Vedic Meditation and Vipassana are two very different ways of meditating

Vipassana is generally based around cultivating awareness and observing experience as it arises - thoughts, sensations, emotions and other phenomena - without reacting to them.

Vedic Meditation takes a different approach.

Rather than using concentration to remain present to what is happening, we use a mantra in a very effortless way that allows the mind to settle naturally towards quieter levels of experience.

There is no attempt to control thoughts or maintain focus.

Stillness emerges naturally.

Do I need to go on a meditation retreat?

For many people, Vipassana is associated with silent residential retreats, often lasting ten days or longer.

Those retreats can be profound experiences, and for some people they are exactly what they’re looking for.

Vedic Meditation is designed around a different model.

You learn the technique over a short course and then practise it at home for around 20 minutes in the morning and evening.

You don’t have to withdraw from ordinary life in order to meditate deeply.

The practice is designed to integrate easily into everyday life - work, relationships, family, creativity, exercise and everything else you’re already doing.

What if I find meditation difficult?

With Vedic Meditation, you don’t need to be “good at meditating”.
You don’t need to try to stop thinking or force the mind to do anything unnatural.

The technique works with the natural tendencies of the mind rather than asking us to fight against them.

So which technique is better – Vedic Meditation or Vipassana?

Neither. They’re different practices, with different methods and different aims.

But there is an important practical difference.

Vedic Meditation is designed to allow the mind to settle beyond its usual activity without requiring concentration, control or prolonged periods of silence. In our experience, that means more people are able to access deeper states of meditation more quickly and more easily, including people who have previously found meditation difficult.

That doesn’t make Vipassana inferior. For someone drawn to careful observation, extended silence and the discipline of retreat practice, Vipassana may be exactly the right path.

But if what you’re looking for is a technique that gives you reliable access to deep meditation while still fitting easily into ordinary life, Vedic Meditation has a particular advantage.

You don’t have to become good at meditating before you can go deep.

The technique is designed to take you there quickly and easily.

What is Vedic Meditation?

Vedic Meditation comes from the ancient Vedic tradition of India.
It is an effortless mantra-based technique, practised for around 20 minutes twice a day.

The mantra isn’t used as an affirmation or something you have to concentrate on.

It’s used effortlessly, allowing the mind to settle beyond its usual activity.

As the mind settles, the body can gain very deep rest.

Over time, that combination of deep rest and reduced mental effort can make meditation feel less like another thing you have to do and more like something your system naturally wants.

Learning Vedic Meditation in Sydney

At Bondi Meditation Centre, we teach Vedic Meditation.

The course gives you everything you need to establish a simple, independent meditation practice you can continue for life, with weekly group meditations and ongoing support whenever you need it.

Learning Vedic Meditation in Sydney

At Bondi Meditation Centre, we teach Vedic Meditation.

The course gives you everything you need to establish a simple, independent meditation practice you can continue for life, with weekly group meditations and ongoing support whenever you need it.