you spend here on the planet?
Wouldn’t you want to experience it at least once? If nothing else, do it as an experiment :) Even if this were the first and last thing i were to recommend you all my life, i'll go ahead and do it :)
Still not convinced? To be honest, it'd be sad if you leave this world without doing if nothing else, then the kriya at least. You will in any case regret not doing it earlier whenever you do it, but that’s a different case; to not do it is like saying no to primary education of this subject called Life.
Do you have to pay? Yes. Now you may ask why do you have to pay? Lets see.. How much did you spend in all the 'education' you've received till date. A few lakhs ATLEAST. Now how much can it pain you to spend a few thousand bucks more? The basic course fee is just Rs 1500. (That's like an evening out with 4 friends)
Where do these courses happen? They happen right around you! Near your college, near your house, near your workplace, they are just all over the place!
Any more doubts or details, please feel free to get in touch with me.
Actually that is what the problem is, we just never feel free, NEVER :) Do the course and you will begin to realise what it is to feel that ways :)
Am i getting paid to write this? Do i have vested interests in promoting this? Haa haa haa :) The only thing i might be able to achieve by doing this is to perhaps help at least one of you see the world in a different light and feel so so so happy :D
Did i exaggerate while writing all of this. Well if you know me you know i exaggerate most happy things in life, but having said that this one time i am being pretty honest :)
Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam – One World Family
