What you see – The Art of Living, for an individual who looks at it from outside, appears as a congregation of the nouveau-riche, for whom this art is a fad and not a need. And that’s why many of us like to hum the mantra, “It’s not really for me.” And then there are many who like to believe that there is no need for such a course to be taught, simply because the art of living is meant to be learnt and experienced by the day and not by sermons. But then that again may be a case of denial, where we refuse to accept because we don’t want to and not because there is no need to.
MetroMela met Padma, a teacher with The Art of Living, to check if our notions were right. Little did we know that we would be proved wrong on both the aspects. To begin with, The Art of Living seems to have students even among villagers. Well, they have special courses for them. And then when you hear Padma say, “I don’t know about others. But I have become a happy person with the help of this course,” you start believing that the value of the course is not tangible. So it’s best left unmeasured.
What you get – The Art of Living has courses for people across different age groups starting from even eight-year-olds. And what comprises the course for kids you may ask. “It’s all play,” says Padma.
Most of these courses are six-day ones and include yoga, meditation, knowledge sharing and right breathing techniques. These programs are organized for two-and-a-half hours each day in the mornings and evenings (you can take a pick based on your convenience). In fact, for house-wives, such courses are held even in the afternoons.
This course costs Rs. 1,000 per person (the next one is scheduled to start on November 12th). All of these funds thus collected, Padma says, go to meet their social service causes. A program called 5 H for instance focuses on Health, Homes, Hygiene, Human Values, and Harmony in Diversity. As part of this, they have constructed 2,470 homes, 3,140 toilets, 4,678 soak pits and 1,100 biogas plants, among others.
Our verdict – The Art of Living does not have a religious connotation. It is more for peace of mind, body and soul. Instead of recommending The Art of Living, MetroMela would suggest that you take a call on becoming its follower/student/volunteer based on your experience. After all, if The Art of Living is all about helping in giving direction to people’s lives, the first step towards it would rather be taken with an open mind than through hearsay.
Drive to – The Art of Living,
6-3-883/3, 5th Floor,
R K Plaza, Opp. Boorgu Jewelers (next to Tanishq),
Punjagutta Crossroads,
Hyderabad - 500082.
Call at - 040-23400782, 65218418
Anytime between – 10.30 AM – 6 PM (Closed on Sundays)
Posted on: Nov 06, 2007
