Taking a hands-on approach to stress management.Dr. Jerry Teplitz never expected to be a holistic medical expert. It was the early 1970s, and the plan was to continue on the attorney track and prove to a few friends that their belief in the power of yoga and meditation was groundless. After all, these were still fairly unconventional practices in Chicago, where Teplitz lived.
"Well, it fixed my lower back pain, and I was more flexible than I had been as a high school athlete," says Teplitz, who soon began exploring shiatsu massage, as well as developing treatments for migraines.
"By then I had learned enough that I had things to share with folks," Teplitz explains. He booked a booth at a National Association for Campus Activities event, where people who hire entertainers, lecturers, and experts for colleges can meet people like Teplitz, who was there to promote his programs on how to relax and enjoy being a student, and taking your exams. The programs, which didn't have the word "stress" in their titles because it was rarely used at the time in terms of its impact on lifestyle and well-being, were essentially stress-management workshops that offered practical solutions.
He also discovered a new market at the conference: the hungover student. "Kids at these conferences partied really hard the night before. One student came up to me and said, 'Can you do anything for a hangover?' I said, 'Well, I don't know, let me try this ...' And it worked."
Teplitz taught a combination of deep breathing, meditation, progressive relaxation for insomnia, yoga for stiff neck and eye problems, and shiatsu to help get rid of headaches. Although it was effective for hangovers, the idea was to teach students about the benefits of relaxation, which they could then apply to the rest of their lives in a broader manner.
"Nobody was doing anything like this at all. The things I was teaching were not known. So I created a relaxation guarantee. If they came and didn't feel more relaxed, I paid them $4. Over the years I paid four peopleout of 160,000," he says.
Taking It to the Next Level"In 1980, I ran across behavioral kinesiology, which is very dramatic and impactful, so I started incorporating that into the programs," Teplitz says. "I realized that this would be highly relevant in the business arena, so I went to the ASAE annual convention and was in Esther Eagles' (of Eagles Talent Connection, based in South Orange, NJ) booth. I did mini-shows at the booth and things really grew out of that one convention."
Teplitz's most popular program is "Managing Your Stress: How to Relax and Enjoy"also the title of one of his booksand he's aware that there are many skeptics out there, so he includes strategies that audience members can implement immediately in order to improve their well-being.
As an example, he offers a quick way to thwart fatigue and boost energy. "We have an energy button that folks are not aware of. It's where two major acupuncture points meet in the roof of the mouth a quarter of an inch behind your front teeth. If you push your tongue up into it, you can counteract the stressors coming at you and you can prevent yourself from getting zapped on an activity," he says.
"The mental impacts physical and vice versa," says Teplitz. "Other than thinking, 'I hate work,' people don't know why they feel drained, but it's tied into your energy system. There are things you can do to change that and turn your day into a positive one." With the economy still a question mark, it's a message that has become more timely than ever.
Originally published March 1, 2010For more ideas, tips, and tools for better meetings and events,
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