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Students get rid of stress
Mental capacity improved
Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 10, 2005
last updated May 10, 2005 2:54 AM Stanford students may discover a new way to manage stress and fine-tune their mental capacities at tonight’s talk “Leadership and Trust,” led by philanthropist Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the world’s largest volunteer-based non-governmental organization, and Nobel Prize-winning economist Myron Scholes, a former Stanford business professor. In their speech, the two will give audience members advice on how to better balance day-to-day responsibilities so that they can more effectively help others and achieve future personal goals. Many students may already be acquainted with Shankar through classes offered through his foundation, the Art of Living Foundation. Psychology graduate student Emma Seppala decided to plan the event after attending one of the Foundation’s six-day courses on yoga-based breathing techniques designed to relieve stress. Kanishka Shrivastava, a computer science graduate student who also took an Art of Living course, said he was skeptical of the breathing techniques beforehand, but has benefited from the program since. “The soul of the course is a breathing technique called the Sudarshan Kriya,” Shrivastava said. “Practicing the Kriya regularly, I can see a world of difference in myself. I’m much more relaxed and my outlook to things has become more positive.” And Shankar’s regimen is not only designed for students, said Nancie DiSilverio, an Art of Living instructor who lives in Palo Alto. People from a range of fields have put the programs to use — employees of the Shell Corporation, the Indian government and the World Bank have taken part in the stress-management yoga classes. Scholes first became acquainted with Shankar and his breathing exercises two years ago. “It was recommended to me through a former student who told me of the wonderful effects of his breathing techniques and suggested I take his course,” Scholes said. “It was really terrific at reducing stress and at helping me to focus and withstand difficult times.” He added that he hopes tonight’s event will show attendees that stress reduction can create a significantly better environment for learning and personal growth. “I hope that people will get an idea that there are many practices that have existed for generations in Eastern culture and that [Shankar] has taken this and turned it into a movement,” Scholes said. “Anyone can see how it can apply to their own lives and how it has created such a difference in other people’s lives.” In addition to the Art of Living Foundation, Shankar also founded the International Association for Human Values, an organization that develops programs to promote awareness of human values. The organization hosts programs with celebrities to generate capital and offers trauma relief programs for people impacted by disasters such as Sept. 11 and the Southeast Asian tsunamis. DiSilverio said that breathing techniques have helped victims of traumatic events cope with shock. “From an economics perspective, one of our most valuable resources is human capital,” Scholes said. “There are people of value all around the world whose value we cannot husband efficiently. The way that Shankar addresses how we interact with each other can create a greater output of human capital.” On a more local level, Shankar said he hopes that the Stanford community will see how it can potentially benefit from the Art of Living’s central tenets. “One of the main problems that students face is attention and retention,” Shankar said. “My techniques can help them to become mentally and emotionally very strong and sharp. They’ll feel very uplifted.” Seppala said she hopes that students will be motivated not only by what Scholes and Shankar have to say, but also by their collective work. “I really hope that people get inspired to learn about what it takes to influence the world in a positive way and be successful,” she said. The event is at 5:30 p.m. in Kresge Auditorium.
 
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