Heartfulness emerged in the late 1800s in a small town called Fatehgarh on the Ganges River in the north of India. The practices are based on the ancient art of Transmission, a transformative yogic technique, which was rediscovered by Ram Chandra, who was known as Lalaji to his friends. He rediscovered Transmission when he was still a boy, and from an early age recognized the need for a simple and effective method of self-care that could be practised universally.

Lalaji went on to distill a set of essential meditative practices from the great traditions of the past into a universal system suited to the needs of modern-day life, removing all unnecessary rituals and cultural beliefs. He trained many followers during his lifetime, and among them was Ram Chandra of Shahjahanpur, known to many as Babuji. In 1945, Babuji became Lalaji’s successor in the work of training and transmitting to the growing number of followers, and his work led to further refinement and evolution of the Heartfulness practices.

In July 1945, Babuji founded the first Heartfulness organization in India – a non-profit for the well-being of people around the world. Babuji then started travelling extensive, first within India, and then beyond, introducing people to the practices in Europe, North America, South Africa, and South-east Asia. He was accompanied and supported on his travels by Parthasarathi Rajagopalachari, known as Chariji, who became Babuji’s successor in 1983. Chariji’s frequent tours abroad fostered a remarkable expansion of the Heartfulness movement, and he also developed programs for schools, scholarship programs, research facilities, free health care clinics, and a partnership with the Department of Public Information of the United Nations (UN DPI). Kamlesh Patel, known as Daaji, became Chariji’s successor in December 2014. Daaji started Heartfulness in 1976, and subsequently held many responsible roles within the organization in India, the USA, Oceania, and Africa before becoming the Heartfulness Guide. Daaji is married with two sons and three grandchildren. For thirty years, he was a businessman in New York City, developing a chain of pharmacies that are now run by his sons and others. He is a prolific speaker, and a role model for all who seek enlightened consciousness. He has travelled extensively and is at home with people from all walks of life, giving special attention to young people. Under his guidance, there are now millions of Heartfulness practitioners around the world.

The Heartfulness Movement has been active in peace building since 1957, when Babuji first contacted the UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld to offer a practice for peace among all people of the world. From 2005, Heartfulness has partnered with the UN to celebrate International Day of Peace on 21 September, bringing awareness to local communities in all its centres around the world. Today, there are Heartful Communication programs offered in all regions of the world, offering people a way to resolve conflict and bring harmony.

As Heartfulness has its roots in yoga, we also promote International Day of Yoga on 21 June, and have created a free online collaborative platform where yoga experts from many schools join together to offer free programs to the public.