Headspace / Calm
"Mindfulness" Apps
Headspace / Calm
- Item
- "Mindfulness" Apps
- Retail
- ₹5,810≈ $70
- Spin
- "Secular mental wellness"
Headspace and Calm, popular meditation apps, market 'mindfulness' as a secular mental wellness tool. This approach detaches the practice from its original Dhyāna roots and the comprehensive philosophical and ethical scaffolding of its Hindu and Buddhist origins. The apps offer guided sessions, often for a subscription fee, presenting a decontextualized version of a sacred practice for a global audience seeking stress reduction and focus.
ध्यान
Dhyāna
- Region
- Hindu/Buddhist tradition
- True Value
- Sacred
- Category
- 03 · The Wellness Hijack
Dhyāna (ध्यान) is a profound meditative practice originating from Hindu and Buddhist traditions, particularly prevalent in ancient India. It involves focused concentration leading to states of deep absorption and spiritual insight. This practice is integral to various spiritual paths, aiming for liberation and self-realization, and is traditionally guided by philosophical and ethical frameworks.
FX reference: 1 USD ≈ ₹83 — for comparison only
The Story
Headspace and Calm, two prominent mental wellness applications, offer 'mindfulness' programs to millions of subscribers globally, priced around $70 annually. These apps market mindfulness as a secular tool for stress reduction and improved focus, positioning it as a modern solution for mental well-being.
The practice of Dhyāna (ध्यान), from which modern mindfulness is derived, is a profound meditative tradition deeply rooted in Hindu and Buddhist philosophies. It is a sacred practice aimed at cultivating deep concentration, ethical living, and spiritual insight, often leading to states of profound tranquility and enlightenment. Dhyāna is not merely a technique but an integral part of a comprehensive spiritual path, emphasizing moral conduct, wisdom, and liberation.
Critics, including scholars and practitioners of traditional meditation, have widely called out the appropriation of Dhyāna. The primary objection centers on the apps' secularization and decontextualization of a sacred practice, stripping it of its philosophical and ethical underpinnings. This decoupling, they argue, misrepresents the true essence and purpose of Dhyāna, reducing it to a mere stress-reduction technique without acknowledging its rich spiritual heritage.
Mindfulness is a Westernised, secularised version of Dhyāna meditation, decoupled from its philosophical scaffolding.
Reporting forthcoming