The House of Lords hosted a high-level curtain-raiser event for UN World Meditation Day 2025 on 9th December 2025, under the theme Inner Peace; Global Harmony. The gathering brought together UK Members of Parliament and peers, diplomats, senior officials from the police and armed forces, professionals from health, law, arts and media, and leaders from civil society. The event was hosted by Lord Raval OBE and organised by the Brahma Kumaris, in partnership with the Sanskruti Centre of Cultural Excellence, in the presence of Sister Jayanti, Additional Administrative Head of the Brahma Kumaris.
The evening highlighted the growing recognition of meditation as a practical and effective tool for individual well-being and social cohesion. Speakers explored how inner emotional stability contributes to harmonious communities, ethical leadership, and more resilient institutions. Evidence was shared on the benefits of regular meditation practice, including stress reduction, enhanced emotional regulation, improved focus, and strengthened empathy — qualities increasingly relevant in policy-making, education, healthcare, and governance.
Addressing the significance of the UN’s recognition of meditation, Sister Jayanti described it as “an idea whose time has come,” noting that meditation has moved “from the periphery to the establishment.” She emphasised that its presence across all fields of human endeavour reflects proven results. Using a simple but powerful analogy, she explained, “I can’t always reduce the stressor, but I can increase my own capacity to deal with all these things.”
Lord Raval OBE, reflecting on the multiple crises facing the world today, underlined the moral and spiritual importance of inner transformation, stating, “You don’t counter darkness with more darkness; you do it with light… We need you [the Brahma Kumaris] more than ever now.”
Baroness Verma spoke of meditation as a grounding practice for leadership and decision-making. She observed, “Meditation is about me getting myself right before I can go out and help others get right,” adding that moments of collective reflection may help heal not only individuals, but society and the planet itself.
Participants also experienced a short guided meditation led by Sister Jayanti, offering a direct experience of the calm and clarity discussed throughout the evening. As the UK continues to face significant mental health challenges across all age groups, the event reinforced meditation’s value as a low-cost, accessible, and non-clinical complement to national well-being strategies.
The gathering served as a timely and meaningful prelude to UN World Meditation Day, observed globally on 21 December, and concluded with an invitation for all participants to join the public meditation event in London on that date.