Last year, something historic happened on December 21. In a moment of immense pride for India, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar became the first spiritual leader of Indian origin to address the United Nations on the first-ever World Meditation Day. In a recognition long due, the United Nations finally acknowledged the value of a timeless practice like meditation in the wake of a global mental health crisis that the world has been witnessing, with one person dying by suicide every 42 seconds, as per some estimates.
From the hallways of the United Nations, Gurudev gave a call for nations to give peace a chance, give meditation a chance in uplifting the collective mental health of communities, in enabling and empowering a generation that is drowning under the weight of excessive stress, pressure, and financial responsibilities, and searching for a way to find some solace and peace.
Today, people across identities are open to learning these practices for better mental and physical health in the face of highly stressful, anxious, and pressure-driven lifestyles to which everyone is exposed. What many have failed to notice is that this precious gift that is saving thousands of minds from drowning, has been carried to them through the efforts of spiritual master and teachers like Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
In Gurudev's own words, even a few decades back, when he travelled around the world teaching meditation and yoga, many would often consider them 'taboo and weird.' But that stands changed today. He has pioneered the spread of meditation across more than 180 countries, bringing stress relief and inner peace to over 800 million people and counting, transcending communities, races, geographies, and belief systems.
World's largest meditation event with Gurudev
The need and growing popularity around the practice of meditation was evident last year, as 'World Meditates with Gurudev' shattered global records, earning a place in the Guinness World Records, the Asia Book of Records, and the World Records Union. This monumental event, organized by the Art of Living, brought together millions from across the globe, setting a new benchmark for collective meditation.
The first World Meditation Day marked an unparalleled celebration of unity and inner peace. With participants tuning in from over 180 countries, the event showcased the transformative power of meditation as a global movement. Starting with the inaugural event at the United Nations and culminating in a live session led by Gurudev from the top of the World Trade Center, the day witnessed a wave of meditation sweeping across continents, from Australia to the Middle East and beyond.
"A disease-free body, quiver-free breath, stress-free mind, inhibition-free intellect, obsession-free memory, ego that includes all, and soul which is free from sorrow, is the birthright of every human being," says Gurudev. "The more responsibilities you take up, the more you need to meditate. Meditation not only relieves you of stress and strain, but also enhances your intuitive and creative abilities, strengthens your nervous system, and improves your mental well-being," Gurudev shared.
List of records broken:
Guinness World Record
- The most viewers of a guided meditation live stream on YouTube
- Asia Book of Records
- Maximum Participation from all the States of India in Guided Meditation in a day
- Maximum nationalities participated in Guided Meditation in a day.
- World Records Union
- The record for the most views for an online guided meditation in 24 hours on YouTube
- The record for the most live viewers of a guided meditation session on YouTube
- The record for the most nationalities participating in an online meditation session
The growing importance of meditation is evidence-based. The American Psychological Association (APA) has identified several empirically proven benefits of meditation, including reduced stress, improved memory, enhanced focus, greater emotional regulation, and increased relationship satisfaction.
It is no longer unusual to see Danish inmates sitting quietly with their eyes closed, meditating deeply to a simple rhythm of breath taught through The Art of Living's Prison Program; or war veterans across the United States using meditation to soften trauma from combat; or to read about members of the FARC—a guerrilla group turned political outfit in Colombia—learning breathing and meditation from Gurudev; or about refugee camps in Iraq, where rescued Yazidi women were guided through breathwork and meditation-based trauma-relief practices to rebuild a sense of safety, solace, and trust after years of surviving unspeakable violence at the hands of ISIS.
You see the pattern again in Ukraine, where soldiers have turned to trauma-relief breathing and meditation sessions to steady their minds through the upheaval of war.
The contexts could not be more different, yet the tools remain the same: meditation that helps the nervous system settle, helps the mind release some of its burden, and helps people find a small pocket of agency in situations where they often have none. These practices have repeatedly given individuals a way to find the strength to face and overcome extremely challenging situations with steadiness and a sense of inner space when they need it most.
Gurudev isn't just spearheading a meditation movement for a troubled world but also for people from all walks of life. Children as young as 5 are able to nurture their intuitive abilities through meditation. College students are attending meditation programs to cope with their challenges as diverse as competition, peer pressure, bullying, body image issues, identity issues, heartbreak, loneliness, and relationship challenges. C-suite employees are attending Corporate Programs to enhance their leadership and intuitive qualities. Film stars and sportsmen, and women are attending silent retreats to manage stress.
World Meditation Day 2025
The excitement and celebration around this deeply beneficial and holistic practice continues to build this year as well, as Gurudev is set to lead the World Meditation Day events from UN headquarters in Geneva on 17 December and then the world's largest global meditation event on December 21 from The World Trade Center, where millions of people from 180 countries, across races, social identities, economic backgrounds, and genders, will join Gurudev online on his official YouTube channel for a soulful guided meditation.
This World Meditation Day, on 21 December, join the world's largest meditation event with the global humanitarian and spiritual master, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, on Gurudev's Official YouTube Channel.
