Ritam Wellbeing Program
The Ritam Wellbeing Program brings together the time-tested practices of the contemplative traditions and the insights of modern psychology, in simple steps anyone can follow. No background in meditation, science, or philosophy is needed.
What is the Ritam Wellbeing Program?
Most of us were never taught how the mind works, or what to do when it becomes restless, anxious, or overwhelmed. The Ritam Wellbeing Programme is our answer to that gap. It is a structured set of courses, classes, small-group conversations, and retreats that help you understand your own mind and train it, gently and steadily, towards balance.
The word Ritam (pronounced rit-am) comes from the Vedic tradition and points to the natural order and rhythm that holds life together. Living "in Ritam" means living in harmony, with yourself and with the world around you. That is the simple aim of everything we offer: to help you find your rhythm and keep it, even in a fast and demanding world.
Our approach is non-religious and open to people of all faiths and none. We draw on Vedanta, the philosophical heart of the yoga tradition, and we hold it in honest conversation with what modern medicine and psychology are learning about the mind. You do not need to believe anything in particular to benefit. You only need to be willing to practise.
Who it is for
The programme is designed for everyday people facing everyday pressures, as well as for those who want to go deeper.
How it Works: Your Pathway
You can join at whatever level suits you, and move at your own pace.
STEP 01
Begin (free). Start with a short, free introduction to meditation and mind management. Learn what meditation actually is, try a simple guided practice, and see how it feels. No commitment required. Listen to free podcast and access free courses.
STEP 02
Build your foundation. Take a guided course that teaches the core practice step by step, alongside a clear, understanding of how the mind works, what is mental health, what causes drift from ease (dis-ease) and techies to recover the balance and rhythm in life.
STEP 03
Practise in community. Keep your practice alive through live online classes and our Ritam Yarning Circles, small facilitated groups where people share, listen, and learn together.
Join: Online Classes
Join: Ritam Yarning Circles
STEP 04
Go deeper on retreat. When you are ready, step away from daily life for a day or longer at our Vedanta Wellbeing Retreat, and let the practice settle more deeply.
See: Vedanta Wellbeing Retreat
What the Science Says
Interest in meditation is no longer confined to monasteries and ashrams. Over the past few decades, researchers in psychology and medicine have studied contemplative practices closely. A large review for the United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, pooled 47 trials with more than 3,500 participants and found that meditation programmes can produce small to moderate reductions in anxiety, low mood, and stress.
These benefits are not only for people who are unwell. A separate review focused on healthy adults found that practices of this kind moderately reduce stress, anxiety, and distress, and improve overall quality of life. And brain-imaging research suggests how this works: regular practice is associated with changes in the networks the brain uses for attention and for managing emotion, which helps explain why people often feel steadier and less reactive over time.
What the contemplative traditions discovered through centuries of inner observation, modern science is now beginning to describe in its own language: that the mind can be trained, much as the body can, and that this training changes how we feel and function. The Ritam Wellbeing Programme is built on this meeting point. We take practices refined over generations and present them in a clear, practical, and evidence-informed way.
A note on care and safety. Our programmes support general wellbeing and personal growth. They are not a treatment for mental illness and are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological care. If you are struggling, please reach out to your doctor or a qualified professional. In New Zealand you can call or text 1737 any time to speak with a trained counsellor, free and confidential. In an emergency call 111.