Art of Living
Meditation & Mindfulness
Must Be 18+
Spiritual
Calm & Clear Mind
Get Happy
Create Big Shifts in Your Life
- Reduced stress
- Greater sense of happiness and enthusiasm
- Higher focus and improved life-work balance
- Better and longer deep sleep
- Connect more deeply and easily with others
A Profound Spiritual Immersion
Have you noticed the amount of noise surrounding you every day? Phones, television, news, conversations, traffic, and office machines, just to name some of the things responsible for all the sound pollution. Add to that all the internal noise—stress from work, personal relationships, responsibilities, that stream of consciousness in your head thinking about an interaction you had in a meeting ten minutes ago, a disagreement with your partner ten days ago, a bad financial decision you made ten years ago! You try to silence all this noise only to find your monkey mind—the “fun friend” that has you spinning out of control when you’re just trying to quiet your thoughts—gets louder.
Our signature Silent Retreat integrates our renowned Happiness Retreat and several days of silent contemplation with unique guided meditations, yoga, and advanced breathing techniques.
A Structured Retreat
While other retreats may leave you to your own devices to find some silence amidst a quiet atmosphere, many people find quieting their own minds is the bigger challenge. These Art of Living programs provide optimal conditions for sinking deep within and breaking free from mental chatter. Your experience is carefully guided and crafted to give you a relaxing, supportive, and transformative atmosphere for your inner journey. It’s no wonder that many course participants refer to it as the ideal retreat for body, mind, and spirit.
You’ll not only gain valuable tools and practices that bring more resiliency, better communication, and more ease into your life, you’ll receive the support you need to continue your journey—access to our meditation app, monthly reconnection live-streams, and membership to our exclusive Facebook group.
Research
Independent research has shown Sudarshan Kriya (SKY), the key technique of the program, significantly
- Reduces levels of stress
- Supports the immune system
- Relieves anxiety and depression
- Clears stress at the physical, mental, and emotional levels, relaxing the nervous system to reduce insomnia and enable quality sleep
- Increases levels of antioxidant enzymes which protect us from many diseases and rapid aging. [6, 23, 27]
Recently, a group of Yale researchers published a study evaluating classroom wellness training programs incorporating breathing and emotional intelligence strategies. In the study, published in the July 15, 2020, Frontiers of Psychiatry, the Art of Living’s SKY Campus Happiness most beneficial, reporting improvements in six areas of well-being: depression, stress, mental health, mindfulness, positive affect, and social connectedness. Read the YaleNews article here.
Features
Additional Program Information
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Prerequisite
Must be age 18 or over.
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Includes
- Daily Yoga
- Daily Meditation
- Wisdom Tools and Techniques
- Learning Sudarshan Kriya (SKY) and its benefits
- Contemplative Silence
- Mindful Guided Meditations
- Experience the 7-Levels of Your Existence
- Access to AOL Meditation App
- Membership to Our Exclusive Facebook Group
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Who is it for?
For those who have not taken the Happiness Program, an Art of Living Course, YESPlus, or SKY Breath meditation workshop and would like to learn the tools and techniques to begin a meditation practice and experience the power of silence—gentle, light, and easy.
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The Silent Component
You'll spend the first full day of the program learning breathing techniques and other tools to manage and calm the mind, which includes talking processes. You'll enter into silence after dinner on day two. You'll have ample opportunities for questions during designated talking periods.
Program Schedule
Please note, because we want to ensure you get the full experience, attending all of these sessions is important, so make your travel plans accordingly.
Day 1
7:30–9:30 pm The Secret of the Breath
Day 2
7:30–8:30 am Morning Yoga
10:00 am–12:30 pm The Rhythms of Life
3:00–5:00 pm Deepening Our Experience
7:30–8:30 pm Practices to Calm the Chatter in the Mind
Day 3
7:30–8:30 am Daily Dive Group Practice
10:00 am–12:30 pm Step Into the Silent Zone
3:00–5:00 pm Soaking in the Silence
7:30–8:30 pm Wisdom to Deepen Your Silence and Q&A
Day 4
7:30–8:30 am Daily Dive Group Practice
10:00 am–12:30 pm Guided Meditations
3:00–5:00 pm Experiencing the Deeper Self
7:30–8:30 pm Understanding the Modes/Tendencies of the Mind and Q&A
Day 5
7:30–8:30 am Daily Dive Group Practice
10:00 am–1:00 pm Gradual move out of silence and returning home instructions.
- Charlotte (CLT) is the closest airport to fly into.
- From CLT to Boone is a 2-hour ride; book your travel accordingly.
- Check-in is 4:00 pm on the day your program starts; dinner is included on this day.
- The program ends at 1:00 pm on the last day. Lunch is included on your final day. Book your return flight anytime from 5:00 pm onward, keeping the commute and course sessions in mind.
Options for Transportation between CLT and AOLRC
| Name | Phone No. | Website |
| Hickory Hop Shuttle Service | MUST BOOK ONLINE | hickoryhop.com |
| High Country Limo | 828.898.9595 | highcountrylimo.com |
| High Country Black Car | 828.387.1977 | highcountryblackcarservice.com |
| Oscar’s Car Service | 704.965.5800 | |
| Edwardo’s Car Service | 704.949.6775 | |
| Blue Bird Transportation | 828.989.7286 | Blue Bird of Boone |
| Abby Cab | 828.475.2988 | abbycab.com |
| Uber or Lyft | Book on the app on arrival. |
4MU
Teachers
Art of Living Faculty
Art of Living faculty are teachers from all over the world who integrate their passion for teaching with a dedication to service of others. …
Rooms & Pricing for On-Campus Events
Private Hotel Room
per person + tax
All options include daily vegetarian meals from dinner on the night of check-in through lunch on the day of checkout. (Rates below are per person.)
- King bed or two full beds
- Flat screen TV
- Refrigerator
- Private bath
- Hair dryer
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily delicious vegetarian meals
- Complimentary tea/coffee & fresh fruit
- Daily yoga & meditation classes
- Access to fitness & steam rooms
Shared Hotel Room (2 People)
per person + tax
- Twin beds
- Flat screen TV
- Refrigerator
- Private bath
- Hair dryer
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily delicious vegetarian meals
- Complimentary tea/coffee & fresh fruit
- Daily yoga & meditation classes
- Access to fitness & steam rooms
Private Retreat Room
per person + tax
- Twin beds
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily delicious vegetarian meals
- Complimentary tea/coffee & fresh fruit
- Daily yoga & meditation classes
- Access to fitness & steam rooms
Shared Retreat Room (2 People)
per person + tax
- Twin beds
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily delicious vegetarian meals
- Complimentary tea/coffee & fresh fruit
- Daily yoga & meditation classes
- Access to fitness & steam rooms
Shared Retreat Room (3 People)
per person + tax
- Twin beds
- Private Bath
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Daily delicious vegetarian meals
- Complimentary tea/coffee & fresh fruit
- Daily yoga & meditation classes
- Access to fitness & steam rooms
Premium 1-Bedroom Apartment
per person + tax
- Fully Furnished 665 sq. ft. apartment
- (Max: 2 persons)
- 1 Queen Bed
- Kitchenette
- Balcony
- Washer & Dryer
- Hair Dryer
- Iron & Ironing Board
- A Desk, chairs, and nightstand
- Flat-screen TV with Cable
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator | Stove Range | Microwave
Note furniture may vary; each apartment is different.
Premium 1-Bedroom Apartment w/Loft
per person + tax
- Fully Furnished 995 sq. ft. apartment
- (Max: 4 persons)
- 1 king bed and 2 twin beds or 1 Full Bed
- Kitchenette
- Balcony
- Washer & Dryer
- Hair Dryer
- Iron & Ironing Board
- A Desk, chairs, and nightstand
- Flat-screen TV with Cable
- Complimentary Wi-Fi
- Refrigerator | Stove Range | Microwave
Note furniture may vary; each apartment is different.