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Meditation is an ancient practice that involves focusing one’s attention on the present moment. Rooted in religious, yogic, and secular traditions across cultures, meditation has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, it is embraced worldwide, transcending its spiritual origins to become a universal tool for personal well-being and mental health.
What is meditation?
The most recognized definition of meditation generally describes it as a practice where an individual uses techniques such as mindfulness, focused attention, or concentrated thought to train the mind and achieve a state of mental clarity, emotional calmness, and physical relaxation.
There are diverse types of meditation, each offering unique approaches to achieving calm, clarity, and balance. Research underscores its ability to reduce stress, improve focus and emotional balance, alleviating anxiety and depression, and enhance sleep quality. It also contributes to better physical health, including lowering blood pressure and managing pain.
Technology has further expanded access to meditation, with apps and online platforms enabling individuals to practice anywhere and anytime.
Benefits of meditation
Beyond individual benefits, meditation fosters empathy, collaboration, and a sense of shared purpose, contributing to collective well-being. Celebrated for its universality, meditation is practiced across all regions of the world by people of all ages, backgrounds, and lifestyles.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes the significant benefits of meditation, particularly mindfulness meditation. WHO’s discussions on stress management underscore the importance of learning coping mechanisms, such as meditation, to support mental and physical well-being.
According to WHO, meditation can be a powerful self-care tool to support treatment and enhance overall well-being, particularly in managing symptoms of anxiety. Incorporating mindfulness meditation into your daily routine, even for just a few minutes, can help you achieve a sense of calm and focus.
Additionally, WHO acknowledges the mental health benefits of practices like yoga, which often incorporate meditative elements. On the International Day of Yoga, WHO highlighted yoga’s contributions to lifelong health and well-being, emphasizing its role in promoting healthier populations and a more equitable and sustainable world.
World Meditation Day
To raise awareness about meditation and its benefits, the General Assembly proclaimed 21 December as World Meditation Day, recalling the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
The Permanent Mission of India along with members of the core group of Member States that led the adoption of this resolution invites Member States to commemorate the 2nd World Meditation Day. This second-year celebration of the World Meditation Day reaffirms our shared responsibility to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us—to build a world where every individual can live in peace, balance, and harmony. Through the power of inner transformation, we can nurture the conditions for sustainable peace—within ourselves, within our communities, and within our shared global home.
