'World Meditates with Gurudev' sets record for largest meditation gathering

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 World Records Union, a press release from the Art of Living said on Saturday.

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 Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from atop of the World Trade Center (New York), the day witnessed a wave of meditation sweeping across continents.

The lists of records broken include the most viewers of a guided meditation live stream on YouTube in the Guinness World Records.

"Maximum Participation from all the States of India in Guided Meditation in a Day and maximum nationalities participated in Guided Meditation in a Day," in the Asia Book of Records.

"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 and the record for the most nationalities participating in an online meditation session", in the World Records Union are also included.

According to the release, the meditation session led by Gurudev 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.

The resounding response and global participation of 'World Meditates with Gurudev' highlights the transformative power of collective meditation. With this monumental effort, the Art of Living has not only united millions in meditation but also inspired a global movement for inner peace and universal harmony.