For the second year, the UN is commemorating this ancient practice, which is proven to help improve personal well-being and mental health.
“When attention deficit is so great, meditation is absolutely essential,” Indian spiritual leader Gurudev Ravi Shankar said Friday at an event at UN headquarters to mark World Meditation Day.
“Nearly 500 universities around the world have now started adopting meditation. Hospitals are adopting meditation,” he added.
In a time of global challenges, meditation offers a powerful way to cultivate peace, unity and compassion.
What is behind the international day?
In an effort to raise awareness of the benefits of this practice, last year the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 21 as World Meditation Day, reaffirming the right of every person to enjoy the highest possible standard of physical and mental health.
Organized by the Permanent Mission of India and other countries that promoted the establishment of the international day, the event ‘Meditation for World Peace and Harmony’ aimed to embrace inner harmony and promote international unity.
Meditation has the power to bring those who practice it to a “space of feeling oneness, of tranquility – that oneness that binds everyone together,” said Mr. Shankar, who also led a meditation session at the event.
A powerful tool
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), meditation can be a powerful self-care tool to strengthen treatments and improve overall well-being, especially when it comes to anxiety.
Mr. Shankar noted that there are now 700 research articles showing more than 100 benefits of the practice.
With a focus on breathing and presence, incorporating meditation into one’s daily routine, even for just a few minutes, can help achieve a sense of calm and focus.
Before starting the meditation session, Mr. Shankar spoke about the anger and desire that grips the mind.
“Those two things don’t give you peace of mind, they don’t even let you sleep,” he said.
Meditation and breathing can relieve these disturbing feelings.
“Our breathing has a secret. Breathing connects our body and mind. By paying attention to the breath, you are able to calm your emotions,” he explained.
He concluded that meditation cannot be forced, it just happens.
“You are only creating a situation in which meditation can and does happen and for that you have to keep your desire on one side and your anxieties and fears on the other – we can deal with that later,” he said, before leading the room into a state of calm.
