When I started teaching meditation in Dibrugarh over a decade ago, I had maybe three or four students sitting in my living room. Today, Hem’s Academy runs regular meditation classes that people from across Upper Assam attend. The practice has grown — not because of any marketing, but because people who learn meditation tell their friends, and their friends tell theirs.
Why Dibrugarh needs meditation
Dibrugarh is a beautiful city, but like any growing urban centre, stress has found its way into our daily lives. Tea garden workers, university students, government employees, business owners: everyone carries some level of tension they do not know how to release.
I remember a tea estate manager who came to one of my first classes. He could not sit still for two minutes. His mind was racing with production targets, labour issues, and family responsibilities. After three weeks of regular practice, he told me, “Hem da, for the first time in years I slept without my mind running calculations.” That is what meditation does. It gives you back the quiet you did not know you had lost.
What we teach
Our meditation classes at Hem’s Academy cover several approaches:
- Breath awareness: the foundation of all meditation
- Vipassana technique: observing sensations in the body without reaction
- Mindfulness practices: bringing awareness to everyday activities
- Guided meditation: for those who find silent sitting difficult in the beginning
We start simple. You do not need to sit in any special posture or chant anything. You sit, you breathe, you observe. That is the whole practice.
Who comes to our classes
Honestly, everyone. I have had college students from Dibrugarh University, retired professors, housewives, doctors from Assam Medical College, and young professionals from the tea industry. Meditation does not discriminate. It helps anyone who is willing to sit quietly for a few minutes each day.
If you are curious, I encourage you to start with this beginner’s guide I wrote. It covers everything you need to know before your first session.
Taking the first step
You do not need to be “ready” for meditation. You do not need to solve your problems first. You just need to show up. The practice itself will do the rest.
For those interested in joining our classes in Dibrugarh, reach out to Hem’s Academy. And if you want to understand the science behind why meditation works, read my post on the benefits of meditation backed by science.
