How Meditation Brings Balance To Life

For centuries, meditation has been a force that has instilled peace within humans, balancing the mental and physical states simultaneously. Across generations, saints, monks, leaders, and even common people have leveraged its immense potential to bring peace to their lives and, to a greater extent, the world amid the colossal chaos that it often descends into. 

On a recent Saturday, I stumbled upon a course called "The Happiness Course" at The Art of Living, a non-profit humanitarian and educational foundation birthed in 1981 by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Meditation, I had long admitted, was not my cup of tea. Every time I heard the word, I would picture monks sitting cross-legged in Himalayan caves, their faces serene, almost floating in the air. 

Sitting still

The idea of sitting still, emptying my mind, focusing on my breath, of accepting nothingness felt foreign, and almost absurd. How could such stillness ever bring peace? How could it possibly help someone like me, who could barely find a moment to sit still, let alone quiet the endless thoughts that cross my mind? However, after much thought and quiet research, I found myself curiously stepping into the world of meditation. The Happiness Course I enrolled in was only six days long, a basic meditation course offered by The Art of Living. 

I vividly remember the first meditation session. The room was dark, and the scent of incense filled the air. I sat uncomfortably, cross-legged, my back straight and hands trembling in my lap. The world outside was loud, busy, and overwhelming. I could not resist the urge to flee. I constantly regretted the decision. “What am I doing here? This was a mistake. Nothing’s changing.” My mind was a jumble of voices—memories, fears, to-do lists—each one more demanding than the last. I was a ship on a windy sea, rudderless. But something deep down in me repeatedly said: "Stay, just breathe." And so I did.

With each passing day, stillness became home. My body, once tense with resistance, eased, no longer strained but simply present. The tightness in my neck and my back gradually dissolved away. The whirlwind of thoughts ceased troubling me. After what seemed like ages, I felt the sense of being present. There was this woman in our class whose son had gone abroad. He was her only son. Days after his departure, she found herself drowning in anxiety and despair. She told us how, at times, the very streets seemed to swallow her whole. 

She would walk, her legs heavy, and feel a suffocating nausea creeping in, as though the cars zooming past her were not mere machines but hungry beasts, about to crash into her. The road beneath her feet swayed as if it were alive, rocking recklessly, mocking her fragile sense of stability. She said she slowly sank into a life of suffocating darkness, where each day was heavier than the last. Her husband, always lost in his work or business trips, left her alone in a massive room that felt colder with every passing hour. The loneliness consumed her. 

By the end of the course, it was evident in her gestures and expressions that she had found a way to heal herself. She had become more open and more social than she had been at the start of the course. There are thousands of people who find themselves battling anxiety, stress, and depression in today’s world. Many have been cured through meditation. Renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Basanta Pant also echoes this truth. He emphasises how meditation is not merely a spiritual pursuit but a powerful science-backed practice that fosters mental resilience. According to him, meditation enhances cognitive clarity, reduces the physiological effects of stress, and recalibrates the mind’s response to external chaos. In a world that often forgets the importance of inner stillness, Dr. Pant believes meditation is a door we must learn to open—one that leads not just to peace but also to better health.

Inner transformation 

This vision of inner transformation is not limited to individuals—it is a movement that has quietly reshaped lives across the globe. The Art of Living has become a force sweeping through the imbalance that hobbles our lives, offering a pathway towards inner harmony. With its roots deep in the ancient practices of yoga and breathwork, it gently pulls us from the edges of our restlessness, guiding us to a place of peace. Present in 180 countries, it has been making rippling impacts across the world, touching the lives of millions. Beneath the surface of its primary mission, the foundation engages in strategic collaborations with global organisations, consolidating efforts in disaster relief, rural development, and environmental sustainability—meticulous, unwavering contributions that leave an indelible impact on communities and ecosystems alike.

(The author is a freelancer.)