You'll want to be HERE.
The beginning of a global movement.
I interrupt my regularly scheduled fortnightly musings to let you know about a momentous happening down under—in Nowra, Australia, to be exact.
This October, I’ll be co-hosting two retreats there with the Baseline Happiness Project aimed at raising happiness levels in the music industry through meditation. If you’re a creative or aspiring creative, or work in the related industries, I highly recommend considering joining us for the Baseline Happiness 4-Day Music Industry Retreat or 5-Day Creators Retreat, which will be part of a bigger month-long confluence of consciousness called HERE In Nowra that you can read more about below.
If a month-long festival of Vedic Meditation with retreats, workshops, advanced training, wisdom talks, social gatherings, and group meditations dedicated to the exploration and celebration of Vedic philosophy, practices, and teachings in the beautiful and unblemished bush of rural Australia doesn’t sound like your cup of tea, then feel free to skip this one, and I’ll see you next week when I resume my regular writings.
BUT if you love fun, and traveling, and good causes, and other people, and traveling to have fun for a good cause with other people who also love fun, and traveling, good causes, and other people, well, you’ll very much want to read on.
Barron Hanson is a very good friend of mine. Barron is a dynamo of a human being, and unlike anyone else I’ve ever met. He loves the world and each and every person in it, and cares deeply about improving it in every way he can. He’s the first one to call you on your birthday, the last one to leave a dinner party after helping you clean up, and the biggest cheerleader and supporter each of his friends is lucky enough to count on.
In 2019, Barron threw a weekend festival for his 30th birthday in Nowra, and more than 150 people from around the world, myself included, took the long journey down there because we knew if Barron was behind it, it would be unmissable. I highly suggest taking 11 seconds and watching this video of the “I love you tunnel” that Barron created and had everyone run through. This is how it feels to be loved by Barron.
In 2020, at the onset of quarantine, Barron organized weekly Isolympics, global dance party gatherings of friends on newly emergent Zoom that would last all night until the sun came up and include live-streamed musical performances from faraway friends, choreographed performances, team sports competitions, and human connection at a time when that was hard to find.
Suffice it to say the guy knows how to have a good time.
Barron was born and raised in a very small town in Australia called Nowra, and in true Barron fashion, decided several years ago that he wanted to recreate the famous Maharishi Effect in Nowra, a theory from Maharishi Mahesh Yogi that 1% of any given population practicing meditation is enough to bring about collective peace and harmony in that community.
The theory has been validated in small studies all over the world, and Barron, being Barron, has decided to dedicate a sizable chunk of his life to bringing peace, harmony and happiness to his hometown while creating a documentary about it over four years—a noble endeavor if ever there was one.
Barron’s making good progress on the documentary film (which you can support via Kickstarter if you like), and in order to accelerate the evolution of consciousness in Nowra, he’s upping the ante with an entire month-long festival of Vedic Meditation in Nowra, taking place throughout October 2024, entitled HERE In Nowra.
Barron asked me to do the creative direction of the festival last fall, which began when we came up with the name together and extended to the creation of the logo, brand identity, and website, so I’ve gotten a very close look at everything he’s been up to and everything this festival will entail.
So why should you care about this festival in Nowra, Australia?
HERE is not just a festival; it is the embodiment of a vision to bring together a global community of meditators, united in their passion for Vedic wisdom and the pursuit of collective consciousness. It’s the beginning of a global movement, with Nowra poised to become ground zero.
In partnership with the University of Wollongong, HERE In Nowra will also study the impact of collective meditation on community health outcomes. It's a pioneering step towards understanding how deep, shared meditation practices can foster societal well-being.
Participants are invited to immerse themselves in a wealth of activities designed to inspire, educate, and transform and catalyze profound personal exploration and growth:
Free public wisdom talks and introductory talks demystifying Vedic knowledge.
Meditation courses catering to all levels
A special Siddha program for advanced practitioners.
Workshops and advanced courses like Exploring the Veda & Mastering the Siddhis
Social outings like nature walks, stargazing and morning swims
Rounding retreats of varying lengths
Specialized retreats focusing on women, creators, new meditators, etc.
Again, I’ll also be co-hosting two retreats there with Barron and our friend Matt Handley (1/2 of No-Americano-Speaking Yolanda Be Cool) for creators and the music industry as part of our Baseline Happiness Project. If you’re a creative or aspiring creative, or work in the related industries, I highly recommend considering joining us for the 4-Day Music Industry Retreat or 5-Day Creators Retreat.
For more information on how to participate, volunteer, or simply learn more, visit HERE in Nowra. You can come for a four or five-day retreat, or a longer one like the 15-day or 31-day retreats, or anywhere in between. Also, prices are in Aussie dollars, which convert very favorably for Americans, Brits and Europeans.
…just think—this is like being invited to Woodstock 69, with way less (ok, zero) drugs and way more vibes. This is your chance to tell your kids “I was there, man.”
Be there.