Shyamal Majumdar: The Apex way to beat stress

HUMAN FACTOR

The Art of Living is doing wonders for executives who were paying a heavy price for life in the fast lane.

An increasing number of corporate executives are inhaling to the sounds of "soooo" and exhaling to "hmmmm." That's just a part of Sudarshan Kriya, a lesson of healing through breathing to release toxins and clear the mind. Patented by Art of Living Foundation, a brainchild of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the Kriya takes the pride of place in a course called Achieving Personal and Professional Excellence (Apex).

The organisers say it teaches you to achieve "serene dynamism," with amazing effects. A majority of top Indian companies seem to agree, and are adopting Apex as a must-do stress management programme. Consider this: a study conducted by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, on the impact of the Apex course on 25 leading Indian companies, showed that 90 per cent of the participants reported an improved state of mind, 49 per cent said their interpersonal relationships improved and 54 per cent reported the ability to deliver high performance results and handle unfavourable situations. The study concluded that the course significantly impacted a corporate's life.

Rallis India rates the programme 11 out of 10; Hindustan Lever says it helps build potential far more than what is done currently; and Cadbury's top team says the calmness it creates gives inner clarity and drives effectiveness. Videocon Chairman Venugopal Dhoot says the Art of Living has changed his life by helping him remain calm and focused in the midst of any challenge.

The reason why India Inc is rushing for courses like Apex is obvious: While 40 per cent of job turnover is due to stress, the health costs of stress in the workplace may be much more than anyone thought. A survey of about 15,000 middle- and senior-level executives in nearly 100 corporations revealed that the Indian executive is paying a heavy price for life in the fast lane. As against the international cardiac risk status of 48 per cent, Indian executives' cardiac risk rate is about 56 per cent. There's more. PERC, a Hong Kong-based consultancy firm, found stress levels in Asia were on the rise and India is rated 6.1 on a 10-point rating scale.

Then, according to a United Nations report, workers of the world are united in just one thing these days "" record levels of stress! What is more, the report warns, anxiety levels are set to dramatically increase with spreading globalisation, and the economic costs for business will be massive.

The Apex course operates on a simple principle. Whenever a person goes through stress at the workplace, two things start happening simultaneously. One, he starts breathing hard; and two, at a subtler level, some kind of biochemical reaction starts within the body. Any negative thought or emotion manifests itself in the breath and the sensation of that moment. The course does two things: one, it helps people adopt the techniques of self-observation whenever a change in breath and sensation starts happening; and two, it trains them on how to control it by focusing on one single object: the breath. One tries to keep one's attention for as long as possible on the respiration. Result: Instead of a knee-jerk reaction to a development outside, Apex helps participants to remain balanced and take a measured view.

A top executive, who went through the Apex course after being in a stressed-out state some time back, now says when things become difficult in office, he watches his breath and thinks he can easily handle the situation.

Critics say breathing has been at the core of most Indian meditation practices, and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has just repackaged and commercialised it. But the Art of Living organisers say this is too simplistic a view. The Apex course is far beyond just breathing exercises, and is divided into two parts: while the first part is devoted only to Sudarshan Kriya, the second (organisers call it the advanced course) requires a week-long residence at a retreat or an Art of Living ashram. The course combines four aspects: silence, meditation, celebration and service. The Art of Living course contends that while silence takes you deeper into yourself, meditation builds energy, celebration maintains it and service channels this energy to productive use.

They also cite a report by a team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) that endorsed the positive effects of Apex. The team analysed blood samples of 10 practitioners of Sudarshan Kriya and 10 non-practitioners of any formal stress management technique, and found that those practising it had "lower levels of blood lactate and better antioxidant status". The team, however, said the study needed to be conducted on a larger sample size before coming to a more definitive conclusion.