Goldie Hawn Brings Meditation to Davos

Hollywood royal Goldie Hawn brought together numerous world leaders and power players, attracting one of the biggest crowds of delegates in the whole conference. On Thursday morning, delegates queued for almost thirty minutes to get into the session, and once in listened keenly to Goldie Hawn’s inspirational and motivational speech on the benefits of meditation for children. The movie star maintained rapt attention from her audience, who appeared fascinated by her discourse on procedures and styles of meditation and how they can be tailored for children.

The World Economic Forum in Davos sees itself as the playground of the world’s economic and political elite. Usually, the forum is dedicated to the hard realities of poverty, climate change, economic growth, etc. often to the exclusion of softer, but no less important, topics. And it rarely plays host to Hollywood types. Yet this year was very different.

Goldie Hawn, who started her meditation programs in 1972, used her opportunity in Davos to speak to people who shape the world, mentoring and sharing her vast experience with them. She presented not only a practical elaboration of meditation processes but also an illustration of the economic gains that it can deliver. Drawing on mind-body health expert Richard Davidson’s research, Goldie was able to bring her point home with the example of data showing flu vaccines to have worked better in children who engaged in meditation than in those who did not.

Goldie gave some powerful advice on bettering education, and the human experience generally, saying “Let’s put the humanity back into the classroom.” She continued: “We have to create equanimity; we have to listen to each other. We have to care deeply, collectively, about our society as a whole. Otherwise, we will create a world not worth living in.”

Goldie Hawn urged the delegates to advocate for worldwide media campaigns to teach people about the facts of mediation and its benefits to the next generation. She concluded with a rousing call to action:

“We have the power, we have the capability, we have the gift and God gave us the tools so let’s use them.” – Goldie Hawn