Yoga Nonprofit Seeks to Change the World With 1,000,008 Hours of Meditation

Honesdale, PA, May 15, 2019 (Newswire.com) - A group of yogis at the Himalayan Institute in rural Pennsylvania, in response to the negativity and division in today’s geopolitical and environmental climate, is embarking on an ambitious mission—using the inner calm and peace cultivated by meditation to spread peace around the world. The goal of the project, called Year Long Meditation, is to connect thousands of people across the globe to meditate for a combined 1,000,008 hours, with a shared intention of changing the course of human history. To assist participants in their efforts, the nonprofit is providing a free meditation tracking app, guided meditations, and learning resources from their 40-year archives of faculty classes and lectures—as well as an array of inspiring in-person meditation retreats and intensives at their Honesdale, PA headquarters.

“We must, as individuals, sit down, meditate, be quiet, and find peace and happiness within,” says Pandit Rajmani Tigunait, PhD, Spiritual Head of the Himalayan Institute, “so that we can bring that peace and happiness out into the external world, so that the external world doesn’t become a prison—we are more disconnected from ourselves and our loved ones than ever before.”

The time certainly appears to be right for a more mindful approach: according to a 2012 survey by the National Institutes of Health, 8% of American adults used meditation for health and well-being (and 9.5% were doing yoga). By using technology and sending a positive, encouraging message, the Himalayan Institute hopes to unite those meditating already and attract more people to the practice. The shared intention of creating a better world lies at the heart of their vision.

According to the yoga tradition, time and space become irrelevant when people work with a common focus—so that people sitting down to meditate thousands of miles away and months apart still share in the benefit (and contribute to the goal) of a group practice, whether they are meditating for hours a day or can just spare a few minutes.

“There’s something amazing in the alchemy of group practice—that shows group practice is far greater than the sum of its parts,” says Ishan Tigunait, Executive Director of the Himalayan Institute, in describing the unique multiplicative effect brought about by people meditating in community.

Whether participants choose to join Year Long Meditation in person or meditate from home around the world, the practice kicks off on July 16, 2019.

Watch the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/330123092/debc29fdb1

To learn more about the vision of Year Long Meditation and to join the practice, visit: www.yearlongmeditation.org

About the Himalayan Institute: Founded by Swami Rama in 1969, the Himalayan Institute is a leader in the field of yoga, meditation, spirituality, and holistic health—a non-profit international organization dedicated to serving humanity through educational, spiritual, and humanitarian programs. The Himalayan Institute and its varied activities and programs exemplify the spiritual heritage of mankind that unites East and West, spirituality and science, ancient wisdom and modern technology. www.himalayaninstitute.org

Source: Himalayan Institute