With a resolve to bring peace and well-being in the African continent, Global Spiritual leader Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led a meditation here with over one hundred thousand Africans for The Art of Living’s IMeditateAfrica over webcast.
Running in its sixth year, the IMeditateAfrica campaign saw participation from across 20 African nations, along with meditators globally. Amongst the attendees were 66 prisoners from the Maximum security men’s prison in Uganda,who recently participated in The Art of Living’s first Prison program at the facility. Hundreds of other prisoners in African prisons too joined the IMeditateAfrica webcast.
Putting all kinds of racial and religious differences aside, 1500 children and teachers participated in this global meditation, including 40 children from St. Clement Orthodox School. The Meditation was also streamed across several radio stations in Africa to reach more people.
After the meditation, Gurudev shared the abundant benefits of mediation saying, “Meditation helps you to be healthy and sharper in the mind. Your perception improves and your expression also improves. Scientists have established that meditation not only makes you happy but it makes your body healthier. You need a positive state of mind, right? Only then you can do things in the world.”
In 2018 alone, the IMeditateAfrica has touched over 800,000 lives. Seeing the positive participation, there will be another week of meditation this year. Through the past 6 years, The Art of Living has reached out over 3 million people through this campaign.
“When we meditate, we not only meditate for ourselves but also create positive vibrations which nullify negative vibrations. A tiny atom thus has power. Your mind is tinier than the tiniest atom- it has so much power!” Gurudev shared about the ripple effects which meditation is potent of creating. He was joined by Mrs. Alcinda Mondlane, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs in Mozambique, and Alberto Ricardo Mondlane, Governor of Manica Province, Mozambique at The Art of Living International Center.
In recent times, Africa has gone through large-scale civil violence, given the militia attacks in Central Africa and other parts of the continent.For the past month, The Art of Living volunteers have been conducting Meditation sessions and Peace Prayers at 1000s of schools, colleges, universities, prisons, farms and rural areas across Africa as a part of peace building process.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has on numerous occasions engaged with communities, countries and groups involved in long-drawn conflicts and violence for over four decades now.