The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has recognized the potential of meditation to improve contemporary lifestyles by designating December 21, 2024, as World Meditation Day. This year 2024, the theme is “Inner Peace, Global Harmony!”, a global call to focus on promoting mindfulness, peace, and health.

Several decades ago, as a teenager, I first heard the term ‘meditation’ when a family friend, a retired Lt General in the Indian Army spoke about it over dinner. He was a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation or TM as it was popularly called since the 1970s. He was a quiet and calm person, who had seen much drama in his lifetime, but the serenity he displayed despite it all was remarkable. When asked, he would simply say that it was because he meditated regularly. He willingly introduced everyone who was interested to Transcendental Meditation popularised by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.

Many years passed before I got interested in meditation. What appeared to be a simple practice, held the potential to help make sense of this mystery called life. As a student of the Yogasutras, an ancient text on the philosophical system of Yoga, I came across Ashtanga Yoga or the 8 limbs of Yoga. These are yama (abstinences), niyama (observances), asana (yoga posture), pranayama (breath control), pratyahara (withdrawal of the senses), dharana (concentration of the mind), dhyana (meditation) and samadhi (absorption or stillness). This was a systematic and logical way to progress towards meditation.

The study of Indian philosophy opened the gates to a treasure house of knowledge from ancient texts. Different traditions within Indian philosophy offer various types of meditation, tailored to their unique goals and perspectives. Some of them are:

1. 1. Dhyana

Tradition: Yoga and Vedanta: Dhyana involves deep, uninterrupted concentration on a single object, sound, or concept, leading to absorption and unity with the object of meditation.

Goal: Achieve Samadhi (state of meditative absorption) and self-realization.

2. 2. Mantra Meditation

Tradition: Vedic, Tantric, and Bhakti traditions: Involves the repetition of sacred sounds or phrases (e.g., “Om” or “Hare Krishna”) to focus the mind and invoke spiritual energy.

Goal: Connect with the divine, purify the mind, and enhance spiritual energy.

3. 3. Jnana Meditation

Tradition: Advaita Vedanta: Contemplative meditation focused on self-inquiry (e.g., “Who am I?”) and the nature of Brahman (ultimate reality).

Goal: Realize the oneness of the self (Atman) and the universe (Brahman).

4. 4. Bhakti Meditation

Tradition: Bhakti Yoga: Devotional meditation centered on love and surrender to a deity or personal form of the divine.

Goal: Cultivate a personal relationship with the divine and dissolve the ego through devotion.

5. 5. Kundalini Meditation

Tradition: Tantra and Kundalini Yoga: Awakens and channels the dormant spiritual energy (Kundalini) located at the base of the spine through breath control, mantras, and visualization.

Goal: Achieve spiritual awakening and union with the universal consciousness.

6. 6. Trataka

Tradition: Hatha Yoga: Involves focusing the gaze on an external object, such as a candle flame, to still the mind.

Goal: Develop concentration and enhance inner clarity.

7. 7. Tantric Meditation

Tradition: Tantra: Utilizes rituals, visualizations, yantras (sacred diagrams), and energy manipulation to transcend physical limitations.

Goal: Achieve spiritual liberation through embracing and transcending material existence.

8. 8. Pranayama

Tradition: Yoga: Uses controlled breathing techniques to regulate life force (Prana) and focus the mind.

Goal: Enhance vitality, calm the mind, and prepare for deeper meditative states.

9. 9. Chakra Meditation

Tradition: Tantra and Kundalini Yoga : Centres on visualizing and activating energy centres (chakras) within the body through focus and mantras.

Goal: Harmonize physical, emotional, and spiritual energies.

10. 10. Laya Yoga Meditation

Tradition: Laya Yoga and Tantra: Focuses on the dissolution of the mind into sound (Nada) or a higher state of consciousness.

Goal: Merge individual consciousness with the universal.

11. 11. Self-Surrender Meditation

Tradition: Bhakti and Vedanta: Involves surrendering one’s ego and individual will to a higher power or God.

Goal: Dissolve individuality into divine unity.

Each type of meditation serves different purposes, from calming the mind and developing concentration to realizing ultimate truths and connecting with the divine. Practitioners can choose a method based on their spiritual goals, temperament, and tradition.

12. 12. Vipassana

Tradition: Theravāda Buddhism: Focuses on observing sensations, thoughts, and feelings without attachment, promoting awareness of impermanence (anicca).

Goal: Gain insight into the nature of reality and attain liberation (Nirvana).

13. 13. Samatha

Tradition: Buddhism: Develops mental concentration through focus on a single object, such as the breath or a mantra, to calm the mind.

Goal: Prepare the mind for deeper states of insight and meditative absorption.

14. 14. Anapanasati

Tradition: Early Buddhism: Centers attention on the breath, observing its natural flow to cultivate mindfulness.

Goal: Establish mindfulness and prepare for deeper meditative insight.

15. 15. Mindfulness

Tradition: Buddhist and Jain traditions: Focuses on maintaining continuous awareness of the present moment with nonjudgmental attention.

Goal: Cultivate awareness, reduce suffering, and achieve liberation.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. Other spiritual traditions in the world offer a variety of meditation techniques, for example, Qi Gong meditation, and Sound bath meditation, among others.

Regular practice of meditation, no matter which meditative technique you take up, offers a range of physical and mental health benefits. Here are 10 of them:

• – Reduced stress: Meditation may decrease stress. It can also improve symptoms of stress-related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and fibromyalgia.
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• – Improved memory: Better focus through regular meditation may increase memory and mental clarity. These benefits can help fight age-related memory loss and dementia.
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• – Increased attention: Meditation helps with attention span, allowing you to stay focused longer.
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• – Enhanced willpower: Meditation develops the mental discipline needed to avoid unhelpful habits.
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• – Better sleep: Meditation can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep and improve sleep quality.
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• – Less pain: Meditation can reduce pain and boost emotion regulation. Together with medical care, this may help treat chronic pain.
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• – Lower blood pressure: Blood pressure decreases during meditation and over time in people who meditate regularly. This can reduce strain on the heart and blood vessels and help prevent heart disease.
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• – Less anxiety: Regular meditation helps reduce anxiety. It can also help with mental health issues like social anxiety, fears and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.
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• – Less depression: Meditation can help reduce the occurrence of depression.
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• – Greater compassion: Meditation can help you better understand yourself, find your best self, and increase positive feelings and actions toward others.
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Meditation is a simple, easy and assured way to a calmer, happier you. Make it a part of your daily routine and you will discover that a treasure house of joy and peace resides within you.