The stillness within: How meditation and breathwork calm the modern mind

In a world that moves at the speed of a notification, stillness can seem like an impossible ideal.

- SWAPNIL PATIL

Between constant pings, professional pressures and the relentless pace of modern life, peace often feels like something we must travel to find. Yet the truth is far simpler and far closer. It begins with the breath.

Once considered niche or mystical, meditation and mindful breathing have now earned their place in modern science. Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine and Nature Human Behaviour shows that regular meditation can lower cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone, enhance emotional balance, improve sleep quality, and reshape the brain's response to stress and negative thought patterns.

As Jon Kabat Zinn, founder of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, said, “You can't stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” Meditation teaches exactly that, the ability to navigate life's challenges with calm awareness instead of anxious reaction.