The journey so far...
1981 | The Art of Living Founded
Location: India
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar establishes The Art of Living Foundation, laying the groundwork for what would become one of the world’s largest meditation and human values movements.
Why it matters: This marks the formal beginning of Gurudev’s global meditation mission, which later scales to millions across cultures, nations, and institutions.
1983: Starts the first rural school on the outskirts of Bangalore, India.
1985-1986: Launches the Prison Stress Management and Rehabilitation Training Program in India and the United States.
1986: Launches ART EXCEL (All Round Training in Excellence) program for children aged 8-13.
1997: Establishes the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in Geneva, Switzerland.
Early 1990s: Initiates the 5H Program for rural development.
Early-mid 1990s: Launches the Youth Leadership Training Program to develop rural and urban youth as leaders of social and economic change.
1996-1997: Undertakes the historic “Love Moves the World” tour, visiting 75 cities across five continents in 12 months.
2000-2006 | Meditation Enters
Conflict Zones
Locations: Kosovo, Bosnia, Colombia, Sri Lanka, Middle East Gurudev leads large-scale meditations in post-conflict and trauma-affected regions, often involving victims of war, refugees, and former combatants.
Why it matters: Meditation is positioned as a tool for peace, reconciliation, and emotional healing, not just personal well-being.
2004 | Meditation at the Scottish Parliament
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Gurudev addresses the Scottish Parliament, highlighting the role of meditation in fostering peace, mental well-being, and social harmony.
Why it matters: One of the earliest instances of meditation being presented within a Western legislative institution as a tool for societal well-being.
2006 | Silver Jubilee Global Meditation
Location: Bengaluru, India (global participation) To mark 25 years of The Art of Living, Gurudev leads a historic global meditation, with over 2.5 million people from more than 150 countries participating simultaneously.
Significance: This becomes one of the largest coordinated meditation events of its time, demonstrating meditation’s global reach.
2007 | Declaration of Human Values -
Kennedy Center
Location: Washington, DC, USA
At the prestigious Kennedy Center, Gurudev presents the Declaration of Human Values, accompanied by meditation and dialogue on ethics, peace, and leadership.
Why it matters: Meditation is formally linked with global leadership, culture, and universal human values on an international stage.
2007 | Prison and Rehabilitation Meditations
Locations: India, Europe, United Kingdom Guided meditations led by Gurudev inspire structured prison programmes, including high-security facilities.
Impact: Meditation becomes part of rehabilitation and behavioural reform, influencing policy discussions around restorative justice.
2011 | Olympic Stadium Meditation
Location: Berlin, Germany
Gurudev leads a mass meditation at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium, bringing together 70,000 participants from 151 countries.
Why it matters: Reinforces meditation as a global unifying force, capable of bringing together diverse cultures in a shared experience of stillness.
2012 | Buenos Aires Mass Meditation
Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Over 150,000 people gather for a large public meditation led by Gurudev, blending silence, music, and collective awareness.
Why it matters: Establishes Argentina as a key centre for meditation and well-being in Latin America.
2013 | “I Meditate Africa” Initiative
Location: Multiple African nations
Gurudev launches I Meditate Africa, a continent-wide initiative encouraging meditation for peace, resilience, and youth empowerment.
Why it matters: Meditation is positioned as a grassroots tool for healing and unity across diverse African communities.
2015 | Meditations in Conflict-Affected Iraq
Location: Iraq
Gurudev visits conflict-affected regions of Iraq, leading meditations to support trauma healing, emotional resilience, and hope.
Why it matters: Highlights meditation’s role as a humanitarian response tool in zones of extreme distress.
2019 | “Meditation to Mediation” - European Parliament
Location: Brussels, Belgium
Gurudev addresses the European Parliament, articulating how meditation can support conflict resolution, diplomacy, and social cohesion.
Why it matters: Formally connects inner transformation with international mediation and diplomacy.
2020 | Global Meditations During COVID-19
Location: Worldwide (online)
During the pandemic, Gurudev leads daily global online meditations, reaching millions coping with isolation, fear, burnout, and uncertainty.
Why it matters: Meditation becomes a global mental-health lifeline during a period of unprecedented stress.
2022 | “I Stand for Peace” Global
Meditation Tour
Locations: Europe and United States
Gurudev leads peace-focused meditations across major cities, emphasising dialogue, unity, and emotional resilience in polaris ed times.
Why it matters: Reaffirms meditation as a tool for social healing and reconciliation in modern societies.
2024 | First United Nations-Recognised
World Meditation Day
Location: United Nations & global participation
The United Nations General Assembly formally declares December 21 as World Meditation Day. Gurudev leads mass meditations marking the first official global observance, with participation across countries and continents.
Significance:
This marks the institutional global recognition of meditation as a public good, culminating decades of Gurudev’s work in bringing meditation into mainstream global consciousness.
2024 | One World Trade Center
Global Meditation
Location: New York City, USA (global online participation)
From One World Trade Center, Gurudev leads a historic meditation joined by over 8.5 million people worldwide.
Why it matters: Symbolically anchors meditation at a site representing global resilience, remembrance, and renewal.
The Art of Living is a global non-profit educational foundation, started by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in 1981, offering stress-relief programmes through yoga, meditation, and breathwork (pranayama), aiming to create a stress-free mind and a violence-free society for world peace, impacting millions worldwide with its humanitarian work and emphasis on inner peace and joyful living.
“Life is very precious. Let us all join hands & create awareness among people who have the slightest tendency to take their life away. There are enough human values on this planet to support each other and no problem is insurmountable”
