Breath, Water, Sound - Boston (April 2010)!!

Something amazing just happened up here in Boston, Massachusetts. The Breath, Water, Sound course was taught at Hyde Park High School to about 40 kids who recently came from Haiti. Some had arrived before the earthquake, while others had relocated to Boston shortly after the earthquake.

The school was looking for a way to help these kids because they were traumatized and they didn’t have a way to process the emotions that they harbored. The kids needed a way to decompress. Talking about it helped, but it wasn’t enough according to the teachers and administrators.

The school felt that the Breath, Water, Sound course would empower students by providing them with tools to help them relax and manage stress as well as difficult emotions. The tools include breathing techniques, sound relaxation, meditation, and yoga.

The course is offered through the International Association for Human Values, an Organization founded by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It works in concert with the Art of Living Foundation.

Though I was not able to participate and teach on this particular course, I made sure to check-in with the Breath, Water, Sound teachers to hear of their experiences. Justin (who flew in from California), Tejeswi, Jayshree, and Dhanashree all taught together.

Justin writes:

“The students were regular students, just with a very deep and rich outlook on life because of their experiences. They were still playful, still smiling and laughing, but underneath there were the worries and anxieties and all of the other negative emotions caused by stress. I laugh at it because I knew that these students were going to teach me more about life than anything I was there to give them. All it took was the LA LA meditation for everyone to accept that these breathing techniques were something they’ve never experienced. They wanted more. It was just the space they had been looking for, a quiet place where they could just forget about everything for a few moments. Their voluntary testimonies were poetic, feelings such as “floating in space, being released from jail, and finally free.” As a YES! for Schools teacher, I am used to teaching in a 5 week format. It was incredible to see how much transformation took place here in just a few hours. Everyone involved at Hyde Park noticed the shift and are excited to make these techniques available for the rest of the students and teachers. I am just grateful to be allowed to play a part in it!”

Tejeswi writes:

"It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life…In spite of being so young and having gone through such a traumatic experience, I was surprised to learn that most of them had such a positive outlook on life and most importantly they kept their smile. This was very inspirational. The course experiences that some of the students shared were amazing. I remember one of girls who said: “I used to be angry all the time...but after doing this technique I feel so happy. I want to feel like this all the time.” Another one who did not even say a word the 4 days we were there, said on the last day, “ I feel I was born again. I feel powerful.” I believe we truly made a difference in their lives…”

The school now wishes to teach this course to all 180 of their students based on the results of this select course for Haitian students and would even like to televise portions of it. Needless to say, the course was a great success and it can serve as an example for how other schools can model the integration of such programs into their curriculum. The adolescent years, in general, are a time of great transformation and stress. And, the way stress is channeled at an early age can often lead to beneficial or destructive behavioral tendencies that can persist into adulthood. All schools should consider including a program that addresses stress management.

Nice to meet you, I'm Rob

As a child, my two favorite activities included participating in tennis and piano competitions. At that time, the fun came in "winning" and not in the process of developing these skills. With time, I became less interested in beating my opponents per se, and more interested in understanding the nature of my mind while practicing and competing. I continued these activities while at Amherst College and pursued a major in Neuroscience. Though my Neuroscience coursework touched on many important topics, it didn't discuss this entity known as the "mind" in great detail. I found that the Buddhism courses I took were more relevant in this regard; they represented a seemingly ancient form of Neuroscience. I learned that by consistently observing my thoughts, I can more readily identify maladaptive behaviors and change them. It was essentially giving life to the concept of neural plasticity.

I applied to medical school for many reasons, one of which was to understand the clinical basis of meditation, yoga, and breathing techniques such as the Sudarshan Kriya and how they relate to brain function and well being. I am currently in my third year of medical school at Boston University School of Medicine. I have completed two separate research internships at the Massachusetts General Hospital which relate to mind-body medicine. While in medical school, I have also completed the teaching requirements to become an Art of Living YES!+ teacher and have taught at MIT and Harvard University. This course involves volunteering 25 hours to teach students breathing techniques that help them to manage stress, increase focus, and get the most out of their daily activities.

After I graduate from medical school, it is my hope to obtain a residency in one of Boston's many excellent hospitals, many of which have already incorporated a greater emphasis on the mind-body approach to treating various medical conditions.

RISE

A picture is worth a thousand words.

The picture above was taken at a RISE program conducted in Atlanta last year. The Refugee Integration and Self-Empowerment (RISE) program has been conducted by the International Association for Human Values, a sister organization of the Art of Living Foundation, for the Bhutanese refugee population living in the United States. On this program, participants get an opportunity to experience the effectiveness of yoga and meditation in relieving stress, anxiety, and negative emotions.

For many members of this refugee community, moving to the United States has been a stressful experience. Many feared that they would lose touch with their ancient culture and traditions. They wondered if they would be able to reconnect with other members of the community. They were apprehensive about raising their children in a new country. Some families were separated since some members moved to the United States as others waited in Nepal for the paperwork to be completed. There are many stories, some painful and some heartwarming. They will make an appearance in this blog.

For now, I would like to share two pictures. The celebrated Indian poet and writer Vikram Seth has a beautiful poem titled 'All Who Sleep Tonight', and this picture reminds me of the poem. This picture was taken as the participants of RISE were relaxing after the Sudarshan Kriya.

All you who sleep tonight
Far from the ones you love,
No hand to left or right
And emptiness above -
Know that you aren't alone
The whole world shares your tears,
Some for two nights or one,
And some for all their years.

As part of the New Year celebration, a few Art of Living volunteers drove groups of Bhutanese to the Hindu Temple of Atlanta (Riverdale, GA) for a mini-celebration. Here, you can see them lining up to get a glimpse of the deity in the temple.

The What, When and How

I landed in Atlanta on Christmas Day 2003. Truly speaking, 25-Dec is one of the gloomiest days in the year in the United States - dull weather, a few solitary cars on the road, zero sunshine. When you're coming from hot, humid and crowded Mumbai, the contrast is striking. I was newly married and had come to the US on a dependent visa. I left behind a job, my family, my independence. It wasn't a very happy bride who landed at Hartsfield Jackson Airport that day. The days following were equally troubled. I couldn't travel anywhere by myself since I didn't know how to drive and there isn't much by way of public transport in the Atlanta suburbs where we lived. I couldn't get a job since I was on a dependent visa that disallowed me from working. I hated the gloomy weather and the perpetual silence (remember, I came from noisy Mumbai). I missed my family and India terribly. I spent days moping around the house. My poor husband was confused and had no idea what to do. The laughing girl he'd married a few weeks ago had transformed into a sad woman who looked like she would dissolve into tears any given moment. As funny as it sounds now, it wasn't funny at all back then.

Come 2004, and it felt like things were looking up. I learned to cook and the Internet was my teacher. I started a blog and began to write regularly. And then I attended an Art of Living Course. The yoga postures and breathing techniques taught on the Art of Living Course are simple to practice but they have the most beneficial effect on the body and mind. As I began to practice the Sudarshan Kriya (special rhythmic breathing technique taught only on the Art of Living Course) and other breathing techniques, I literally felt as if someone had wiped clear the windshield of my mind. And I could see everything clearer. I felt calmer, more relaxed, happier. It was almost as if I had taken a deep breath in and inhaled a load of fresh air, and with a long exhalation, I let out all the homesickness, stress, dejection and despondency.

It has been more than 6 years since I did my first Art of Living Course. And I am still reaping the benefits. Can I just say that at the ripe old age of 31, I feel far younger than I did at 25? Maybe I exaggerate but I also think that I look younger! Comparing photographs from 2004 and now, it feels like the years just fell off my face. It is truly amazing to realize what a profound effect these breathing techniques have on the body and mind.

So my journey began 6 years back and I have been walking ever since. Sometimes skipping, sometimes dancing, dragging my heels sometimes... but never a dull moment there is when you're on the spiritual path. And miracles continue to unfold.

About Me

For a large part of my life, I believed that music was my truest passion. It made me come alive in a way that I could hardly describe; it literally elevated my spirit and made me feel like I was walking on air. A few years later, it was writing that brought forth the same experience. As I started writing regularly, I realized what "flow" meant. I would look back at an old blog post or a piece of writing and wonder "Did I really write that? Wow!" Ever since I have begun my regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya and meditation, these experiences have become more common and now I have a better understanding of my own creative process. Earlier, I used to labor over writing an article - groping for the right words, trying to get the "flow" going, agonizing over how contrived it all sounded. And then it hit me that I just had to be ready when the writing was. And it was the same for music (I am also learning to play the violin). And cooking. I realize that it's the same energy that flows into all creative activities and processes. It is the same energy that results in an inspired piece of writing, a soulful piece of music, a delicious dessert. With my daily Sudarshan Kriya and meditation practice, the energy has been nurtured and nourished in the richest way possible and it manifests in everything I write, cook, sing, this blog post included.
 
Lakshmi Jagad lives in Atlanta with her husband. She is an instructor of the Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES!), a program offered by the Art of Living Foundation for teenagers. She is currently pursuing a Masters degree in Mass Communication. She also does freelance projects in the areas of media, communication, social networking, etc.