Most school leavers must be relieved to have obtained their results. For many, school is now behind them but the stress of the exams and waiting for the results may not have disappeared completely. Breathing exercises can certainly help them relax and the youth empowerment seminar (YES) organised by the Art of Living foundation in Mauritius is especially designed for school leavers this time. It will be held at the Art of Living centre in Wooton as from today up to 25th February between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. everyday.

Damila Mootoosamy is one of the two trainers who have recently followed courses in Bangalore on the organisation of such seminars. She specialises in seminars for YES and adults whereas Jean-Hugues Nina works with children. ?As a mathematics teacher, I can see that pupils have no self-confidence when they have to talk in front of people?, Damila points out. ?Schools do not prepare students for interviews to find a job; in fact, they just do not prepare students to face life after school, so we try to help them a little bit at that level.?

In fact, the YES is a self-development programme specially designed to inculcate self-management through discussions, yoga techniques and games. ?We like to keep an element of surprise so I will not reveal the detailed programme for each day but I can tell you that young people do not get bored at the seminar. We do something lively and different everyday,? comments the teacher.

Thanks to very deep breathing techniques, the young people should feel they have been infused with energy and released from stress. Moreover, the seminar aims at providing effective problem-solving strategies, leadership and social skills as well as advanced techniques for conflict resolution.

But this is not the sole objective of the seminar. As its name may imply, it provides youngsters with empowering tools ?to realise their full potential?. We have a lot of debates about how to react to difficult situations or how to relax to be able to talk in front of people they do not know. They are brought, during the seminar, to speak in front of the audience and that certainly helps them gain in confidence.

Of course, the YES is not a magic wand that will solve all problems. It is far from being the only tool to help youngsters face professional life. But it can at least be a first step to help the child make the transition out of his/her school environment. In the United States, some schools have included this programme in their timetable. That could be an idea for Mauritius as well !

What is the Art of Living?

The Art of Living foundation is a non-profit making organisation to help people achieve self-management. It is not a religious organisation and aims at ?eliminating stress, creating a sense of belonging and restoring human values? through relaxation and breathing techniques. It is present in over 140 countries and is involved in educational programmes and humanitarian service projects.