Jochen Weber is a medical doctor who founded and now heads Buddha-Stiftung, a secular Buddhist organization in Germany. Jochen gives dhamma talks, leads meditations and discussion groups, and organizes the events of Buddha-Stiftung.

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Meditation connects – The UN World Meditation Day in focus

The United Nations (UN) World Meditation Day will be held for the first time on December 21, 2024. It was launched on November 29, 2024 by a resolution of the General Assembly (A/79/L.27). You can find background information on World Meditation Day and practical tips in this article.

The day offers an opportunity to pause and experience the transformative power of meditation on a personal and global level. As a global event, it is much more than just a symbolic day.

It invites us to connect with our inner and outer world and to check our personal goals for our meditation practice. How can we use the day to support ourselves and the community? 

Meditation – A 5000-Year-Old Practice

Meditation has a long and varied history, rooted in the spiritual and philosophical traditions of humanity. People in India probably practiced meditative exercises over 5,000 years ago, as archaeological finds suggest, depicting a seated person in a meditation posture.

Meditation has played an important role in many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, but also Christianity and Judaism. It has been used for thousands of years as a way to understand the mind, gain insight and connect with the transcendent. The United Nations estimates that between 200 and 500 million people worldwide meditate regularly.

Meditation without Borders: A Universal Practice Emerges

Over the centuries, meditation has spread across cultural and geographical boundaries. Today, it has become a universal tool practiced by millions of people worldwide - regardless of their spiritual or religious background. It is increasingly used in secular contexts such as psychotherapy, stress management and personal development.

Pause globally – The UN vision behind World Meditation Day

Our time is characterized by a multitude of global challenges: climate change, social inequalities, political conflicts and the rapid pace of technological change.

In the midst of this complex world, meditation offers a way to calm down and, on the basis of this calm, to reflect on what is essential, i.e. to cultivate compassion for oneself and others.

The UN World Meditation Day is intended to remind us that inner peace can be an answer to the challenges of the modern world.

Meditation has literally occupied a special place at the United Nations since 1952. There is a meditation room in the UN headquarters in New York, the “Room of Silence”. It was opened in 1952 under the then Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjöld. It was important to him that the house of the world community “have a room dedicated to external silence and inner peace” and thus serve the work of the UN and dialogue in the service of peace.

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Interview with Jon Kabat-Zinn on “Mindfulness in the work of the United Nations and for UN diplomacy”

From Self-Care to World Care: The UN and Meditation

For this reason, the United Nations established World Meditation Day to raise awareness of the benefits of meditation and also to recognize it as a helpful measure for mental and physical health.

This is directly linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially the third goal: “Good health and well-being for all”. The UN emphasizes the scientifically proven influence of meditation on physical and mental health, primarily through better emotional stability and self-regulation.

From I to We: Meditation as a Motor for Global Change

Meditation has the potential to go beyond the individual and bring about positive social change. Buddhist meditation, for example, actively promotes and cultivates kindness, compassion and the ability to work together without prejudice, which can contribute to non-violent coexistence and ultimately to a more peaceful world.

Every year, the UN World Meditation Day will remind us how we can bring about external change in the world through inner transformation.

By incorporating the practice of meditation into our lives, we can not only improve our own quality of life, but also positively impact the world around us. Whether through personal reflection and contemplation, community events or global meditations, World Meditation Day is an invitation to grow together and create a deeper connection to the world and each other, supporting change for the better.

Pause together: Ideas for World Meditation Day

World Meditation Day offers many opportunities to deepen your practice, find inspiration and connect with others – from community events to mindful everyday rituals.

1. United through Mindfulness – Worldwide Meditation Meetings

Meditation events are taking place around the world on this day, bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds. Whether virtual or in-person, such events are a reminder that meditation also involves sharing your practice with and supporting a community.

Especially in Western, secular societies, there is still great potential for meditators, who are often individualistic, to develop a community (Sangha). Such a community could support each other in cultivating the path to reducing their own suffering and the suffering in the world.

Join Buddha-Stiftung for our contribution to World Meditation Day 1. Online retreat on three evenings on the topic of “contemplation” 2. Vipassana Meditation on Sundays with Ulla König Meditation. On December 22nd, the meditation will be dedicated to World Meditation Day with the focus on “Globally united in mindfulness”

2. Use the moment for yourself – Meditate alone

If you prefer to meditate alone, you can use the day to do a more intensive meditation session. Focus on the connection to other people and living beings and the way you treat them. Cultivate gratitude towards all people, without them no one would be able to survive.

3. Learn new things – meditation workshops and courses

On World Meditation Day you may find workshops that introduce different meditation styles or an introduction for beginners. This is ideal for deepening the practice or learning new “techniques”.

4. Living Mindfully: Meditation Beyond World Meditation Day

Meditation practice doesn't have to be limited to December 21st... Use the day as inspiration to bring more mindfulness into your daily life — whether it's while walking, eating or working.

5. Share inspiration: #WorldMeditationDay

Share your meditation experiences using the hashtag #WorldMeditationDay on social networks. This way you can inspire others to become part of a global meditation movement.

World Meditation Day – Turning a day of reflection into a year of growth

By incorporating the practice of meditation into our lives, we can not only improve our own quality of life, but also positively impact the world around us. Whether through personal reflection, community events or global meditations, World Meditation Day is an invitation to grow together and create a deeper connection to the world and each other.