Art of Living is located at the Kanakpura Road, Udayapura in Bangalore International Center of Karnataka. The center is easily accessible from Bangalore by road through local buses, taxis and auto-rikshaws. The Bangalore has a fair weather all the year round so the ashram can be visited at any time of the year.
Art of living applies various techniques that produces interest in life and improve the inner potential of a person. The techniques of art of Living courses achieved huge success and it was recognized by the United Nations and many multinational companies have this course on their annual Human Resource Development (HRD) agenda. With the hallmark of `R` the Sudarshan Kriya of Art of living has also been patented.
The Art of Living Ashram is situated on a small hill, located in the midst of the landscape full of hills and valleys. The complex of Art of Living envelops a huge area, which includes offices, snack shop, residential quarters, dining hall, prayer hall, library, beautifully maintained lawns. The tower is beautifully constructed lotus-shaped tower. The ashram complex also houses a school where around seven hundred children studies who come from nearby villages. This is a little paradise of peace on earth. A lot of time and labor was needed to make this exquisite ashram on the barren, rocky land. This is a heavenly retreat to all the visitors who want to rejuvenate from the stress accommodated by their mundane life.
Shri Ravi Shankarji is the Gurudev of Art of Living Ashram. The activities of the ashram involve singing `Jay Gurudev` hymns and chants. The music gradually reaches a climax and the devotees get completely lost in trance. At the peak of this mesmerizing chanting, Shri Ravi Shankarji, slowly makes his way to the stage with his arms slightly raised and gently swaying along with the hymn. He is the man of soft personality who proclaims for love and brotherhood and then extends his arm to everybody so that his followers could come and embrace him. Shri Ravi Shankarji is the symbol of love and peace personified.
The Art of Living Ashram offers us various courses. The essential course offers to improve our daily efficacy by improving the quality of life at mental, physical, emotional and spiritual level. It also provides practical tools to reduce the effects of stress.
There are also special course for children aged between eight to sixteen years called as Art Excel Course. The ashram also has an advanced course and the Sahaja Samadhi Course. There are also courses in Art of living ashram for the prisoners and the patients suffering from HIV and AIDS. The courses of art of living are open to all the publics and are held all over the world. In India, the Art of Living courses occur in over nineteen states. The courses are conducted by the advanced students who have already undergone the basic courses and capable of taking their students through the spiritual journey. The fees of the courses vary from one place to other. For example it can be stated that the charges for basic courses in Mumbai is fifteen hundred rupees while in Bangalore it is thousand rupees.
