BARS class
Dr. Dain Heer, co-creator of Access Consciousness.

While the world might be obsessed with perfection and plagued by comparison, being true to oneself can feel radical, maybe even rebellious. But for Dr. Dain Heer, authenticity isn't just a personal value. It is a movement, a lifeline, a global catalyst for change.

Heer, founder of the Being You movement and co-creator of Access Consciousness, is the visionary behind International Being You Day, celebrated every June 22. What began as a deeply personal awakening has grown into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching people through global classes, an annual event dedicated to the power of self-trust and inner freedom, and his book Being You, Changing the World. Yet this global ripple didn't start with a grand strategy. It started with hitting rock bottom.

Two decades ago, Heer was a successful chiropractor in California. To the outside world, he had it all. Inside, he was unraveling. He had reached the point of preparing to end his life. "I had everything people said I should want," he recalls. "And I still wanted out."

Everything changed after one Access Bars session, a gentle, hands-on modality rooted in Access Consciousness. Heer says that in a single hour, the hopelessness lifted. "I had this overwhelming sense of possibility," he says. "And for the first time in a long time, I laughed." It was a turning point, after which he made it his mission to help others.

In 2011, Heer published Being You. It struck a global chord as it invited readers to explore the possibility that being true to oneself could be enough. "The world didn't need me to be perfect," Heer says. "It needed me to be real."

He followed the book's success with Being You classes and workshops offered around the world. These experiences go beyond personal development, creating spaces for people to explore what's true for them without judgment, comparison, or the need to perform. "There are no prerequisites, no credentials required," Heer says. "Just a willingness to show up and ask: What else is possible for me?"

In 2020, Heer launched International Being You Day, held annually on June 22. Now in its fifth year, the celebration includes livestream events, in-person gatherings, and meetups hosted by facilitators around the world. The intention? To empower people to embrace their true selves, appreciate their unique capabilities, and foster a culture of inclusivity and acceptance.

"It's so sold to us that the path to success is to do it like someone else did it," Heer says. "But that's exactly the path to burnout. The real path is finding out what's true for you. And that's where success and joy live."

This year's celebration includes a global livestream, local community events, and a headline gathering in Mexico City. The agenda features candid conversations on courage, creativity, and choosing presence over performance.

Heer's message couldn't be more timely. In an age of rising stress, digital pressure, and mounting anxiety, more people are questioning the roles they've been told to play. A study in the U.S. revealed that nearly two in five adults (37%) report being too stressed to even function, with a significant number experiencing forgetfulness, indecision, and emotional fatigue.

"We've been taught to chase success, perfection, or approval," Heer says. "But what if the real win is waking up each day and liking who you are?" He believes presence starts with a decision to stop pretending and start choosing to be truly oneself.

A powerful part of the process is the willingness to ask open-ended questions like: "Will this choice create more lightness in my life? What else is possible I haven't considered?" According to Heer, functioning from a place of curiosity and self-trust allows people to shift from judgment to possibility: one choice at a time.

"If something feels heavy, it's usually not true for you," Heer says. "But if it brings lightness, that's your truth trying to speak." This approach invites people to dismantle conditioning, stop living on autopilot, and engage with life in a way that feels meaningful.'

The mission of Being You Day reflects this deeper commitment: "To empower all of us to know that our dreams of what is possible are way more valuable than fitting in. To inspire everyone to embrace their unique capacities, release judgment, and follow the lightness, joy, and laughter that guide us to who we truly are."

It's a philosophy that resonates not only with seekers and self-explorers but also with business leaders, creators, and changemakers looking for a new paradigm of leadership. It values inner alignment over outer achievement. "From my point of view, when you're being authentically you is when the magic happens," Heer says. "That's when everything can change."

And as June 22 approaches, people will gather, both online and in person, not to celebrate fame, wealth, or productivity but something far more potent: the truth of being fully, audaciously, unapologetically themselves.