I just had 3 day course on Art of living Part 1. It was a wonderful experience meeting volunteers from the organization and going through the process where they talk about how to get rid of bad thoughts/emotions using breathing techniques, and also learnt many wise ideas through their talks. Anybody who has inclination in spirituality, or want to live in spiritual bliss should definitely do the course.
Some learning/quotes from the course:
·
· When we are in past, we have sorrow and regret. And when we are in future, we have expectations, greed. When we are in present, we are happy.
· What is the first sign of stress? You lose your smile. (- Guru Ji)
·
· There are two kind of thoughts: One which clings for long. And one which comes and go. Usually when we are in thinking - sometimes we just keep thinking on one thing for a long. We cling to it, and some times we just keep changing our thoughts. If we are changing our thoughts, then is relatively better.
· If someone uses you, it is good. At least you are useful, rather than always worried about that nobody should use me.
· How to make the world happy? You yourself become happy. Your happiness will spread sphere of happiness around you.
· If you fight your bad thoughts, they will come back strongly. If you be just aware of it, they will go away.
·
Experiences:
· During the course, I experiences, we all have same lives. We all go through same kind of joys and sorrows. All have the same soul, and we all make various faces and shape. Then why do we hate each other. We should love everybody, and have compassion for others.
· During one exercise, I felt no difference in me and others. I am a soul and so others are. Then why do I lose love for others- why do I hurt others. This reminds me of one sentence from Mahatma Gandhi's autobiography- "The best way to revert to some bad thing which other has done to you, is to do good to him". And seems I have always been judging others for them being bad or good, while the truth is 'everyone else is my image, and nothing else'.
· After the Sudarshan Kriya, we were asked to lay down. And I was having some emotions going on in my head, and I think I could feel those emotions the way I never did before. I think I am more skilled now in being aware of my emotions/thoughts.
Support of Breathing techniques in Jain Scriptures:
The course talks about breathing techniques to keep emotional state in control. Hinduism and Jainism both support the breathing techniques.
Here is a reference from Gyanarnav Scripture in Jainism, which was written around 10 centuries back, Chapter- प्राणायम वर्णन


However it has been mentioned, that Pranayam is not the ultimate goal, one needs Pranayam to win over his ‘Mann’ and then he should adopt advanced meditation techniques to attain complete detachment from the world, and attain perfect bliss.