Archive · 21 Aug 2026
Gurudev’s Viral Three-Hour Dialogue Reaches India’s Gen Z
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar spoke online with thousands of new college students in India.
The conversation lasted about three hours and included students from more than 1,300 institutions.
They asked about relationships, loneliness, anger, social media and worries that keep people awake at night.
Gurudev said breathing carefully can help people feel calmer and more connected to their purpose.
He also advised students not to believe everything they see online because some content may be fake or made with artificial intelligence.
He said humor and friendship can help people handle anger and fear of missing out.
Gurudev told students that failure does not mean they cannot succeed later.
He encouraged them to stay curious and playful while avoiding actions that hurt others.
The session also mentioned research suggesting that breathing exercises can help some teenagers feel a stronger sense of belonging.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar held a three-hour virtual dialogue with first-year students from more than 1,300 Indian higher-education institutions.
Students asked about situationships, loneliness, overthinking, anger, social media, artificial intelligence and finding purpose.
Gurudev recommended attention to the breath, humor and inner steadiness as ways to manage stress and improve focus.
He encouraged students to remain ambitious, resilient, curious and mischievous, provided their actions do not hurt others.
The discussion referenced UCLA research linking structured breathing and social-emotional learning with greater belonging among some teenage girls.
- Who
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and first-year students from more than 1,300 Indian higher-education institutions.
- What
- A three-hour virtual dialogue about youth concerns, including relationships, loneliness, attention, anger, social media, resilience and purpose.
- When
- Thursday; the article does not specify the date.
- Where
- Virtually, with participants from institutions across India, including IITs, IIMs, NITs and AIIMS.
- Why
- The discussion was part of the seventh National Induction Programme, organized by the Art of Living’s Youth Desk for incoming students.
- Speaker
- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
- Session length
- Three hours
- Participating institutions
- More than 1,300 higher-education institutions
- Programme
- 7th edition of the National Induction Programme
- Organizer
- The Art of Living’s Youth Desk
- Key advice
- Use breath awareness, humor, friendship and inner steadiness to manage stress and improve attention
- Research mentioned
- A UCLA study followed 174 teenage girls in a programme combining structured breathing with social-emotional learning