Introduction to Art of Living session at Austin Recovery’s Buda campus

On Thursday January 19th 2012, we had the very first ‘Introduction to Art of Living' session facilitated at Austin Recovery's Buda campus. About 20 people (a good mix of youth to senior citizens)  undergoing rehabilitation from Alcohol/Drug addiction participated in the 1 hour session and reported immense stress relief.

A game of 'Seven Up' served as a perfect ice-breaker, it was followed by a  couple of simple breathing techniques and a few minutes of meditation, during which the participants experienced a state of joy. The highly interactive session that followed the meditation involved participants bringing out the knowledge about the natural tendencies of the mind (chewing on negativity via thoughts about regrettable experiences from the past and thoughts about future anxiety), the 4 sources of life energy and descriptions of various experiences of 'present moment awareness'.

Towards the end of the session, most participants shared that they felt very relaxed with a feeling of lightness within and higher energy level. One of the participants shared that he felt bliss rising from within and another participant brought out the knowledge that if joy is felt from within utilizing these simple techniques and there is no point in seeking it through attachments to external means (alcohol/drugs).

The snapshot of innocence, so palpable through the sharing, and the inner beauty, so palpable through the smiles around, was a sight to behold and will stay in my memory for a long time.

The sketch below was drawn by one of the rehab program participants, which beautifully conveys the crossing the barrier of despair and the kindling of human values.

At the end of the session, the participants recommended Austin Recovery's staff members to schedule an ‘Introduction to Art of Living' session every Thursday to help with their rehab. One participant who was spending his last day on the rehabilitation program promised to seek special permission from the staff in order to allow him to attend next week's session.

-Sanjeev Mathur

The Currency of Time

Imagine that everyone in the world got $1000 to spend. It would be used to do a variety of things. Some would chose to go out and party all night. Some might just deposit it in their bank and forget about it. Some might invest it on a child's future while others might decide to donate it to a worthwhile charity. Some might repay a portion of a loan while some might finally afford basic necessities or have a proper meal.

We label some actions as good, some as wasteful and perhaps some as bad based on an elaborate value system devised over time. However, the essence is that everyone got the same $1000. Most of our time above was spent looking at actions, rather than the basic fact that everyone got some money. Even focusing on the amount of money, or money itself distracts from the essence that everyone got something.

We all really have only one currency and that is time. People do all sorts of things with their time - they serve or laze, entertain or bore, create or steal. Debating about how a person uses his time again drifts from this essence. Everyone just spends time being and doing.

What people do with their time has been the basis of all judgments. It has been ruminated on for centuries. All laws, rules, values, morals and ethics are based on what people should do with their time. There is already enough attention and awareness towards this concept.

For a few minutes though, experience this essence instead - the basis of all existence, this absolute time, free from all judgments.

That is Shiva and experiencing it is meditation.

Light and Darkness

Here's a recent quote from His Holiness, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of the Art of Living Foundation.

"Light doesn't fight with darkness. Darkness has no existence, it is just the absence of Light. Even if a room has been dark for 20 years, it doesn't take Light 20 years to get rid of the darkness... Light comes and Darkness is defeated just like that."

We tend to give the negatives of life too much importance and power over us. It is easy to get caught up with this negativity, and fall prey to inaction and apathy. It is a common tendency of the mind to see a glass as half empty, but inaction is a really heavy price to pay.

With wisdom and commitment, we can shift our perception to the reality - that every negative is simply the absence of a corresponding positive. With this attitude, strength and confidence, it is possible to make a genuine difference in the world.

Once we do set our eyes on such a goal, we need a strong foundation in order to face such apparent negativity. It is crucial to empower ourselves with tools and methods to manage our bodies, minds and spirits and navigate the challenges of life.

YES for juveniles - A success story

Recently, Art of Living Austin volunteers had the privilege of teaching our first ever YES course at the Gardner Betts Juvenile Justice Center.

It all started during Christmas 2009 when some of the volunteers decided to celebrate the season of giving at the correctional facility. What caught their eyes was how much the kids there could benefit from yoga and meditation. Thus started the free yoga once a month at the facility. They consistently conducted yoga throughout the year 2010. As and when new volunteers started signing up to lead yoga sessions, the frequency increased to once a week. The kids at the center loved yoga, and the supervisors realized the benefits too.

So, when Usha told the supervisor that they can conduct a YES workshop that would benefit the kids way more than the yoga, the supervisor readily agreed. After a few weeks of negotiations on the course timing and other logistics, the course was scheduled for February 18-21st. There were a lot of first things in this course:, it was the first course under the banner “Prison Smart” for Art of Living Austin; it was the first ever YES course taught in a detention center for our teachers too.

For Usha, the biggest hurdle was not getting volunteers lined up for the yoga sessions or finding teachers for the course, it was getting time on the superintendent’s calendar. Thanks to the persistent efforts by volunteers like Katie, Sanjeev, Lakshmi, Sridhar and their “never say no” attitude leader Usha, the course became a reality. It probably is a tiny step for the Art of Living Foundation and a big first step for Art of Living Austin but I am sure it was a giant leap for the 16 kids who participated in the 4 day program.

This time around the course was taught for the male population of the facility. We hope to conduct a similar workshop to the rest of the facility very soon. We will report back on this blog when that happens

Wisdom is beyond all arguments

It is said that logic has no loyalty. Any kind of logic can be concocted to be for or against an issue. Remember those debating contests in school? Pick a topic and tell one person to debate for that topic and the other to debate against it. True wisdom is beyond such logic.

There is no shortage of such controversial topics - in fact, it is the easiest way to divide a group. The topic could be something as simple as the humble apple or as complex as off-shore drilling. It is impossible to know everything and by that metric, any opinion is at best a guess. When our own position is a guess, what are the odds of comprehending another person's point of view?

Nature reflects this wisdom. There isn't only one type of apple, there's hundreds of varieties. There isn't even just one type of fruit, or even one category of food. Nature is comfortable with millions of opinions on everything - birds, leaves, stones and seas. And that is the wisdom beyond arguments. It's all already there to see, no arguments can change that.

Once that wisdom dawns, there are no winners or losers anymore, just the universal truth.

The Six S's

I was recently thinking about the primary pillars of the Art of Living - namely Seva, Satsang and Sadhana, also, the implicit ones - Silence, Smile and Sadguru. I like to compare these aspects of life to a tree.

Sadhana is the practice - the root of the tree - grounding it firmly and providing the essential nutrients of life. It provides a strong foundation on which anything can be achieved. Without strong roots, life easily takes us for a ride.

Satsang is the group - the trunk of the tree - providing the infrastructure to grow. It is the support system that we need when life does take us for a ride. Sometimes, life's too smart for us. It is a life jacket which protects us from drowning.

Silence is forbearance - the endurance of a tree - standing through all challenges and changes, unflinchingly. Life's challenges can only be faced unscathed if we can listen to our soul. Without that discipline, we can easily become part of the noise.

Smile is the attitude - the appearance of the tree - magnificent, colorful and real, adding beauty to the surroundings. An authentic and generous smile can make a big impact and a lasting impression.

Seva is the expression - the flowers and fruits of the tree - sharing their best with the world, bringing new life with love. It is the ultimate expression of joy, being useful to everyone in every way possible. The effects of unconditional seva only multiply.

Sadguru is the divine - providing the ultimate purpose for the tree - to grow. It is the guiding force that brings the means and the end in focus.

These pillars seem to form a sequence, just like the tree. The root and trunk are the physical aspects, forbearance and attitude are the mental aspects. Together they bear fruits that propagate the spirit. And the essential undercurrent is the divine, supporting this entire dance.

Different people tend to identify with different aspects. Some get completely absorbed in one, a few are able to go beyond preferences. The luckiest few end up dancing without even trying.