NRI PULSE STAFF REPORT
New York City, NY, December 31, 2025: Millions of people across the globe came together in a rare collective moment of silence and reflection as World Meditation Day was observed this year with a live, synchronized meditation led by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar from New York City.
Participants from thousands of cities in 150 countries joined the global meditation, including people from 45 U.S. states and 133 cities across America, making it one of the largest coordinated meditation gatherings in history.
“Let’s resolve to meditate every day and bring it to every individual on this planet to create a happy and healthy society,” Gurudev said while addressing participants.
The worldwide meditation followed Gurudev’s keynote address and guided meditation at the United Nations on December 19. Speaking to senior UN leaders, diplomats, and international representatives, he emphasized meditation’s role in reducing stress, building emotional resilience, and supporting peacebuilding across cultures and nations.
The UN’s designation of December 21 as World Meditation Day reflects growing global recognition that inner peace is essential to collective progress and societal wellbeing.
Landmark Global Study Announced
This year’s observance also marked a significant step toward understanding meditation’s impact at a global scale. During the New York celebration, Gallup announced a landmark research collaboration with the Art of Living Foundation to study meditation and wellbeing worldwide.
“Gallup’s World Poll shows that negative emotions worldwide remain far above levels from a decade ago,” said Jon Clifton, CEO of Gallup. “We’re proud to partner with The Art of Living, founded by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to study a widely practiced but undermeasured aspect of wellbeing at a globally representative scale, meditation.”
As part of the partnership, Gallup will add new meditation-related questions to its World Poll, which has surveyed more than two million people across 140-plus countries. The expanded survey will allow unprecedented global comparisons of how meditation relates to emotional health, stress, and overall well-being.
Findings from the study are expected to be released on World Meditation Day in December 2026, offering data-driven insights for policymakers, leaders, and communities worldwide.
A Global Humanitarian Voice
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is widely recognized as a global humanitarian, spiritual leader, and peace envoy. Over the decades, he has helped millions build resilience and inner peace while encouraging social responsibility and service.
He has developed trauma-relief and meditation programs for at-risk youth, war veterans, prisoners, and disaster survivors, along with educational and self-development tools aimed at reducing stress and promoting wellbeing.
Rooted in Gandhian principles of non-violence, Gurudev has also played a role in peace negotiations in conflict zones including Sri Lanka, Iraq, Venezuela, and Colombia. He is credited with contributing to the peace process that ended Colombia’s 52-year conflict between FARC and the government.
His work has earned him 57 governmental honors, including several of the highest civilian awards worldwide, and honorary doctorates from 27 universities.
About The Art of Living Foundation
Founded in 1981, The Art of Living Foundation operates in 180 countries as a nonprofit educational and humanitarian organization. Inspired by Gurudev’s philosophy of creating a stress-free and violence-free society, the foundation says it has touched more than 800 million lives through its programs focused on meditation, personal development, and wellbeing.
As World Meditation Day continues to gain global recognition, organizers say the combination of mass participation and rigorous research signals a growing effort to place inner wellbeing at the center of public and global policy discussions.
Cover photo: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Images provided.
