Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar cognized the Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique in 1981 after observing a 10-day silence in Shimoga. Since then, the breathing technique has impacted millions of lives. It has helped people experience better physical and mental well-being, and improve the quality of their lives. There have been 100+ scientific studies on the technique, validating its positive effects on sleep, stress & anxiety, heart, health, immunity, and overall well-being.
Here is what the cognizer of Sudarshan Kriya has to say about the technique.
1. How Sudarshan Kriya came out
“I was already teaching meditation and yoga. But I felt there was something that was lacking. Though people do their spiritual practices, their life is in compartments. They do their prayers, meditation and spiritual practices, but 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 outer expression of life. During a period of silence, the Sudarshan Kriya came like an inspiration. After I came out of the silence, I started teaching whatever I knew and people had great experiences."
2. Helps overcome a flood of emotions
“Sudarshan Kriya is like an automated mechanism within, which helps you overcome negative emotions easily.”
3. Transforms emotions with the breath
“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.”
4. Restores harmony between body and mind
“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.”
5. A deep cleansing process
"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.”
6. Are yoga and Sudarshan Kriya different?
“Unfortunately, yoga is considered just a physical exercise. Physical exercise is just one part of it, just a beginning. But, then comes the breath and the mind. Tapping the inner source of energy is important. Yoga is never complete without meditation. Sudarshan Kriya takes you to the deepest meditation where body, mind, and breath come in the rhythm, connecting to the source of life deep within.”
7. Sudarshan Kriya’s effect on relationships
“When you feel good, naturally your relationships will be good. Trying to work only on the surface or just on the relationship aspect, without feeling good deep inside, will not work. People trying to be what they are not, only create tension and stress. That is why you must go deep into the source of your being. I am not implying that you will never be upset. You will still get upset but the quality of your life will not be the same again. You will not get caught up in your emotions for a very long time. People practicing Sudarshan Kriya are able to come back to themselves far more easily.”
8. Effect on patients with serious illnesses like AIDS
