The pleasure principle The pleasure principle (November 25, 2005)

Stress-reduction fair teaches teens the value of relaxation

by Alexandria Rocha

Siddhartha Oza sat cross-legged on the Mitchell Park Community Center floor Monday evening. Classmates around him buzzed about, doing yoga, eating, or banging on bongo drums. Oza tuned them out to focus on his breathing -- a technique he learned to reduce stress.

"I call it balloon breathing. It's most useful when you're up against something that is really frustrating," said Renee Burgard, instructor of the Palo Alto Medical Foundation's Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction program, who led Oza and his peers through the method.

Burgard was one of a handful of guests at the second annual Teen Stress Reduction Fair Monday. The event was hosted by the Palo Alto Youth Council and held at the Middlefield Road center. About 50 students from Castilleja, Gunn and Palo Alto high schools attended.

It's well known that high-school students in Palo Alto are stressed out. Teens and their parents are often accused of being obsessed about grades and college admissions.

"Everyone is trying to be No. 1, a super kid, and no one can achieve it," said Christine Rogers, a senior at Castilleja.

There have been many forums and lectures to address the issue in the past two years. However, Monday's two-hour fair was drastically different. Although most of the recent events were held to examine the problem and discuss strategies, this program put such cerebral matters on the shelf. The teens who came played with animals, finger painted, jazzercised, and like Oza simply sat and breathed.

"That was the goal of the fair -- to provide an atmosphere for students to participate in activities they normally wouldn't and to learn about the different outlets, like drumming. They're learning it's fun and it feels good," said Kim Parker, the center's recreation supervisor.

Various strategies have emerged since the Palo Alto community became aware of the overwhelming stress and competitiveness teens endure. Student suicides in 2002 and 2003 brought the issue into a glaring light. Since then, parents and educators have tried to debunk the myth that there are only a handful of colleges worth attending, such as the Ivy Leagues and Stanford University. They have thought about limiting the number of advanced-placement courses students take, and have encouraged teens to only be involved with activities that are enjoyable, rather than simply impressive to a college admissions office.

But one thing became clear Monday evening. There is nothing like time set aside to relax and have fun. Gunn senior Susan Wu is a prime example.

When asked if she is stressed out, she said, "absolutely." College applications are due next week, added Wu, who is at the top of her class and a student representative on the district's Board of Education..

But on Monday she sat and cuddled with her bunny, named Imp. Her friends strolled in and out of the room, which was filled with other students' pets, including a gerbil, mice, two turtles and two dogs that were brought in for the fair. The teens giggled, danced, sang songs, and no one mentioned school.

"It really helps to have designated time," Wu said.

Her friend Katherine Chen, also a Gunn senior, is one step ahead in this area. She already takes one to two nights a week off from homework to relax, read or catch a movie.

The idea for the fair came from the students. The Palo Alto Youth Council, composed of 16 teens, hosted the first fair last year. Its success begged for a second event.

The center was divided into the various stations and students could roam as they liked. In Burgard's corner, students learned how to quiet their minds and focus on their senses. Burgard, a licensed clinical social worker, passed around raisins for the first experiment.

"Imagine you've come from Mars and don't know what this thing is. Do you feel a longing to put it in your mouth? Are you repulsed?" she asked the students.

The teens closed their eyes and slowly ate the raisins. The point, Burgard said, is to know what you're doing as you're doing it, called mindfulness and non-judging awareness.

"Most of us are judging all the time. With mindfulness, we take a break from that. We learn to observe what we're doing," she said.

As one student admitted, taking breaks is necessary.

"You run on stress. It's sort of like that initial anxiety when you get an assignment. It's a build up, an adrenaline rush, and then you turn it in," said Eneida Reuveltas, a senior at Castilleja.

Staff Writer Alexandria Rocha can be reached at arocha@paweekly.com.

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