A breath of fresh air

Ready for every challenge in life government official Dr Amal Al Jowder spent one-month this year in Ashram in India's Bangalore city (now known as Bengalurru) learning to practise the 'art of living' from experts including founder Sri Sri Ravishankar.

Art of Living is a technique which uses yoga, meditation and breathing to improve the quality of life of practitioners and has become immensely popular in Asia, Europe, and the US and increasingly in the Middle East.

The task at hand was to lead an austere life and engage in selfless service with her fellow group members.

She was joined by over 80 participants from several of the Middle East and GCC countries including Bahrain, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Lebanon, Morocco, Iran and Israel.

Deeply committed to her role as an educator and a physician Dr Amal's philosophy is to celebrate every second of her life. She said: "Every moment of our past is over and gone, we don't know what the future holds for us and the only thing we have some control over is the 'present'.

"Regular practise has helped me live my 'present' better. It involves a variety of yogic and breathing exercises, meditation and 'seva' or selfless service.

"It's a tool that has improved everything in my life... my spirituality and my general attitude to life. It's an act that helps you free yourself from your ego. In essence, it has polished me and I have found greater respect for myself.

"Today, as an instructor I want to touch the lives of all my countrymen out there, especially the young and those who have been victims of violence, and help them deal with the present. I want to empower them with skills to enjoy the 'present' too.

"I went with an open mind with an attitude that I will enjoy everything. In Bahrain, we are very spoilt ... we depend on housemaids to do all the housework. In the Ashram we had to do everything from washing our own plates and spoons to cleaning toilets used by everybody!

"I had to give up my morning cup of tea with milk - something I cannot do without and switch to drinking green tea. I have always, for several years, eaten an orange after lunch but at the Ashram there were no such treats. Everyone was served vegetarian Indian food, which was slightly spicy and the environment was very different.

"We were not provided programmes on a piece of printed paper. Our schedule began at five in the morning and would often change with very little notice. Possibly it was training in itself to prepare us for every surprise in our life.

"I realised that when one leaves one's comfort zone you become even stronger. I had no problems adjusting to a different life in Bangalore. All human beings can programme themselves and adapt if they want to. It's all in your mind."

At the Ashram, Dr Amal encountered several experiences that questioned her beliefs. Unknown to her she was interacting with a couple of Israelis. When she found out their nationality she was shocked and was extremely uncomfortable.

She said: "They are occupying our holy land and as a Muslim I felt that I should not even speak to them.

"It took me several days before I reconciled with my feelings and decided that they were human beings just as I am and God had created us all. Only when I reached that conclusion was I at peace with myself and I could enjoy the rest of my time there."

Born in a prosperous family with parents as educationists, Dr Amal enjoyed all the privileges of a good life. During her seven years of medical training in Egypt she enjoyed the use of excellent facilities. "The government had provided us with maids to do everything - we had to simply concentrate on our studies!"

At the Ashram she grasped a new meaning for the word 'seva' or selfless service. She explained: "We had to do everything - cleaning, sweeping and cooking. I found myself cleaning toilets used by 88 people. I have never cleaned my own but I cheerfully undertook the task. I was smiling and I realised that at the end of it all you are a 'nobody' in front of God."

One of the challenges of the course was a three-day period of complete silence and even gestures to each other were forbidden.

She said: "I am a person who loves to talk. It's part of my being. My career depends on talking and silence was extremely challenging to me. My friends and family were shocked and worried that I would not be able to perform my prayers but I reassured them otherwise."

Those three days were an eye opener, she explained: "I was at peace, connected to self and God. I was suddenly super aware of nature and I was observing everything - the sunrise, birds, insects, butterflies and all the tiny sounds.

"I was struck by the amount of energy we actually waste in talking. I began enjoying the silence. The peace I felt made my prayers much more powerful. My mind was no longer wandering. Prayers were no longer done out of habit, I was using my sub-conscious mind.

"Breaking our silence was also very powerful. We meditated and thought about one significant aspect in our lives. And the only word that came to me was 'La Illaha Illallah Muhammadur Rasoolallah'

"For me it was as if my religion and my connection with myself were reinstated in me and I was most overjoyed and very grateful."

The participants were also given training on breathing exercises called Pranayama.

"We are all born with this power. We breathe in when we are born and we breathe out when we die. It is an act that we are born with and is completely taken for granted. Do we breathe to our complete lung capacity?" she asked.

Dr Amal said she has great respect for Sri Sri Ravishankar, adding: "I do believe he deserves a Nobel Prize for the good work he is doing. But I will not put his photograph on my wall. For me he is another human being who has done many wonderful things. And he agreed with me.

"Art of living is not about converting people to another religion. Each and every person has his religion within his or her heart. We are old and mature enough to make our own decisions."

Dr Amal Al Jowder can be contacted on 3983 7475 for information on Art of Living courses in Arabic.