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The technique of Sudarshan Kriya lies at
the heart of the Basic Course and all other courses are given dimension
from it. There are toxins, which accumulate in our system at a cellular
level causing sluggishness and fostering ill health and disease.
The Sudarshan Kriya technique oxygenates and rejuvenates
these cells rapidly, ejecting these toxins from our blood stream.
The cells get revitalised positively, bringing balance and contentment
to the physical emotional and mental states.
The
Basic Course is designed to improve our daily efficiency by
enhancing the quality of our life at every level: mental, physical,
emotional and spiritual. It also attempts to provide practical
tools to reduce the effects of negative stress.
There are special courses for children between
eight and 16 years of age known as the Art Excel Course.
Then there are the advanced courses, and the Sahaja Samadhi Course.
Versions of the Art of Living Courses are also being offered to
those suffering from HIV and AIDs and inmates in prison. The Art
of Living courses are open to the general public and are held all
over the world. In India alone they are held in over 19 states.
Advanced students, who have undergone the necessary training and
are competent to take their students through this spiritual journey,
generally conduct the courses. The fee varies from one place to
another. For example the basic course in Mumbai costs Rs 1500, while
in Bangalore it is Rs 1000.
Individuals who have trained as teachers hold these courses, as per
their convenience, at irregular intervals. Local newspapers
generally carry information in advance about when and where
an Art of Living workshop will be conducted. There is a
lot of personal solicitation aimed both at individuals and
groups.
It
has also become the "in thing" to do these courses, with
celebrity stars and models like Rhea Pillai Dutt conducting
some of them.
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Soon the crowds begin to sing Jai Gurudev hymns and chants. The
music gradually rises to a crescendo and the devotees begin to rock
and sway as if in a hypnotic trance. At the peak of the mesmerising
chanting, Sri Sri Ravishankarji , a fairly diminutive man
with long flowing hair and beard, slowly makes his way to the stage,
arms slightly raised and gently swaying to the hymn. He speaks softly,
extolling the virtues of love and brotherhood and then extends his
arms for everyone to come forth and embrace him. 
Sri Sri Ravishankar or Gurudev as he is
respectfully called by his followers has a long exposure and experience
as a spiritual guide and teacher. Recognised as a very special child,
he was provided with the exposure to scriptures and religious environment
in which his spirituality could bloom. He also served the Transcendental
Meditation Guru and mystic Maharishi Maheshyogi, as a fairly senior
and trusted lieutenant, and it is learnt, he was largely responsible
for spreading the Maharishi's gospel and activity in South Africa
and other parts of the globe. Exposure and experience in organised
religious and spiritual training is also reflected in Sri Sri Ravishankar's
style of activities since he branched out on his own.
In addition to the basic courses held there, they also have the
advanced and the Sahaja Samadhi courses and Art Excel courses
for children. Though the 20-hour structure of the basic course
remains the same wherever it is conducted in the world, at the
Bangalore International Centre it is a three-day residential
course. The charges for the course including boarding and lodging
are Rs 1000 per person. The advanced course costs Rs 1500 and
is for duration of four to five days. The Sahaja Samadhi course
fees is Rs 2250 per person.
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