Guest Bio

Dylan Smith is an Ayurvedic practitioner and holistic health educator based in Byron Bay, Australia. Founder of Vital Veda, Dylan shares the principles of Ayurveda through consultations, courses, and his podcast. He has trained extensively with the renowned Raju family of South India and brings deep lineage-based knowledge into a modern, relatable context. With a background in Vedic Meditation and a lifelong connection to the Vedic tradition, Dylan is passionate about helping people enliven their natural health through rhythm, routine, and awareness.

Key Topics Covered

Growing up in a meditating family and rediscovering practice as an adult

The moment that shifted Dylan’s path from architecture to Ayurveda

Why health isn’t something to fix — it’s something to enliven

Daily rhythm and the science behind it (including circadian medicine)

The synergy between Vedic Meditation and Ayurvedic treatments

Simple lifestyle shifts: hot water, early bedtimes, mindful digestion

How Ayurveda adapts across climates, cultures, and constitutions

Why Dylan encourages patients to “transcend food rules” and go back to principles

Notable Quotes

💬 “It wasn’t a big aha moment. I just said, ‘Okay.’ And that was the beginning.”

💬 “You don’t need to treat the disease. You enliven health — and the body remembers.”

💬“Meditation is the foundation. But it’s not the house. Ayurveda helps you build the rest.”

💬 “You feel it in the pulse — meditators have lightness. Even under stress, that clarity remains.”

Timestamps

00:00 — Introducing Dylan Smith and his Vedic roots

04:00 — Childhood exposure vs. conscious return to meditation

07:00 — The Deepak Chopra moment and pivot to Ayurveda

11:30 — What Ayurveda really is: dharma, rhythm, and the four aims of life

16:00 — Digestion, fruit rules, and transcending food dogma

18:50 — How meditation complements Ayurvedic healing

22:00 — Treating the nervous system: differences in meditators’ physiology

25:00 — Simple daily tools: hot water, early sleep, living in rhythm

30:00 — Waking up early, morning energy, and creative clarity

Links & Resources

Dylan Smith’s website: https://vitalveda.com.au

Vital Veda Podcast: https://vitalveda.com.au/podcast

Instagram: @vitalveda

Dr. Raju clinic in India: https://www.drraju.com

Recommended reading: Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra

Learn to Meditate: https://www.londonmeditationcentre.com/learn-to-meditate

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

About Victoria Spicer

Victoria is a pioneer in wellbeing and travel, and the co-founder of the Global Retreat Company. With a 40-year career spanning high-end PR and conscious business development, she’s helped shape the global retreat landscape by supporting authentic, purpose-driven destinations like Ananda in the Himalayas and the original Mayr Clinic. Known for her intuitive insight, anti-jargon style, and commitment to integrity, Victoria remains a trusted voice in the world of holistic wellbeing. She’s also a longtime Vedic Meditator, and chairs Indigo Eight, a communications agency amplifying values-led businesses in travel and health.

Key Topics Covered

How Victoria helped shape the global wellness and retreat industry

The evolution from luxury PR to purpose-led communications

Meditation as a tool for grief, clarity, and creative direction

Her early experience with TM and reconnection through Vedic Meditation

What it means to lead with intuition in business

The power of retreats as modern medicine

Thoughts on wellness language, hype vs. resonance, and doing less better

Her vision for the Global Retreat Company and the future of retreating

Notable Quotes

💬 “Meditation has been the constant thread that’s stopped me from spiraling.”

💬 “Resonance — that’s how we decide which clients to take on now. Not how big their brand is.”

💬 “The wellness industry didn’t exist when I started. We built it — quietly, intuitively, and without hype.”

💬 “India is medicine. Just being there is enough.”

💬 “When I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew — this isn’t what’s going to take me out. It’s a message.”

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

02:00 – Victoria’s path from luxury PR to wellness pioneer

09:00 – Working with Régine, nightclub queen of the ’80s

10:00 – Launching a travel PR firm with no formal training

13:00 – Early wellness clients: the Mayr Clinic and Ananda

16:00 – Meditation, loss, and reconnecting with practice

21:00 – Grief, resilience, and how meditation helped

24:00 – India as a place of deep transformation

28:00 – Leaving the big agency world and founding Indigo Eight

34:00 – Building Global Retreat Company during Covid

37:00 – Why retreats are essential in the modern world

40:00 – On integrity, purpose, and doing business differently

44:00 – Final reflections: why she continues to share meditation

Links & Resources

Global Retreat Company

Indigo Eight

Ananda in the Himalayas

Original Mayr Clinic

London Meditation Centre

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

About Ahmed Hallajian

Ahmed Hallajian is a born and bred Londoner working in the entertainment industry. After graduating from the London School of Economics, Ahmed began a career in auditing at the National Audit Office, but quickly realized the path wasn’t for him. He pivoted into self-development content on YouTube, then into software engineering, landing a job at Amazon. Yet something still felt misaligned. In 2024, he learned Vedic Meditation — a turning point that helped clarify what truly mattered. Today, Ahmed channels his curiosity and creativity into storytelling, while continuing to explore the evolving nature of self, purpose, and personal clarity.

Key Topics Covered

Why Ahmed kept changing careers — and what he was really searching for

The surprising influence of Seinfeld and celebrity on his openness to meditation

How Vedic Meditation helped relieve a low-grade fog he hadn’t even recognized

The difference between coping and clarity, and what changed after learning

Letting go of tech and finding a more aligned, people-focused path

How meditation shifted his phone habits, screen time, and social energy

The challenge of keeping up meditation while traveling with non-meditators

A modern take on spirituality and how Ahmed talks about meditation with friends

Notable Quotes

💬 “There was life before and life after. I’m still adjusting to what my preferences are — what kind of person I am.”

💬 “I always had a sense of what I didn’t want. Meditation gave me clarity about what I do want.”

💬 “It didn’t feel like me changing habits. It just happened — like a signal I could finally hear.”

💬 “Meditation doesn’t make you wise. It just helps you notice what actually matters.”

💬 “I’m not better than anyone, but I’m more in touch with what brings me joy.”

Timestamps

00:03 — Introducing Ahmed Hallajian and his unconventional career journey

03:20 — Growing up with Seinfeld and early influences toward meditation

06:40 — Struggling at work and the turning point that led to learning

10:45 — The experience of learning to meditate and immediate after-effects

14:30 — From anxious stagnation to clarity and mental lightness

17:20 — Changing his relationship with tech, screen time, and presence

20:00 — How others noticed the change before he did

24:10 — Leaving Amazon and shifting into a more social, creative career

28:30 — Rethinking introversion and discovering his true work preferences

32:00 — Staying consistent with meditation while traveling

36:15 — How he speaks about meditation with friends and why he doesn’t evangelize

39:00 — Practical vs. spiritual benefits — and what keeps him inspired

Links and Resources

London Meditation Centre — Learn Vedic Meditation

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

About Eddie Stern

Eddie Stern is a yoga teacher, author, researcher, and community activist based in New York City. A long-time student of Pattabhi Jois, Eddie helped bring Ashtanga Yoga to a global audience, but over time shifted his focus toward devotional practice, mantra, breathwork, and the deeper spiritual currents behind yoga. He is the creator of the Breathing App and founder of Manhattan’s first vedically consecrated Ganesh temple. Eddie’s work bridges ancient wisdom with modern science, making inner practices accessible for a new generation.

Key Topics Covered

Eddie’s early spiritual awakening and his influential high school teacher

First trip to India and the slow process of cultural immersion

Training with Pattabhi Jois and the deep dive into Ashtanga Yoga

The tension between tradition, evolution, and authenticity in yoga

Moving beyond physical practice toward breath, mantra, and ritual

Eddie’s reflections on breaking from lineage without losing reverence

Founding a Vedic temple in Manhattan and embracing a Hindu identity

How slow, resonant breathing can transform health — and life

Advice for seekers starting their spiritual journey today

Notable Quotes

💬 “You need to spend a little time each day attending to the invisible part of yourself.”
💬“We ripen at our own pace. You can’t force it — just like you can’t ripen a fruit before it’s ready.”
💬“Traditions that survive are the ones that allow themselves to evolve without losing their spirit.”
💬“The guru is not a person. The guru is a stream of knowledge that flows through people.”
💬“Everything we call tradition was created by someone who simply thought it was a good idea. Respect that — but don’t mistake it for something it’s not.”

Timestamps

00:03 — Introduction to Eddie Stern and his journey

02:50 — Eddie’s early spiritual awakening in high school

06:50 — First experiences traveling and studying in India

11:00 — From Shivananda Yoga to Ashtanga Yoga

14:00 — The ripening process: why we change only when ready

19:10 — Breaking from guru structures and lineage identities

24:00 — The evolving nature of yoga traditions

30:00 — Founding a Vedic temple in Manhattan

34:30 — Breathwork, health, and the creation of the Breathing App

38:40 — Eddie’s personal meditation and ritual practices

40:55 — Advice for people beginning their spiritual journey

Links and Resources

Eddie Stern’s Website

The Breathing App (iOS)

The Breathing App (Android)

Healing Through Breathing on Audible

One Simple Thing: A New Look at the Science of Yoga

Urban Yogis — Yoga and Meditation for Underserved Communities

London Meditation Centre — Learn Vedic Meditation

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

Joh Jarvis — Letting Go, Starting Over, and Teaching Meditation in Prisons

Guest Bio

Joh Jarvis is a former senior executive media producer and journalist with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, where she led current affairs programs and large teams of content makers. After a 23-year career in media, she became a teacher of Vedic Meditation and moved to New York in 2015 to teach full-time. In 2021, she founded The Light Inside, a nonprofit delivering meditation programs to incarcerated people and correctional staff across the U.S. Her work includes programs at Rikers Island, the North Dakota State Penitentiary, and other correctional facilities, helping hundreds discover calm, connection, and purpose from within.

Key Topics Covered

• Joh’s early spiritual intuition and resistance to conventional paths

• Her media career, personal struggles, and turning point after loss

• The impact of meditation on her recovery and reinvention

• Moving to New York at 49 and starting a new life

• Founding The Light Inside and teaching in maximum-security prisons

• How incarcerated people respond to meditation—and transform through it

• What it means to bring softness, freedom, and humanity into hard places

Notable Quotes

💬 “I didn’t realize what I was looking for in drugs and alcohol was a spiritual experience.”

💬 “Meditation uncovered something in me I didn’t know existed—spontaneous joy.”

💬 “You don’t want to feel soft in here… but that’s what meditation gave me.”

💬 “What made me feel good wasn’t just valuable—it was critical.”

Links & Resources

🔗 Watch: Joh Jarvis & Meditation Inside Rikers Island (YouTube)

🔗 The Light Inside – Learn More or Donate

🔗 Learn to Meditate – London Meditation Centre

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to Joh Jarvis and her work bringing meditation into prisons

06:40 – Coming out, intuition, and learning not to care what people think

14:05 – Grief, addiction, and the breakdown that led to real change

21:20 – Discovering Vedic Meditation—and a surprising first teacher

24:00 – “I’ve never felt like this”: a radical inner shift after learning to meditate

39:00 – Moving to New York at 49: two suitcases, no safety net, full reset

45:10 – Founding The Light Inside and entering Rikers Island

51:30 – A student’s transformation: “I feel soft—and that’s dangerous in here”

59:20 – What drives her now: feeling useful, staying connected to purpose

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

Marie Farenc: Meditation, Vision Loss & Finding Strength in Stillness

Guest Bio

Marie Farenc is a former film translator and voiceover artist whose life took an unexpected turn when she was diagnosed with myopic macular degeneration (MMD). Facing vision loss, stress, and anxiety, she turned to meditation in search of relief. What she found was more than just calm—it was a new way of living. Now, Marie shares her journey of resilience through her YouTube channel, I Have MMD, and helps build a support network for others navigating vision loss.

Key Topics Covered

• Marie’s journey from film translator to MMD advocate

• How stress and anxiety impacted her condition

• The moment she realized she needed a change

• How meditation transformed her mental and emotional state

• The ripple effects of meditation on her family and relationships

• Creating a YouTube channel to share her story and support others

Notable Quotes

💬 “Meditation didn’t just help me—it found me.”

💬 “I was an emotional mess. Now, my husband says I’m the most stable I’ve ever been.”

💬 “At first, I couldn’t even look at other people’s stories about vision loss. Meditation helped me accept mine.”

💬 “Despite losing my sight, I’ve gained something deeper—a sense of inner clarity.”

Links & Resources

🔗 Marie’s YouTube Channel: I Have MMD

🔗 Marie’s Instagram (Little Crochet)

🔗 London Meditation Centre
 

Timestamps

• 00:00 – Introduction to Marie’s story

• 04:30 – How a childhood obsession with English led to a career in translation

• 10:50 – The diagnosis that changed everything

• 17:40 – Meditation enters the picture: what finally made it click

• 24:00 – The shift in Marie’s mental state and its impact on her family

• 30:15 – Sharing her journey online: why she started her YouTube channel

• 36:00 – Finding acceptance, strength, and a new sense of purpose

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

About Suzanne Duckett

Suzanne Duckett has been shaping the wellness and beauty conversation for nearly three decades. As the former Beauty Director of Cosmopolitan and Editor of the Tatler Spa Guide, she’s been at the forefront of the industry—watching wellness evolve from a niche pursuit to a trillion-dollar business. A regular contributor to The Telegraph and The Times, she’s also the author of Bathe: The Art of Finding Rest, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation in a Busy World. Now, she’s the founder of Onolla.com, an online marketplace and pop-up concept store that curates natural, sustainable, and effective beauty and wellness products. Suzanne learned Vedic meditation in 2017, and it became the foundation of her well-being.

Key Topics Covered

• The commercialization of wellness—what’s real and what’s marketing spin

• Suzanne’s shift from reporting on wellness to leading conversations about it

• How meditation became her foundation for true well-being

• The challenges of editorial integrity in a corporate-driven industry

• The weirdest (and most transformative) wellness treatments she’s experienced

• Why meditation works when so many wellness trends fall short

Notable Quotes

💬 “I was so tired of being tired. Meditation gave me the deep rest I’d been searching for.”

💬 “You can put a Buddha statue in the corner, but that doesn’t make it a spiritual experience.”

💬 “The wellness industry grabbed the land, but meditation is the real foundation.”

💬 “People don’t need more wellness trends—they need something that actually works.”

Links & Resources

• Suzanne’s website: Onolla.com

• Suzanne’s book: Bathe: The Art of Finding Rest, Relaxation, and Rejuvenation

• Suzanne’s podcast – The Duckett List: Listen here

• Follow Suzanne on Instagram: @duckettlist

• Learn Vedic Meditation with Michael & Jillian: LondonMeditationCentre.com

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to Suzanne Duckett and her career in wellness journalism

02:00 – How Suzanne met Deepak Chopra and her early insights into holistic health

06:00 – The evolution of the wellness industry—what’s changed in the last 30 years

12:00 – Beauty as a gateway to deeper well-being

16:00 – The rise of corporate wellness (and what’s missing)

24:00 – The strangest wellness treatments Suzanne has tried

29:00 – Discovering Vedic Meditation and how it transformed her life

35:00 – Why meditation is different from other wellness trends

42:00 – The importance of curating real, effective wellness experiences

47:00 – Final thoughts on the future of well-being and personal transformation

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

About Sophie Dear

Sophie Dear is a self-worth and relationship coach and a yoga teacher. After working in high-pressure TV production, she experienced severe burnout, insomnia, and anxiety. Seeking balance, she trained as a yoga teacher, but soon realized she was falling into the same patterns of exhaustion. Her journey took her to Bali, where she began a deeper exploration of self-worth, boundaries, and healing. Learning Vedic Meditation in 2019 became a turning point in her transformation. Now, she helps others move beyond burnout and build healthy, fulfilling relationships.

 We discuss: 

• Sophie’s early career in TV and how stress led to burnout

• The connection between insomnia, anxiety, and overwork

• Why quitting a stressful job didn’t automatically fix things

• How meditation helped her shift from burnout to self-worth

• The difference between neediness and having your needs met in relationships

• Why so many people struggle with boundaries—and how to set them

• The role of meditation in emotional resilience and personal growth

Sophie says: 

💬 “I thought I was broken. But it wasn’t me—it was the way I was pushing myself.”

💬 “Meditation helped me stop trying to fix everything and actually change.”

💬 “Your self-worth shouldn’t depend on other people’s validation.”

💬 “So many of us think we’re being selfless by saying yes to everything—but it’s really a lack of boundaries.”

Links & Resources

🔗 Learn more about Sophie Dear

🔗 Follow Sophie on Instagram

🔗 Join a Free Intro Talk on Meditation

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

Today I’m speaking with Megha Mohan.

Megha learned Vedic Meditation in May of 2014.

She is the BBC's first global Gender and Identity Correspondent. She covers issues concerning women's rights, LGBT communities, and race and ethnicity, for the BBC's 41 language services. 

Megha regularly appears on BBC News TV, the World Service and Radio 4. 

She has reported from six continents and secured interviews with Finland’s all-women coalition government and Samoa’s first woman Prime Minister, as well as pop star Billie Eilish and actor Elliot Page. 

So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Megha.

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

Today I’m talking with Tim Spector, Professor of Genetic Epidemiology at King’s College London. He’s an award-winning scientist and author, with over 1,000 original articles published in some of the world’s top scientific journals — placing him in the top 1% most-cited scientists on the planet.   

Tim leads the world’s largest identical twins study, TWINS UK, and stemming from this wrote a best-selling book Identically Different, which makes understanding genetic traits and how our environment impacts our genes, easy for anyone.

He then wrote The Diet Myth and introduced the importance of the gut microbiome for human health. This expertise has now expanded into the Zoe App, a tool for testing your biome and blood sugar levels and then personalising your dietary intake.

During the pandemic, Tim pivoted the Zoe App to collect data on Covid-19. Tim and his data scientists mapped and analysed symptoms and positive cases, leading to the largest study in the world with over 2 million active participants.

His latest book, Food for Life… takes an in-depth look at all the latest scientific evidence on what we eat, how we eat, and why; and how we can use this knowledge to improve our own personal nutrition.

Tim learned to meditate in 1976 and has continued as a regular meditator ever since. I met Tim and his wife Veronique in December 2021.

So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Tim.

https://joinzoe.com

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired? 

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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.

Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.com

Graphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.com

Speaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?