Art of Living Foundation teaches breathing techniques to alleviate stress

World Today

The Art of Living Foundation teaches courses on how to release stress simply by inhaling and exhaling. CCTV America’s Roza Kazan reports.

More than 30 years ago, spiritual leader and global humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar founded the Art of Living Foundation, which is dedicated to managing stress and emotions through breathing.

Shankar travels to more than 40 countries and 200 cities each year to spread this message. He recently visited Chicago to attend the Happiness Program that teaches his core breathing technique, Sudarshan Kriya. In a 2000 study, Indian researchers found that daily practice of Sudarshan Kriya was as effective as anti-depressants, even for patients with severe depression.

About 200 people took the course in Chicago, and the Art of Living Foundation said at least 25 million people have taken the Happiness program around the world. The Art of Living Foundation also teaches breathing courses in prisons, schools and to veterans dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Follow Roza Kazan on Twitter @rozakazancctv