Read

September/October 2005 Featured Stories
Social Artists:
At Risk Youth and the Art of Living

by Miriam Knight

Ryan and Jeremy are two poster boys for the title of Social Artist. They are both accomplished musicians who have not only overcome the anger and chaos of their early lives, but have transmuted it into creative energy that has found its expression in art and spiritual service. Today they are helping other troubled youth to do the same. I interviewed these young men when they came to Portland to conduct a Youth Empowerment Seminar, or YES! Course created by the Art of Living Foundation, a worldwide non-profit, educational and humanitarian organization dedicated to the fostering of human values. Having personally experienced the practice, I knew that the breathing and meditation techniques taught by the Art of Living were beneficial for health and stress relief. But until I met Ryan and Jeremy I had no idea they were being taught in prisons, rehab centers and among at risk youth – and changing lives that our social systems have been failing.

Ryan and Jeremy had been giving concerts to young people and meeting with groups like Inside Out and the De Paul Treatment Center, describing how Y.E.S. has been impacting both at-risk youth and those working with them, helping all sides withstand the stresses of their environment.

Ryan Villaseñor had been a teenage tough guy. His father was incarcerated, and he and his sister were raised by his mother. In high school his only interests were sports and hanging out, but he was searching for something more. He even experimented with church and the bible, but most of it went over his head. One day he saw a notice for a talk being given by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the yogic paradigm, and he went along. He said it was like a light bulb going on in his head. Sri Sri’s enthusiasm was so infectious that Ryan was caught up in the excitement of the possibilities of human potential. He "mellowed out instantly", and this fast-driving, angry teenage hothead found himself driving at 45 mph on the freeway the first day he did the Kriya (Sudarshan Kriya - a breathing/meditation technique practiced in the Art of Living course created by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, affectionately called Sri Sri.)

The course of Ryan’s life shifted and he got deeply into music. He received training as a program assistant from the prison SMART Foundation, helping violent juvenile offenders, and went on to become a volunteer teacher in the YES! program. He makes his living teaching music and recording. Now, at 27, he has his own recording studio in L.A., Studio 68, and was working on becoming a virtuoso guitar player. But recently he felt the need to do more in service and share his knowledge, and he started working with at-risk youth, combining music and teaching Art of Living meditation and empowerment techniques in the Bay area. The difference it made in those teen’s lives made him decide to dedicate a whole year and "give it all he has."

Jeremy Occhipinti is about the same age as Ryan, 29. He was also a tough guy, angry, running with a tough crowd and experimenting with the party scene. Jeremy’s father was a pastor and a gospel singer/songwriter, and was often invited to prisons where Jeremy would tag along. Jeremy developed a deep love for music, but didn’t go into it. He started college, but at age 19 he had such a bad attack of that asthma that had plagued him since early childhood, that he was hospitalized. It was then that he decided that he needed a way to get out from behind the anger and hate that controlled his life.

Nine years ago in California some friends suggested he check out an Art of Living course. He had studied a bit of religion in college, so he thought, why not? During the Kriya he felt like a load of bricks fell off his chest. For the first time he could open his heart and found himself on the beach singing out loud. Six months later he started writing spiritual poetry, and found that his health and his creativity soared. He connected with his dad and was able to heal the relationship. He started hearing songs in his head and writing songs. Since then he has traveled the world, teaching the Art of Living Course in Colleges, Universities, and the YES! Program in High Schools, and the Breath Water Sound course designed specifically for at risk youth. He also conducts health and hygiene awareness programs in rural villages and inner-city slums.

As impressive as these stories were, I only really began to appreciate the magnitude of Ryan and Jeremy’s work – and that of all the thousands of other Art of Living volunteers around the world – when I listened to a marvelous CD by Tom Duffy, called "Sailing for a Dream." Tom has taught the Art of Living in prisons and juvenile detention centers for years. One evening Tom and Ryan began to record some of Tom’s songs about their work. One of the tracks is a spontaneous rap song about the Art of Living recorded in prison. My favorite track is called "Street Lights." It includes the gentle voice of Sri Sri offering words of wisdom and encouragement to young offenders. These passages are tied together with Tom’s lyrics and end with poignant recorded comments from the kids about the impact of the breathing on their lives. I’ll let their words speak for themselves:

Tom Duffy introduced the track by saying that "all these kids who are out on the street and get arrested – they can all be like little street lights, beacons of light and hope who’ll go back to their communities after they learn this knowledge."

TOM(refrain): Street lights they shine so bright | Each step I take is a step I like | I found all the love that’s within | Violence ends where love begins.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: "The whole world may blame you, but still, your strength, your truth, your beauty cannot be taken away from you by anything in the world. It needs a lot of courage to make a mistake. People are afraid of mistakes. The courage and strength that you have indicates the amount of energy that you have. If you can put the same energy into society, you can bring about a transformation in society. Because having come to prison, there is no ego left, no social ego because you don’t care what people think about you – they have already thought bad of you. But now you have to collect back all your strength, and not have regrets and sit wanting to take revenge in the future. But put that whole energy into something constructive, because the dedication with which you can serve society, no one else can serve. Because most of the people who want to serve with dedication are afraid of making mistakes, but you have already made your mistakes, so you don’t have that fear, or worry about what others are thinking. …So instead of sitting in prison and regretting the past or wanting to take revenge in the future, you can utilize this time to bring about your inner strength, your inner beauty, more harmony for yourself. You know this gives an opportunity for you to live your life in unconditional love and joy."

TOM: Street lights fade into morning light | In my heart the song is rising bright | Past is over I’m right here | That part is over, mind is clear.

YOUNG INMATES: "This is a perfect program to make you at one with yourself, at peace with your surroundings and it teaches you how to love yourself."

"This breathing has opened my mind and made it more clear; and now I can focus my mind on my prayers. And it’s made my prayers more important to me than what they used to be."

"In the night I breathe and practice this and it helps me relax; and I think if it wasn’t for this, and helping me how to breathe, and controlling my anger, I would probably this week have gotten into two fights already. This has been helping me to just, you know, to be a nice peaceful guy."

"I learned that I shouldn’t think about the past or the future. Just think about the present moment, so that way your mind stay(s) clear and straight. And for those of you who are goin’ to hear what I’m sayin’ – this program is a good program and y’all should try it out. Don’t judge the book by its cover."

You can order the CD "Sailing for a Dream" through the Art of Living, or by contacting Tom Duffy at 866-300-2395 or tomduffy@onebox.com.
For more information on YES! call toll-free: 800-897-5913 or go to www.artexcel.info
For information or the Art of Living Courses contact Jameelah Dotson, 310-979-0998 or jameelah@artoflivingla.org. For information on concerts, YES! or Art of Living, contact Jeremy at 404-394-0879 or jopoems@hotmail.com or go to www.artofliving.org. For information on Art of Living in the Portland, OR area, please contact Shyam (503) 296-6656 shyam.gannavaram@intel.com or David (503) 460-2623 dwe108@comcast.net.