With “so much stress and violence in the world,” Vaneet Goyal believes “there needs to be some peace.”

Goyal and other members of the University’s Art of Living Club brought a moment of tranquility to N.C. State Saturday, Jan. 26, where students enjoyed and discussed classical Indian music and meditated on messages of peace.

Goyal, a master’s student in Integrated Manufacturing Systems Engineering and president of the club, led the event.

“The classic instruments resonate with our body. The moment you hear the music, you immediately fall into a meditative state,” he said.

The event began in the early morning with an alap, the opening section of a classical performance, of a raag, or classical Indian melody, called “Ahir Bhariv.” A traditional composition, called a yaman is accompanied by a tabla, a classical Indian drum.

Two artists performed on sitar following these introductory ceremonies.

After the concert, Goyal led the 50 participants in a yoga and meditation session.

“Music and yoga allow us to reach a deeper level of concentration. With the stressful lives we all lead, both music and yoga have the ability to relieve that stress,” he said.

The club will hold similar events on campus this semester.

Goyal leads an hour-long session of yoga and meditation in Witherspoon 201 every Tuesday from 7:15 to 8:15 p.m.

Goyal hopes to reach more people at the University and in the community with more meditation events and classical Indian concerts.