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Yes! Take a Deep Breath Aditi M Sengupta.; Harvard Medical School, Post Graduate Association In order to thrive and develop constructive attitudes and behaviors, teenagers need to be psychologically and physically safe.Unfortunately , many young people (and adults) are forced to function within settings that do not protect them and do not support their physical and psychological well-being. Cases of unsafe situations in teenagers that can hapen in their life time are: ~The fear of emotional insult, blackmail or denigration. ~ In fear they live in unsanitary conditions, fail to eat nutritious foods, and are at the mercy of psychologic imbalance(including alcoholic behaviors and erratic tempers). ~ They are pressured to engage in behaviors that are frightening or are uncomfortable. ~ If they are marginalized or made to feel that their contribution are of no value. ~ If they are unable to express themselves constructively. ~ If they do not have positive role models and loving, healthy attention from adults. ~ If they are caught up in addictive or rote behaviors, including the use of drugs, alcohol or cigarettes and excesive use of radio or TV. In presenting these unsafe conditions, I wish to emphasize that saety depends not only on having emotional and physical supports but also on being able to express oneself, to find affirmation and kinship and to take care of oneself wihin a given context. The Art of Living Foundation Youth programs have been developed where ethics in life is interwoven in the following way: * Consistency that is provided through a well-defined schedule and clearly articulated practices. * Clear guidelines are provided for healthy and supportive adult interaction with young people, and training is given to help teenagers experience a good balance of autonomy and guidance. * Choices are continually offered, enabling teenagers to pursue and express interests. * Clear policies and expectations exclude the use of drugs, alcohol or tobacco and other addictive activities for both participants and staffs. * A sense of community is promoted at all times, with active integration of races, ages and genders in contexts where the differences can be appreciated,recognied and celebrated. * Cooperation and collaboration are promoted as goals within all activities , making sure that everyone can find a way to contribute. * Multiple opportuniies for communication are provided within each day and within each activity, teenagers have oppotunities to test their perceptions and expand their understanding of the reasons for and dimensions of the experiences. * Regular affirmation and support of individuals teaches students to appreciate one anothers' unique contributions. * Exploration of values encourages students to articulate what they need for themselves and from others in order to feel heard,understood and appreciated. Certain safety promoting values are emphasized, like open mindedness, tolerace of differences, and inclusiveness. * Tools for achievement are offered to each individual:planning action, problem solving, reflection and artistic expression that allows for fuller experience. By engaging in regular wholesome activites in a setting designed to be healthy and socially and emotionally nurturing students have a chance to achieve an equilibrum within themselves, and between themselves and others. In this cotext, most are successful, and many make exponential leaps in their understanding and ability to live constructively. The Institute does not offer its young peple psychotherapy in response to their troubles; it is not designed to do that. But ironically, the program often has a profound therapeutic effect on teenagers who have experienced dysfunction in their home ad environments.The reason is that the elements provided by the Institute are similar to the elements of good parenting;consistency, loving attention, guidance, clear rules, and expectations with steady enforcement, and support for autonomy. The quality of any experience is greatly affected by the expectation participants bring to it. Thus great care is taken at the Institute to intermingle students and staffs at the settings to convey expectations and to give them opportunities to recognize their potentials and clarify their own expectations. It is believed that alcohol, drugs, tobbaco, radio, TV and junkfoods are too dangerous, distractng or disruptive to belong in a setting where students are being asked to try new behaviors and learn new patterns of intracting .These requirements although seem difficult by some, it tends to make teenagers curious and interested in what they will experience. Most of the limits that are set at the Institute involve concerns about safety or about including each individual in the formation of the community. Staff members usually hold a whole community meeting to discuss problems which might affect the whole community as the community becomes willing to comply with the policy. Since the Institute is only a month-long program, in a setting that is radically different from what most of the students are used to back home it is a wonderful opportunity for experimentation;in the absence of bombardment by popular culture or adult culture where young people can create their own niche. Punishment does not exist in the Institute, atleast in any form recognizable to the participants. Students of the Institute who are acting out are helped to refocus their efforts on something constructive. Students who are breaking rules are asked to stop and are helped to think about their actions and the impact of those actions on others, sometimes in the context of a small group, a room group, or even the whole community. The Yes! program offered by the Art of Living Foundation is designed in response to the particular student as the repesentative of the youth community. While some popular activities are offered year after year, the primary goal is to create a program that supports each particular group of individuals and their specific evolution. Thus students feel that the program belongs to them.They tend to participate enthusiastically in the offerings and develop willingness to try new things. Acknowledgements: Ved Vignan MahavidyaPeeth, 2002-2010 Youth Programs American Red Cross Veterans' Affairs Voluntary Service Resources , Ann Arbor, Michigan. Dedicated to: My Grandparents Copyrighted, 2011
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