SAA Hosts 'Art of Living' Speaker

The Art of Living Foundation's Vikram Hazra came from India to speak yesterday to 20 South Asian Association (SAA) members about its course on breathing techniques in the Adams House private dining room.

The Art of Living Foundation, which is not affiliated with Harvard, described itself to SAA as "a non-profit organization aimed at education and service for human development and social rehabilitation."

But SAA members who expected to learn more about the mission of the foundation were disappointed by the content of Hazra's speech.

"It seemed like just a way...to advertise his course tonight," said SAA Co-President Lipi Patel '02.

"I thought I would hear about his community service and how he helped the children and villages. He was very eloquent and a good speaker, but it was not at all what I had expected," added SAA Co-President Avik Chatterjee '02.

Formerly a journalist and a member of an Indian rock band, Hazra has taught the breathing course and is currently on a speaking tour of the East Coast.

The course promises to teach breathing techniques to reduce stress, increase energy and enhance mental acuity. According to the foundation's publications, the breathing skills taught can be effective in treating depression and other health concerns by bringing "the mind, body and emotions into harmony with the inner self."

The program consists of a series of nightly workshops running from Oct. 11 to Oct. 16. Each workshop is two and a half hours long on weekdays and four hours on weekends.

Hazra is described by the foundation as an internationally respected teacher of stress management, and says he draws crowds of 200,000 to his appearances in India.

Chatterjee expressed some doubts about the foundation's claims, however.

"Spirituality is very popular in the East. It might be a bigger deal there," Chatterjee said. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that [these people] are what they say they are."

Some students said they expected to hear more about the mission of the foundation, which has worked with the United Nations and whose brochures say they have started a free elementary school in India.

"I thought he'd be a prominent figure who spoke at the [United Nations] World Peace Summit and everything, more so than [one] who would talk about the course," Chatterjee said.

He added that the speech might have been better targeted toward other organizations on campus.

"I just gave [Hazra and his employees] contact information for [University Health Services], because they would be more able to help set up anything like this," said Chatterjee.

But some SAA members said a class like the Art of Living Basic Course might be helpful to Harvard students.

"I think everyone can use a little relaxation, whether I take the course or not," said Sachin Jain '02, who attended the talk.