1. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark AOL in Palestine Report from an intensive course February – March 2010

2. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark The goal of Art of Living is to put a smile on every body´s face

3. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark We just love to start the day with yoga The interpreter in front also shows the yoga postures

4. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark The breath of joy

5. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark The 3 stage pranayama breathing is relaxing and gives a sensation of happiness

6. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark The breath of bhastrika removes all the toxins from the body

7. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark The breath of bhastrika removes all the toxins from the body

8. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark To share knowledge is an important part of the course

9. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Breathing takes a lot of effort - so it is good also to be allowed to relax Listening to a life story

10. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Make sure you get my boots on the photo!!! Don't show my socks !!!

11. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark We will always be friends No doubt that we owe it all to our beloved Sri Sri Ravishankar

12. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Farewell party at Ulla´s house

13. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark After one month of Art of Living's intensive course these womens lives were changed for ever

14. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total result of the AOL Intensive Course Questions 1 - 21 Total repondents: 7 All questions 1st test2nd test3rd test Level 039%60%95% Level 125%22%5% Level 225%16%0% Level 311%2%0% Method: All respondents evaluations are added together for each level and shown as percentages for each test

15. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total repondents: 7 Question 1: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I do not feel sad557 1: I feel sad21 2: I feel sad all the time and I can´t snap out of it. 3:I am so sad and unhappy that I can´t stand it Total repondents: 7 Question 2: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I am not particulary discouraged about the future 027 1: I feel discouraged about the future 23 2: I feel I have nothing to look forward to 52 3: I feel the future is hopeless and things can not improve Total repondents: 7 Question 3: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I do not feel like a failure56 1: I feel I have failed more than average person 31 2: As I look back on my life, all I can see is a lot of failures 32 3: I feel I am a complete failure as a person 1 Total repondents: 7 Question 4: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I get as much satisfaction out of things as I used to 426 1: I don´t enjoy things the way as I used to 221 2: I don´t get real satisfaction out of anything anymore 3 3: I am dissatisfied or bored with everything 1

16. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total repondents: 7 Question 5: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t feel particularly guilty337 1: I feel guilty a good part of the time 31 2: I feel quite guilty most of the time 3 3: I fell guilty all of the time1 Total repondents: 7 Question 6: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t feel I am being punished 37 1: I feel I may be punished23 2: I expect to be punished21 3: I feel I am being punished3 Total repondents: 7 Question 7: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t feel disapointed in myself 357 1: I am disappinted in my self 2: I am disgusted with myself42 3: I hate myself Total repondents: 7 Question 8: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t feel I am any worse than anybody else 457 1: I am critical of myself for my weaknesses or mistakes 2: I blame myself all the time for my faults 12 3: I blame myself for everything bad that happens 2

17. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total repondents: 7 Question 9: 1st test2nd test 3rd test 0: I don´t have any thoughts of killing myself 777 1: I have thoughts of killing myself, but I would not carry them out 2: I would like to kill myself 3: I would kill myself if I had the chance Total repondents: 7 Question 10: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t cry any more than usual436 1: I cry more than I used to1 2: I cry all the time now2 3 :I used to be able to cry, but now I can´t even though I want to 32 Total repondents: 7 Question 11: 1st test2nd test 3rd test 0: I am no more irritated by things than I ever was 367 1: I am slightly more irritated now than usual 11 2: I am quite annoyed or irritated a good deal of the time 3 3: I feel irritated all the time Total repondents: 7 Question 12: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I have not lost interest in other people 357 1: I am less interested in other people than I used to be 11 2: I have lost most of my interest in other people 2 3: I have lost all of my interest in other people 11

18. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total repondents: 7 Question 13: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I make decisions about as well as I ever could 447 1: I put off making decisions about more than I used to 2 2: I have greater difficulty in making decisions more than I used to 11 3: I can´t make decisions at all anymore 2 Total repondents: 7 Question 14: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t feel that I look any worse than I used to 477 1: I am worried that I am looking old or unattractive 1 2: I feel that there are permanent changs in my appearance that make me look unattractive 2 3: I believe that I look ugly Total repondents: 7 Question 15: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I can work about as well as before 256 1: It takes an extra effort to get started at doing something 221 2: I have to push myself very hard to do anything 3 3: I can´t do any work at all Total repondents: 7 Question 16: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I can sleep as well as usual5 1: I don´t sleep as well as I used to 572 2: I wake up 1-2 hours earlier than usual and find it hard to get back to sleep 2 3: I wake up several hours earlier than I used to and cannot get back to sleep

19. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total repondents: 7 Question 17: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I don´t get more tired than usual 267 1: I get tired more easily than I used to 11 2: I get tired from doing almost anything 3 3: I am too tired to do anything1 Total repondents: 7 Question 18: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: My appetite is no worse than usual 16 1: My appetite is not as good as it used to be 561 2: My appetite is much worse now 2 3: I have no appetite at all anymore Total repondents: 7 Question 19: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I haven´t lost much weight, if any, lately 247 1: I have lost more than five pounds 21 2: I have lost more than ten pounds 22 3: I have lost more than fifteen pounds 1 Total repondents: 7 Question 20: 1st test 2nd test 3rd test 0: I am no more worried about my health than ususal 247 1: I am worried about physical problems such as aches and pains, or upset stomach, or constipation 31 2: I am worried about physical problems and it´s hard to think of much else 22 3: I am so worried about my physical problems that I cannot thin about anything else

20. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Bechs Depression Test Total repondents: 7 Question 21: 1st test2nd test3rd test 0: I have not noticed any recent change in my interest in sex 567 1: I am less interested in sex than I used to be 21 2: I have almost no interest in sex 3: I have lost interest in sex completely

21. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Statements from the participants A:” I used to be very stressed because I am always under pressure and I could only sleep a couple of hours at night. Now I do the breathing when I am under pressure. I do not worry about to-morrow and I sleep very well at night – this is worth more than millions.” B:” I used to be unhappy all the time also nervous and angry even when my kids asked me for anything. That has changed. Now when one of my children ask me for something I will do it – may be only later but I will do it for sure.” C:”I had problems letting go of my feelings. I could not cry. But the last day of the course I cried and all the hurt inside me got out. I cannot say that I am so happy now and have no problems but before the course a small problem would affect all my day and I would be sad and angry,but now I say to myself why should I be angry because of a small stupid problem. I can see things in the right proportion now.” D:” I became a new person who sleep well, eat well and I am happy and relaxed and no longer afraid to ask my father to allow me to do the things I want.”

22. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark Statements from the participants E:” My husband did everything he could to make me happy. But I used to have a spot inside which made me unhappy and angry all the time and without energy. That spot has disappeared. My husband wants me to do this course all the time because now I am happy and full of energy and can also make him and my children happy.” F:”I did not believe that this course could do anything for me at all and I only started the course to prove that. I never could find one moment of happiness – not even with my children I only felt more devastated and desperate when I was with them and I used to carry a stick all the time and hit my children with it. I stopped that completely now and even if I still have a big sadness inside, when I am with my children now I can feel happy.” G:”I was so angry and I used to throw things and break them and also to hit people, but since I began the course I did not break anything not even one glass – but I did hit Emthias once. I am so happy that I got to know everybody else in this course and hope we will continue to see each other.”

23. AOL Intensive Course for depressive women, Tulkarem Palestine, February/March 2010 Teacher: Ulla Sandbaek, Denmark http://picasaweb.google.dk/sandbaek/Asmaa# http://picasaweb.google.dk/sandbaek/Asmaa# See the interview with Asmaa