On 20-Apr-2025, a guided meditation was conducted by Mrs Bala Upadrashta at the Youth Excellence Center by Dharma Jagruthi Foundation in collaboration with 10YEC. Mrs Bala Upadrashta is an eminent trainer for guided Anapana-Sati meditation sessions. She is experienced in healing multiple ailments related through meditation sessions.

The session was aimed to inculcate the importance of meditation and realize the full benefits both mental and physical well-being. These include stress reduction, improved focus, emotional regulation, and enhanced cognitive function. Meditation can also contribute to better sleep, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of certain conditions like heart disease and cancer. Additionally, it can promote empathy, creativity, and a sense of self-awareness, leading to improved psychological well-being and overall quality of life. 

Additionally, the session also focused on clearing some myths about the way meditation is done:

• Having an empty mind—nope, in fact, when you start meditating, you’ll find it’s quite the opposite
• Sitting in lotus position—nope, you can sit on the couch (just don’t lie down, you’ll fall asleep)
• Sitting for an hour a day—nope, small doses work just fine
• Getting anxious—that’s also normal, all the junk’s coming up, learn some breathing practices to calm yourself down

Also, discussed were the studies and books that have shown to bring the following benefits to regular meditation practitioners:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Stress reduction
• Improving sleep quality