42.9%
of Australians aged 16–85 have experienced a mental disorder at some point in their lives.
A healthier Australia starts with being here.
Life asks a lot of us.
Which is why, more than ever, being here matters.
Vedic Meditation offers a way.
Simple to learn.
Effortless to practise.
Made for real life.
02Why prevention matters
Everyday Australians are carrying more than they realise.
And often, we only notice once it starts taking a toll.
For many, it’s only when life becomes too much that we think about asking for help.
Helping people earlier gives them a better chance to reduce the effects of chronic stress before it contributes to more serious illness.
And when illness affects one person, the impact rarely stops with them.
Australians experienced a mental disorder within a 12-month period.
The Be Here Project exists to make Vedic Meditation, public education and community support more accessible as part of a broader approach to preventing and helping control diseases associated with chronic stress, including anxiety disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, insomnia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
And let’s be clear: we’re not saying Vedic Meditation is the answer to everything.
What we are saying is that it’s one of the most valuable things we’ve ever learned.
We’ve seen what it can make possible.
And we want more people to have the opportunity to experience it for themselves.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020–2022.
03Why Vedic Meditation?
There are many ways to meditate.
Some ask us to concentrate or control our thoughts.
Others guide the mind towards a particular experience.
Some involve a specific posture, setting or ritual.
Vedic Meditation takes a different approach.
We sit comfortably, close our eyes and use our personalised mantra silently, just as we’ve been taught.
Rather than asking the mind to focus or become quiet, the technique works with its natural tendency to move towards greater ease and satisfaction.
Thoughts are not a problem.
There is nothing to force.
Nothing to hold onto.
Nothing to get right.
Using the mantra, the mind settles in its own way, allowing the body to experience deep rest.
Over time, this regular experience of deep rest may help the body recover from the effects of stress and play a part in broader efforts to prevent or help control diseases associated with chronic stress.
And while the practice itself can feel deeply restful, it isn’t about escaping life.
It’s about closing our eyes, experiencing deep rest, and then opening them with more presence for the people, moments and life around us.
Twenty minutes.
Twice a day.
That’s it.
Then you simply get on with your life.
04Learn Vedic Meditation
A simple technique that stays with you for life.
Learn in person with a qualified teacher over four consecutive days in a small group.
Day 160 minutes
Receive your personalised mantra and learn how to meditate.
Days 2–490 minutes each
Deepen your understanding, ask questions and learn how to make the practice part of everyday life.
By the end of day four, you’ll have everything you need to begin meditating confidently on your own.
Once you’ve learned the technique, you can practise almost anywhere you can sit comfortably and close your eyes.
At home.
At work.
On a train.
In a parked car.
On a park bench.
No previous experience is required.
You do not need to arrive calm.
Or focused.
Or “good at meditation.”
You don’t even need to be sure it will work.
You simply need to be curious enough to begin.
We offer a sliding-scale investment, along with partial subsidies and full scholarships, because cost should never be the reason someone misses out.
Learn Vedic Meditation05You’re not doing this alone.
Meditation is a personal practice, but that doesn’t mean it has to be a solitary one.
After the course, you’ll always be welcome.
Join us for regular group meditations, sunrise gatherings
and wisdom talks, as well as HERE Festival, held every two years.
Some are for course graduates.
Some are open to everyone.
And we’ll be here whenever you’d like to connect.
Ways to connect
Group Meditation
Exclusive to course graduates.
Meditate together, ask questions and stay connected with the community.
Sunrise Gathering
Open to everyone.
A simple way to begin the day with quiet, tea and good company.
Wisdom Talks
Open to everyone.
Thoughtful conversations about meditation, stress and the ideas that help us meet life differently.
HERE Festival
Open to everyone, with some sessions reserved for Vedic Meditation students.
A festival of Vedic wisdom held every two years, with public talks, educational workshops, meditation-related activities and community events.
06From personal practice to community impact
We don’t live in isolation.
The effects of chronic stress can reach far beyond one person, affecting families, workplaces and communities and placing added pressure on the healthcare system.
The ripple can move the other way too. When one person is better supported to reduce those effects, the benefits can reach far beyond them.
That’s why The Be Here Project exists.
Where we’re growing
Be Here Nowra
Where it all began.
A growing community helping people learn Vedic Meditation and stay connected long after the course ends.
Be Here Newcastle
Where we’re going next.
Building on everything we’ve learned in Nowra to help make Vedic Meditation more accessible in Newcastle.
Be Here in Communities
Meeting people where they are.
We’re developing programs for schools, workplaces and correctional facilities, while building partnerships to make Vedic Meditation, public education and ongoing support more accessible, including for people who may face greater exposure to chronic stress or fewer opportunities to access support.
Bring Be Here to your community
Have an idea for where The Be Here Project could make a difference? We’d love to hear from you.
We’re always open to conversations with people who share our vision for a healthier Australia, one community at a time.
07Nowra showed us what’s possible
The Be Here Project didn’t begin as a national movement.
It began with one community.
In just a few years, hundreds of people have learned Vedic Meditation through Be Here Nowra.
What started with one meditation course has grown into a place where people gather to learn, connect, support one another and contribute to their community.
The Be Here Project is our way of taking what we’ve learned in Nowra and making it available to more communities across Australia.
08See what happened in Nowra
You can read about a community.
Or you can meet one.
The Be Here Nowra documentary trailer and the ABC Compass episode offer a glimpse into the people, the practice and the community that gave rise to The Be Here Project.
09Our vision
A world where everyone has the tools to be here.
For themselves.
For each other.
For the future.
10Be part of what comes next
However you’d like to take part, we’re glad to be here with you.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Be Here Project acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands and waters on which we live, learn, teach and gather.
Our work began in the Shoalhaven, and we recognise the First Peoples of the Shoalhaven and their continuing connection to Country, culture, and community.
We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.