HEALTHY MESSAGE: Farida Azad Iqbal, 56, is a qualified teacher for the Art of Living in Jeddah. (AN photo)

Taieb Bouzid decided to take a break from the stresses of being a marketing director. He attended a six-day workshop in Jeddah and learned how breathing could control one’s mind.

“As I continued to explore ways to enhance my well-being, I was intrigued to know what The Art of Living workshop was all about,” said 45-year-old Taieb. “I learned that breathing could really control your mind.”

The Art of Living is designed to offer specific breathing practices and techniques intended to infuse the body with positive energy. This energy harmonizes the natural rhythms of the body, mind and emotions.

Founded in 1982 by Ravi Shankar, the Art of Living Foundation is today one of the largest voluntary organizations in the world, with a presence in more than 180 countries including Saudi Arabia.

Farida Azad Iqbal, 56, is a qualified teacher for the Art of Living in Jeddah. She said she was delighted when 24 people completed her first workshop.

Iqbal spoke to Arab News in her recreational center.

“I was pleasantly surprised that so many people turned up,” said Iqbal.

A lot of the people who attended the course did not know each other when they started. Iqbal said that people approach each other in life with preconceptions.

“You don’t know who is going to judge you. There’s a lot of ego involved and what this course does is encourage you to let go of your ego,” she said. “The workshop turned out to be quite an experience.”

The first part of the program is an 18-20 hours workshop spread over five to six days. Everyone over the age of 20 can enter. The course includes modules on skills for dealing effectively with challenging emotions, relationships and situations. It also includes basic yoga exercises. After the workshop is complete, regular weekly follow-up meetings continue to take place.

When people are in a good happy mood, they are energetic and very alive. It is the thought that affects the whole body. “And when you’re in that manner your breathing is much more calm and relaxed. Life energy follows thought,” explained Iqbal.

The quality of our life is determined by the state of our mind. If the mind is at ease, we are able to perform all our duties.

“The question is how do we keep the mind happy, when it keeps flitting between regrets about the past and worries about the future,” asked Iqbal. “Just as emotions affect the patterns of breathing, the mental, and behavioral patterns can be changed by altering the rhythm of our breath.”

Marzia Di Lernia is another participant who attended the Art of Living workshop. She said it was very interesting for her to learn about different breathing techniques.

“It’s not something you can do by yourself, however, it’s for everybody,” said Di Lernia. “Even if you don’t know what’s it all about, you get the chance to explore things that are useful for your well-being for the rest of your life.”

Aside from that, Iqbal is also a Reiki Master who conducts Quantum-Touch workshops. Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen life force energy flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. Reiki is enhanced by Quantum-Touch, which is a natural and innate skill that can be learned with simple breathing and body awareness techniques.

“Once you get involved in any of these techniques it opens up paths for you to learn other arts that maintains your health and state of mind,” said Iqbal.

Through conducting workshops and dealing with people, Iqbal often received feedback on what she believed in and shared with others as means of promoting physical and mental health.

“People thought that Reiki is like magic or against religion. But it’s not. This knowledge has brought me closer to my religion. Prophet Mohammed (peace be upon him) used to recite certain verses if somebody wasn’t feeling well. He advised us to recite verses from the Qur’an that have healing properties,” said Iqbal.

Iqbal enjoys delivering a message to people. She says you need to deal with situations and you need to let it go.

“When we harbor negative experiences they cause a lot of pain and illness in the body. We go through life in a very fast manner without thinking,” she said “After prayers we’re supposed to sit and do tasbeeh (supplication). It’s a way of connecting with yourself. We need to connect the outer world of activity to the inner world of silence to enjoy a more peaceful life.”