BOUNTIFUL—In this busy fast-paced world it can be hard to reset and recharge. A technique called SKY (Sudarshan Kriya Yoga) breath has been found to be effective in quieting the mind and relieving stress and anxiety. The South Davis Recreation Center will host a three day program to learn the technique Sept. 14, 15, 16.

“I’m a physics and computer engineer,” said Sunita Yalamarty State Coordinator for Art Of Living Foundation

Breath and Meditation Coach. “I came to the U.S. in 1994. I’m very left brained. There has to be a reason for everything but life isn’t black and white it’s shades of gray. I was going through my own personal problems – life is not simple.”

Yalamarty said she lost herself completely. “I didn’t know who I was. I was morphing into a person I didn’t even know and the life I’d worked so hard for. There were days that when I woke up I didn’t want to open my eyes because life is just full of problems. I was in my 30s and thought ‘is this what the rest of my life will be? What's the point? That’s a drag.’”

Although she tried self help books, exercise and yoga, Yalamarty didn’t feel connected. “None of them took me home. It didn’t turn into an experience.”

She heard about SKY breath. “I didn’t want to pay money for breathing,” said Yalamarty. “Finally I decided to do it. For the first time in my 30-35 years I experienced what a quiet mind is. It was an absolutely beautiful experience.”

It’s great to know how to respond rather than react, she said. “When we drop the stress and emotional baggage the healing can start.”

There is a special program for veterans, Yalamarty said. “There was a Vietnam vet who came and did it. He was in tears. All the medications hadn’t helped his anxiety. This isn’t just a giant step – it’s a giant leap.”

Yalamarty has a software business in Ogden but also volunteers for the International Association for Human Values (IAHV). “This is what I do, it's my passion,” she said. “The ‘Art of Living’ is a community program through IAHV. It is to help a person go back to human values of joy, kindness and compassion.”

That’s how everyone was when they were born, said Yalamarty. “You don’t see children stressed out. We’re trying to go back to that state before stress, anxiety and depression takes over. If we peel back the layers to the whole person, society blossoms.”

It’s a nine hour program, she said. “It’s three hours each day. You’ll learn advanced breathing techniques that expand the lungs. You’re taught how to breathe and it energizes you. If you notice your breathing changes when you’re angry it gets stronger. Certain breathing patterns can alter how you feel.”

Some emotions can be very powerful, Yalamarty said. “Sudarshan ‘Su’ means clear and ‘darshan’ means vision. We might have been labeled short tempered or anxious. This gives you a clear picture of who you are.”

At the workshop students learn how to do the breathing at home, she said. “It helps you learn to reset your system and yourself and how to pull back. It’s like a cell phone. If you don’t charge it, it stops working.”

Participants have access to an app for meditation, said Yalamarty. “It guides them daily to find a quiet place to follow instruction.”

Once a week they get a complementary group session sometimes in person and sometimes online, she said. “It keeps everyone in the groove of what they’re doing. There’s a lot of community support.”

It’s like a bicycle, car or plane, said Yalamarty. “They all take you from point A to B but each takes you at different speeds. SKY is like a plane.”

The workshop will be held Sept. 14, 15, 16 from 6-9 p.m. at the South Davis Recreation Center, 550 N. 200 West. Fees: $100 [Use Code: southdavis295off] + $25 Facility fees

Register at: https://linktr.ee/skyinslc. A link to pay facility fees will be sent once you register.