Washington, Dec 18
Around one million participants from across the world are planning to join a meditation session on December 21, organised by the Heartfulness Institute, an initiative that promotes peace and harmony through collective meditation, and is expected to set a new Guinness World Record.

Speaking to IANS, James Joseph, Executive Vice President of HTC Global Services and a senior trainer for Heartfulness Meditation, said the event will coincide with World Meditation Day and feature a live, guided session.

"On December 21, we are having a world meditation day, and there will be a live meditation at 9:30 a.m. in the US," Joseph said. "We are expecting about a million people from around the world to participate in this event."

He said the collective effort is intended to create a shared moment of calm amid heightened global tensions. "The main purpose of this event is to bring up a level of peace and harmony in the entire world through 1 million people meditating," Joseph told IANS.

The Heartfulness Institute, a global meditation movement with roots in India, is organising the programme. According to Joseph, the session will be guided by Daaji, the organisation's global guide, who is based in India.

"This is being organised by the Heartfulness Institute, which is headed by Daji, who currently resides in India," he said. "He is the global guide for Heartfulness meditation, and he'll be the one who will be presiding over this meditation."

Joseph described Daaji as the current leader of a meditative tradition that blends ancient practices with modern accessibility. "Daaji is currently the representative for what we call the heartfulness, tradition, or the … which is an ancient form of Raji yoga," he said, adding that "a modernised version is today known as Heartfulness."

He noted that the movement today has a significant global footprint. Daaji, Joseph said, leads "this organisation of about 10 million meditators across the world who have either experience or who are practising meditation."

The December 21 meditation is expected to see participation from across continents. "There are about 160 countries, people from 160 countries are going to enthusiastically participate in this meditation," Joseph said.

Participation in the event is free and open to all, he said, adding that interested parties can register via a QR code provided by the organisers.

"There are no fees involved. It is absolutely free," he noted.

Reflecting on the broader significance of the initiative, Joseph underscored India's role in shaping global wellness traditions. "The greatest contribution that India has made is in the field of yoga and meditation," he said, calling the December 21 event "a great opportunity for us to contribute and be part of that movement."

He said meditation offers a path toward collective transformation. "Meditation is the best way to transform minds, transform hearts to bring peace to humanity," Joseph told IANS, adding that participants would be joining "one million souls, one million hearts meditating together."

World Meditation Day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly and is observed annually on December 21, aligning with the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, a time traditionally associated with reflection and inner calm.

Heartfulness is rooted in the Shri Ram Chandra Mission, a global spiritual organisation headquartered in India, and has expanded worldwide through meditation centres, trained practitioners and digital platforms, with its leadership and guiding philosophy continuing to be anchored in India.

Indian origin wellness institute plans a million-participant meditation event, eyes Guinness record