What is Sudarshan Kriya
Sudarshan Kriya™ is a unique breathing technique that eliminates stress, fatigue and negative emotions such as anger, frustration and depression, leaving you calm yet energized, focused yet relaxed. Sudarshan Kriya™ incorporates specific natural rhythms of the breath which harmonize the body, mind and emotions. Through the regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya ™ and adopting lifestyle changes, many people around the world are leading stress-free lives while carrying out all their regular responsibilities.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founder of The Art of Living, cognized Sudarshan Kriya™ on 17th September 1981 on the banks of the Bhadra river in Shimoga after ten days of silence and fasting. He explains how Sudarshan Kriya™ works: “The breath connects the body and mind. For every emotion, there is a corresponding rhythm in the breath. Just as emotions affect our patterns of breathing, we can bring about changes in our mental and behavioral patterns by altering the rhythms of our breath. It flushes out anger, anxiety, and worries, leaving the mind completely relaxed and energized.”
Rhythms of breath
Your body and mind have particular rhythms. For instance, you experience hunger and the need to sleep at different times.
Gurudev elaborates: “There is a rhythm in nature. Similarly, there is a rhythm in the body and in the emotions (of the mind). If you observe your thoughts, you will see that your doubts and anxieties also have a rhythm. There is a particular time in the year when you experience the same emotions. Sudarshan Kriya restores the harmony between the body and mind. When these rhythms are in sync, we feel a sense of harmony and well-being. And when these rhythms are not in sync, we experience discomfort and discontent.”
He continues: “After Sudarshan Kriya, many people feel so pure and so clear, and so complete, because the consciousness which was stuck in the matter, the material foreign to it, was released from that and came back home. That is the sense of purity, the feeling of purity. We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep, we get rid of fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our bodies and minds. Sudarshan Kriya cleanses the system from the inside.” Over 100 independent studies show the benefits of the deep stress detox carried out by Sudarshan Kriya on the mind and body.
Sudarshan Kriya benefits include:
- Relieves from symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD (Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder) and stress levels
- Reduces impulsivity and addictive behaviors
- Improves self-esteem and life satisfaction
- Increases mental focus
- Induces better sleep
- Enhances immune function
- Reduces blood pressure
- Improves respiratory function
Curious about the benefits of Sudarshan Kriya? See what our case study studies reveal.
Who can learn and do the Sudarshan Kriya
Anyone who wants to level up their quality of life and live stress-free can do the Sudarshan Kriya. People from all walks of life and of all ages are experiencing the benefits of Sudarshan Kriya. Students and working professionals have experienced improved focus and productivity. Entrepreneurs and homemakers have experienced better energy levels and health. Ex-militants and prison inmates have let go of violent tendencies and been rehabilitated into the mainstream. War refugees and victims of violence have been able to release their past traumas and lead regular lives.
Immediate benefits from doing the Sudarshan Kriya™
Anyone who wants to level up their quality of life and live stress-free. People from all walks of life and of all ages are experiencing the benefits of Sudarshan Kriya. Students and working professionals have experienced improved focus and productivity. Entrepreneurs and homemakers have experienced better energy levels and health. Ex-militants and prison inmates have let gone of violent tendencies and been rehabilitated into the mainstream. War refugees and victims of violence have been able to release their past traumas and lead regular lives.
How Sudarshan Kriya was cognized
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who cognized Sudarshan Kriya, shares what inspired him to sit in silence for 10 days: “I had already travelled around the world. I taught yoga and meditation. But still, I was concerned about how to help people live happily. I felt something was lacking. Though people do their spiritual practices, their life is in compartments. When they come out in life, they are very different people. So, I was thinking about how we can bridge this gap between inner silence and the outer expression of life. During the silence, the Sudarshan Kriya came as an inspiration. Nature knows what to give and when to give. After I came out of the silence, I started teaching whatever I knew, and people had great experiences. They felt clear from within.”
Sudarshan Kriya eventually became a cornerstone of all programs of The Art of Living, the organization Gurudev founded in the same year.
