Yoga, Empowerment & Service Plus (YES+) A INTEGRATIVE COLLEGE PROGRAM FOR STRESS-REDUCTION, WELL-BEING & PRODUCTIVITY

 Humanitarian, United Nations-chartered educational NGO  Commitment to promoting human values globally  College program:  YES+ Program Yoga, Empowerment & Service Plus  Educators’ Program for faculty & staff

Currently offered for credit at - Cornell University Currently offered through Health Services at - Stanford University - the University of Wisconsin-Madison YES+ PROGRAM YOGA, EMPOWERMENT & SERVICE PLUS

WHY ADDRESS STUDENT WELL- BEING? In 2008, 26,685 college students across 40 campuses were surveyed by the American College Health Association The survey found that 59.7% of students felt “very lonely” 63.7% felt “very sad” 30.6% felt “so depressed it was difficult to function”

Impaired immunity & health (e.g. sleep problems, illness) cognitive function (concentration, focus) Increased anger/irritability anxiety and depression fatigue/exhaustion cellular aging Unhealthy coping mechanisms e.g. alcohol, drugs

Negative emotions are linked to negative health outcomes E.g. anger & cardiovascular disease (Suarez, 2004) Positive emotions are linked to positive outcomes on many levels, by increasing resources Intellectual – creativity & flexible thinking Physical – increase coordination and physical health Psychological - feel resilient and optimistic Social – connection with others (Fredrickson et al., 2000)

S OCIAL CONNECTEDNESS a fundamental human need psychological well-being physical health, recovery, survival Lack of Social Connectedness: anxiety, depression, suicide health risks comparable to smoking, blood pressure & obesity antisocial behavior Baumeister & Leary, 1995 ; Berkman & Syme, 1979; Brown, et al. 2003; Cacioppo, et al. 2002) 1 in 4 Americans has no one to talk to about personal problems… ( McPherson, Smith-Lovin, & Brashears, 2006)

 Ages  6-day intensive 28+ hr program + weekly follow- up sessions  Easily integrates into the curriculum:  E.g. at Cornell University, YES!+ is offered through the Department of Physical Education

 Yoga & Breathing Techniques  Stress-reduction and relaxation  Concentration  Increased energy  Empowerment  Skills for handling emotions and life’s challenges  Responsible leadership  Community Service  Self-confidence  Sense of connection to others  Well-being and compassion

The students bond in an environment that fosters healthy social connection & bonding: Relaxed Friendly Fun Non-judgmental & Accepting Alcohol & drug free Service-oriented

Academic skills & techniques for Focus Concentration Clear thinking Positive Engagement with Academics

Cornell University Virginia Tech “Although the course was especially good in helping us deal with our emotions related to the shootings, it also had great value in teaching us how to deal with everyday stress and emotions” - Dr. Linda Vick Academic & Career Advisor

STUDENT COUNSELING SERVICE “I feel centered, more open and feel better able to serve my clients and be a better partner. I think it has helped me be more balanced. I think everyone could benefit from the tools we learned.” Kristin Clemens, Psychologist “Positive course, all the breathing exercises were good and enjoyable, very good teacher. I would recommend the course YES+, especially for college students.” Sara Ou-Young, Counselor TEXAS A & M

Decreased Stress (Davidson et al., 2003; Kjellgren et al., 2007) Cortisol, the “stress hormone” (Davidson et al., 2003; Vedamurthachar, 2006) Anxiety & depression (Janakiramaiah et al., 2000) Blood pressure & heart rate (Grossman et al., 2001; Sakakibara et al., 1996; Telles et al., 1992) Increased Well-being (Davidson et al., 2003; Kjellgren et al., 2007) Mental focus (Bhatia et al., 2003; Jella et al., 1993, Naveen et al., 1997) Immune Function (Davidson et al, 2003; Sharma et al., 2003) R ESEARCH ON E FFECTS OF BREATHING TECHNIQUES & M EDITATION

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY?

EDUCATORS PROGRAM We can offer similar stress-management programs to faculty & staff.

THANK YOU! QUESTIONS?