In a landmark moment for global well-being, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led what is now being recognized as the world's largest collective meditation, with over 12.1 million participants from 150 countries joining the practice on World Meditation Day. The unprecedented global event underscored a growing international focus on mental health, resilience, and inner peace amid rising stress, conflict, and emotional fatigue worldwide.
World Meditation Day was formally adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2024 as an annual observance to highlight the role of meditation in mental well-being and social harmony. This year's global observance was anchored at the United Nations Trusteeship Council in New York, where diplomats, senior UN officials, and international delegates took part in a live guided meditation led by Gurudev. From the UN headquarters, the meditation reverberated across continents—reaching cities and villages in India and communities across Africa, Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Australia.
What set the event apart was not spectacle, but scale and stillness. Participants included students, professionals, farmers, and prison inmates across more than 60 countries, united by moments of collective silence and shared inner focus—making it one of the most expansive synchronized well-being initiatives ever undertaken.
The global movement was further strengthened by the launch of a first-of-its-kind global wellbeing study, announced jointly by Gallup and The Art of Living ahead of World Meditation Day. As part of this collaboration, Gallup will integrate new meditation-related questions into the Gallup World Poll, creating the world's largest data set exploring the relationship between meditation, emotional health, life evaluation, and social well-being across countries.
Gallup's existing research indicates that negative emotions such as stress, worry, and anxiety remain at historically high levels worldwide—highlighting the urgent need for scalable, evidence-based approaches to mental health. The new study aims to bridge that gap by providing data-driven insights into meditation's real-world impact on well-being across diverse populations.
India's spiritual and cultural heritage stood at the centre of this global moment, positioning meditation not merely as a philosophical concept but as a practical, accessible tool for mental resilience.
Addressing participants at the UN, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar remarked, "Meditation is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity," a sentiment that resonated from diplomatic corridors to grassroots communities.
On December 19, Permanent Representatives from India, Sri Lanka, Andorra, Mexico, Nepal, alongside other member nations and UN agencies, came together to celebrate the ancient practice and reflect on its relevance in addressing today's social, political, and mental health challenges. Gurudev's keynote address and guided meditation placed a practice rooted in India's civilisational wisdom firmly within the framework of modern global diplomacy.
The findings of the Gallup–Art of Living study are expected to be released in December 2026, with the potential to influence public policy, education systems, and workplace wellbeing initiatives worldwide.
