For the second year, the United Nations is celebrating this ancient practice, which has been shown to help improve personal well-being and mental health.
“When the lack of attention is so great, meditation is absolutely essential,” Indian spiritual leader Gurudev Ravi Shankar said at an event at UN headquarters on Friday ahead of World Meditation Day.
“Today almost 500 universities around the world have started adopting meditation. Hospitals are adopting meditation,” he added.
In times of global challenges, meditation offers a powerful means of cultivating peace, unity and compassion.
What is behind the international day?
Aiming to raise awareness of the benefits of this practice, last year the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed December 21 as World Meditation Day, affirming the right of every person to enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
Organized by the Permanent Mission of India and the other countries that promoted the establishment of the international day, the event “Meditation for Global 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 unified feeling, of calm — the unity that binds all,” 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 today there are 700 research papers showing over 100 benefits of the practice.
With an emphasis 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 beginning the meditation session, Mr. Shankar on anger and lust, which grip the mind.
“These two things don’t let your mind settle down, they don’t even allow you to sleep,” he said.
Meditation and breathing can provide relief from these disturbing emotions.
“Our breath has a secret. The breath connects our body and mind. By taking care of the breath, you are able to calm your emotions,” he explained.
He concluded that meditation cannot be forced, it simply happens.
“You’re only creating a situation where meditation can and does happen, and for that you have to keep your desire on one side and your anxiety and fear on another side – we can deal with that later,” he said before leading the room to a state of calm.
