Art of Living

If I don’t bum myself out thinking how I’ve bypassed the holiday and didn’t participate in any Halloween parties…I’ve had a productive weekend. I also signed up for a 6 day “Art of Living” Course that will start this Thursday. I am intrigued and skeptical. The concept is to learn a 20minute breathing technique for stress reduction, but the whole thing is also tied into an NGO that does work in international communities. There is a community of people that are involved in the organization’s activities and I can’t understand the dynamics yet. You can Google them online and see statements about how the course opened-eyes and got people off depression medication and taught them to be in the moment. A little too flowery. And, participants are not allowed to disclose the course contents to anyone. They follow the spiritual path (if you will) of a white-robed guru. A bit cultish? Still, students have had a positive experience and I found out the course fee goes toward community improvement projects. So, I signed up on a bit of a whim and didn’t give myself time to overanalyze it. I have always been interested in meditation as a possible conduit for stress reduction, but I have never undertaken a consistent practice.