Sudarshan Kriya™ & The Happiness Program®
Sudarshan Kriya is a guided breathing practice taught in The Happiness Program by the Art of Living Foundation. It is now practised by 45 million people in more than 180 countries, and is studied in over 100 peer-reviewed research papers.
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The technique
What is Sudarshan Kriya?
Sudarshan Kriya is a guided breathing practice. You sit comfortably, close your eyes, and follow a rhythm of slow, medium, and fast breathing for about twenty minutes. Your body relaxes. Your mind settles. You come out feeling calm but alert - awake without being tense.
It is taught inside a three-day course called The Happiness Program, run by the Art of Living Foundation. Once you finish the course, you can do the practice on your own at home - the whole point is that it becomes a daily habit you carry forward.
The technique was first shared by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1981, after a ten-day silence in Karnataka. He started teaching it to small groups in India that same year. Today it is the main practice taught by the Art of Living Foundation, an Indian non-profit that runs programs in over 180 countries.
- 1981
- Year it began
- 45M+
- People who practise it
- 180+
- Countries it is taught in
- 100+
- Peer-reviewed studies
Source: official figures from artofliving.org.
The science
The science and biochemistry of Sudarshan Kriya.
Sudarshan Kriya is one of the most studied breathing practices in the world. Researchers have looked at what happens inside the body when people do it - the hormones, the heart rate, the brainwaves - and the findings are now backed by over 100 independent peer-reviewed studies across research centres on four continents.
A lot of the early Indian research came out of NIMHANS (National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences) in Bangalore, one of India's top mental-health research institutes. Studies have since been published in journals around the world.
Here is some of what they have found:
- 60%
lower cortisol (the stress hormone) after three months of daily practice
- 23%
less anxiety in six weeks
- 31%
less insomnia in eight weeks
- 34%
less depression in four weeks
One study even found a 73% positive response rate in patients where medication and therapy had not worked - which is why doctors and researchers continue to take this practice seriously.
Sudarshan Kriya is not a replacement for medical treatment. But the evidence base is real, and stronger than for most breathwork you will come across online.
Source: Art of Living research summary - all numbers are from peer-reviewed published studies.
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What changes
Benefits of Sudarshan Kriya.
These are the changes most people notice when they make Sudarshan Kriya a daily habit. They are also what the research has measured.
For your mind
- Greater creativity
- Clearer thinking
- Better sleep
- Sharper memory and brain function
For your emotions
- Less stress and anxiety
- Relief from low mood and depression
- Less anger and reactivity
- More feel-good hormones, naturally
For your relationships
- More patience at home and at work
- Better listening, less reacting
- Easier teamwork with colleagues
For your work
- Higher productivity through the day
- A clearer, sharper intellect
- Less fear of the unknown when taking decisions
How it is taught
Sudarshan Kriya is taught live, by a certified trainer.
The Art of Living Foundation has kept it simple: one structured three-day course, taught live by a certified trainer.
Format 1
In person, in Mumbai
Small cohorts at different centres across Mumbai. The best option if you prefer learning in person. Three short sessions across three days.
Format 2
Live online, anywhere in India
The same three-day course, taught live on Zoom. The trainer still corrects technique in real time - it is just a screen instead of a room.
FAQ
Common questions about Sudarshan Kriya
What is Sudarshan Kriya?
Sudarshan Kriya is a guided breathing practice. You sit comfortably, follow a rhythm of slow, medium, and fast breathing for about 20 minutes, and your body and mind settle into a calm, alert state. It was created by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1981 and is taught around the world by the Art of Living Foundation.
Is Sudarshan Kriya safe?
For most healthy adults, yes. It is a natural breathing practice with over 100 peer-reviewed studies and no serious side effects reported when learned in a structured course. People with serious heart, lung, or psychiatric conditions, or pregnant women in the first trimester, should check with their doctor before joining.
How long does it take to learn?
The full technique is taught in three days - usually three short sessions of two to three hours each. After that, you can practise it at home in about 20 minutes a day. You also get free access to weekly group sessions for life, so you never lose the practice.
Is the Happiness Program the same as Sudarshan Kriya?
They are very closely linked but not the same thing. The Happiness Program is the three-day course. Sudarshan Kriya is the main practice you learn inside that course. You cannot really have one without the other - the course is how the practice is properly taught.
Can I attend online?
Yes. The same three-day course runs live on Zoom for people who cannot travel to Mumbai. See the online meditation course page for details. The technique taught is the same - the format is just adjusted for the online setting.
About this page. The Happiness Program® and Sudarshan Kriya™ are programs of The Art of Living Foundation, an international non-profit founded by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. This page is maintained by a certified Art of Living volunteer trainer based in Mumbai. For the foundation's own materials, see artofliving.org.
Ready?
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