The Dr Archika Foundation formally launched its Mansik Shakti mental-wellness initiative on June 12, 2026, with a focus on meditation, mindfulness and practical approaches to managing stress and everyday emotional challenges. The initiative builds on the Foundation's meditation and yoga programmes, which it says have included nearly 2,500 free camps in India and internationally since 2013. Mansik Shakti is designed primarily for women, while its programmes are open to both women and men.
The launch was held at the premises of the National Commission for Women (NCW) and was attended by Paralympic athlete Deepa Malik and Vijaya Kishore Rahatkar, chairperson of the National Commission for Women, according to information provided by the Foundation.
Mansik Shakti targets 300 workshops over 12 months
The Foundation has set a target of conducting 300 Mansik Shakti workshops over the next 12 months, to reach 50,000 beneficiaries. The planned expansion would take the programme to a wider range of institutional and community settings, with women remaining a primary focus. The programme covered more than 12 states across India.
Recommended For You
The workshops were conducted across institutional and community settings and focused on mental and emotional well-being, stress and anxiety management, meditation and mindfulness, self-awareness and emotional resilience.
The Foundation also says the initiative has been made accessible to different groups, including working women, homemakers and students, alongside programmes involving vulnerable women. Specific participation by survivors of sexual violence, acid attacks or women prisoners should be documented separately before being included as a programme-wide claim.
A 24-minute daily routine
One of the specific components of Mansik Shakti is a 24-minute routine intended for regular mental-wellness practice. The routine uses meditation and related practices to encourage participants to develop approaches for managing everyday stress and emotional pressures.
Details of the routine, including its individual components and the methodology used, would provide further context on how the programme differs from the Foundation's earlier meditation camps.
The initiative also includes practices such as mindfulness, positive affirmations, self-awareness and approaches to managing overthinking and emotional pressures.
A dedicated toolkit for women
As part of Mansik Shakti, the Foundation has developed a dedicated mental-wellness toolkit for women. The material addresses issues identified by the Foundation as relevant to women's everyday lives, including morning anxiety, balancing household and professional responsibilities, overthinking, emotional well-being and menstrual-related mood concerns.
The toolkit is intended specifically for women, while the wider Mansik Shakti initiative is designed to reach both male and female participants.
Any claims about the toolkit's effectiveness would require participant feedback or an independent assessment; its contents and intended use can, however, be reported as part of the programme.
Focus on women and wider community access
Women are the primary audience for Mansik Shakti, while the programme remains open to participants from wider sections of the community. The programme's stated target groups include women from different backgrounds, including corporate employees, homemakers and students, as well as women facing more difficult social circumstances.
The reported reach across 300 workshops and 12 states provides an indication of the initiative's initial geographical scale. Longer-term participant follow-up would be required to assess its impact on mental-wellness outcomes beyond workshop attendance.
The Foundation has indicated that Mansik Shakti will continue to focus on making meditation and mental-wellness practices accessible to wider communities, with women remaining a central target group.