Jan 16 2025
Bengaluru: A historic milestone was achieved as the event ‘World Meditates with Gurudev’ shattered 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 Foundation, 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 Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from a top of the World Trade Center (New York), the day witnessed a wave of meditation sweeping across continents.
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 meditation session was streamed live, with millions joining virtually and even physically in large groups to meditate for global peace and harmony. Before leading everyone into meditation Gurudev explained the meaning of meditation, “Meditation is the journey from knowing by thought to feeling what you know. To meditate you need to first go from too much thinking to feeling what is. And then go beyond the feeling towards the inner space. If you want to be sane, sensitive and sensible, you need to meditate. Meditation is not inactivity. It makes you more dynamic and peaceful. Even to be a revolutionary, you need to meditate.”
The Art of Living’s initiative has been praised by global leaders, celebrities, sportsperson, professionals and people from all walks of life and age groups. The event also garnered significant participation from farmers, educational institutions including those for visually repaired children, corporates, members of the military, health caregivers, researchers and scientists, homemakers, people of indigenous origins and even prisons, demonstrating meditation’s universal appeal and impact. The world united in a shared moment of peace and harmony.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s U.N. Address Marks First World Meditation Day: On December 21st, 2024, the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations hosted a historic event at the UN Headquarters, marking the first-ever World Meditation Day with the theme ‘Meditation for Global Peace and Harmony.’ The gathering was addressed by distinguished dignitaries, including Philémon Yang, President of the United Nations General Assembly; Parvathaneni Harish, India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations; Atul Khare, UN Under-Secretary-General; Sugeeshwara Gunaratna, Charge d’Affaires of Sri Lanka’s Permanent Mission to the UN; and Lok Bahadur Thapa, Nepal’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Addressing the gathering, Gurudev highlighted the profound impact of meditation as a powerful tool for global peace and unity. He shared, “One calm and serene mind can create a better environment for hundreds of others,” calling on individuals and nations to embrace meditation for collective well-being, harmony, and spiritual growth. He stressed the urgency of incorporating meditation into everyday life. “Meditation must reach every home, every individual, as a means to combat modern-day challenges such as anxiety, domestic violence, and addiction. It transcends religions, geographical boundaries, and age groups, making it universally relevant. So if every nation focuses a little on educating people about relaxation and managing their emotions, the world would be a much better place.”
This landmark occasion marked the beginning of an annual observance, with World Meditation Day set to be celebrated every year on December 21st.
Art of Living Dubai Hosts a Historic World Meditation Day Event. Dubai witnessed a historic gathering as 300 people united for the first-ever World Meditation Day at One Central, overlooking the iconic Museum of the Future. Organized by Art of Living Dubai, this landmark event celebrated the global call for peace and serenity, aligning with the United Nations’ declaration of December 21 as World Meditation Day.
