Episoder
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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.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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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.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Mangler du episoder?
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Today I’m speaking with Sarah Lyall.
Sarah was raised in New York City and lived in London for nearly two decades. She was the London correspondent for the New York Times for 18 years. She continues to work for the Times, covering a wide range of topics including sports, culture, media and international affairs. Recently she has covered the coronation of King Charles and written a feature on the psychologist Esther Perel.
Sarah learned Vedic Meditation in November of 2016.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Sarah.
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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.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m speaking with Philip Knatchbull.
Since 2006, Philip has been CEO of Curzon, the UK’s leading independent film distributor and cinema operator. He had spent the previous ten years running Knatchbull Communications, a telecoms, media and technology investment fund. He’s a member of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts and a patron of the London Film Festival.
With a family background deeply connected to India, Philip came to Vedic Meditation in February of 2019 after a journey with other meditation practices.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Philip.
https://www.curzon.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.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m speaking with Noomi Melchior Natan.
Noomi is an experienced leadership coach, and host of the Female Inner Power podcast. She learned to meditate in 2008.
For more than 15 years Noomi has coached leaders and business owners in more than 15 countries on how to overcome the blocks to success. She has worked with biotech start-ups, global multinationals, a fire service, and everything in between.
She is particularly passionate about helping women escape the shadow of the good-girl persona, tap into their full power, and increase their impact in the world.
Her podcast Female Inner PowerNoomi's interview with Jillian LavenderSo Speaking of Meditation, here’s Noomi.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m connecting with Peter Magnani.
Peter had a long career as an executive in media and advertising, including senior roles in two “big 5” agencies — Interpublic and Omnicom.
Alongside that success came a struggle with stress that in 2015 led him to learn Vedic Meditation. The change he experienced led to a fundamental shift in his focus, personally and professionally. This inspired him to found his own company and create Beam, a smart app that improves people’s mental, physical, and financial health.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Peter.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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On today’s pod I’m connecting with Renée Elliot.
In 1995 Renée founded Planet Organic, the UK’s first organic supermarket, and changed the way the UK thinks about food. She challenged conventional retailing with a mission to promote health in the community and built a multi-million pound brand.
With her consultancy Beluga Bean, Renée employs her 30 years’ experience in business and personal development to mentor start-ups and small businesses on purpose, resilience and strategy. And in her third business, Women Tree, she gathers groups of women to nourish, fulfill, empower and belong.
Renée has been recognised as one of Britain’s 100 Most Entrepreneurial Women, London’s 1000 Most Influential People, and Businesswoman of the Year. She is also the author of cutting-edge cookbooks, a prolific corporate and public motivational speaker and a full-on mother of 3.
She has been meditating regularly since 1991.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Renée.
Women Rising Retreat
https://womentree.uk
For a 20% listener discount, use the code LondonMeditation20-----
Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Jesse Peretz started his artistic career as a musician, playing bass for seminal alternative rock band The Lemonheads and went on to direct music videos for other artists such as Foo Fighters, Jack Black and The Breeders.
His feature film Juliet, Naked, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018. His latest television project City on Fire, debuts on Apple TV in May.
Jesse learned to meditate in 1986. We connected in 2012 when he wanted to re-engage with a regular practice and have stayed in touch over the last decade.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Jesse.
City on Fire – Apple TV
https://tv.apple.com/gb/show/city-on-fire/umc.cmc.r6vntb5r9wwbjwtt58xmyuz9-----
Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m in conversation with Lucy Beresford. She’s an author, a psychotherapist, a radio host, and a television presenter. Her TEDx talk “Infidelity: to stay or to go?” has been viewed on You Tube over 2 1/2 million times.
Lucy is also the founder of The Kindness Club, with its award-winning Refuge for Books scheme, creating libraries in shelters run by the domestic violence charity Refuge.
Lucy’s specialty is Sex and Relationships and she has provided psychological insights for the BBC, CNN and iTV, just to name a few.
In 2016 she learned Vedic Meditation having been connected to us by one of our students.
So speaking of meditation, here’s Lucy.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m speaking with India Sehmi. She learned Vedic Meditation in August of 2019.
India works in the lifestyle influencer space. Until recently, she was with a digital marketing platform that connected influencers with brands and advised on those relationships.
She now works freelance, as an influencer herself. Her Instagram @theindiaedit spans fashion, interiors, travel, wellness, food, and beauty. In addition to creating content on Instagram, India uses her photography skills shooting for brands and hotels. She also writes, presents and has featured on a number of other podcasts.
Follow India here — https://www.instagram.com/theindiaedit/
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s India.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I'm connecting with Richard Stokes. Richard has a background in the intense world of advertising and media. He spent more than 20 years working for global brands and organisations at the board level, in the UK and around the world.
Now he’s a Leadership Coach, Workshop Facilitator & also a Podcast Host. In this second career, Richard has found his purpose, working with clients 1-to-1 and in larger team settings. He specialises in advising people and organisations in navigating change — something he understands well having taken the leap into his own business.
Richard learned Vedic Meditation in 2016 having witnessed the benefits his wife Danusia experienced. They now live in Ibizia with their young son.
Richard's podcast is The Mojo Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-mojo-podcast/id1486366382
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Richard.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I talk with Lisa Allardice. As chief books writer at the Guardian and Observer, Lisa was tasked with reviewing Jillian Lavender’s book Why Meditate? Because it Works. As it turns out, our meditation course had been recommended to her by a yoga teacher and she had been (as she puts it) “stalking our social media” for several years.
Lisa learned Vedic Meditation from Jillian in November 2021 and then wrote a glowing review of the book and the course that was published in January 2022. As a result, dozens upon dozens of people have come to learn.
I chat with Lisa about her journey of personal development, how Vedic Meditation compares to other modalities she has practiced, and how she manages to fit meditation into her busy professional and family life.
So speaking of meditation, here’s Lisa.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I'm speaking with podcaster and writer Emma Gunavardhana.
She’s the host of the podcast The Emma Guns Show where she interviews celebrities, creators, editors and authors. The podcast launched in April 2016 and has been featured in Stylist, Metro and Cosmopolitan in print and The Coveteur and Get the Gloss online.
Previously she was Beauty Editor at OK! magazine for a decade, where she interviewed industry experts, fashion designers and celebrities. Since going freelance in 2012 she has written for Red, Stylist, Sunday Times Style, Women's Health, Zest, Easy Living, The Telegraph, Get the Gloss, and many others.
Emma is also a busy consultant for global beauty brands on product development, campaigns, celebrity endorsements and social media projects.
Emma learned to meditate in January of 2022 after reading Jillian Lavender’s book Why Meditate Because it Works and has been an amazing advocate for meditation since.
So speaking of meditation, here’s Emma.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m speaking with Jeff Kober. Jeff was born in Montana and found his way to Los Angeles in his 20’s where he discovered acting.
You may have seen him recently as usually dark or twisted characters on The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy, Shameless, New Girl and NCIS: Los Angeles. In 2022 he won the daytime Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his work on the American soap General Hospital.
Jeff also has undertaken a life-long spiritual search that led him to Vedic Meditation in 2003. He and I learned to meditate in this technique around the same time and became good friends. We spent many hours meditating together, traveling to India, and undertook a 3.5 month teacher training programme together. Alongside his acting work, he is one of the most in-demand meditation teachers in LA.
He is also a writer, a photographer, an acting teacher, and a father.
So speaking of meditation, here’s Jeff.
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Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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Today I’m speaking with journalist Annie Kelly.
I met Annie in June of 2012 when she came along to learn Vedic Meditation. She has one of the toughest and most important jobs in journalism — she has worked as a freelance foreign correspondent, reporting on human rights and gender inequality around the world. For the Guardian newspaper she has led series on modern slavery and human trafficking, sex trafficking, labour exploitation, and gender-based violence in global supply chains.
Annie is currently editor of the Guardian’s Rights and Freedom Project, overseeing reporting on global human rights.
So speaking of meditation, here’s Annie.
Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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I met Frank in 2018 and taught him and his entire team to meditate. Since then we have stayed close and he has sent many of his patients along to learn.
For almost 40 years, Frank has guided people to help them feel healthier, look great, and increase energy and resiliency to better deal with life’s stresses.
After his initial medical training in South Africa, he spent 18 months working at clinics in the bush. In 1984 he emigrated to the US and became chief medical resident at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx. During this time he began studying nutrition, acupuncture, herbal medicine, biofeedback, meditation, and yoga.
He founded his own clinic, Eleven Eleven Wellness in 1992. As a leader in Functional Medicine, Frank practices what he calls Good Medicine; a blend of cutting-edge, modern modalities with age-old healing techniques from the East creating, together with the patient, a personal health care plan. This integrative approach takes into account physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and social wellbeing.
He is a New York Times best-selling author whose recent books include:
Better Sleep, Better You: Your No-Stress Guide for Getting the Sleep You Need and the Life You Want
The New Rules of Aging Well
How To Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life
So speaking of meditation, here’s Frank. Enjoy.
Speaking of Meditation is written and produced by Michael Miller, with direction by Jillian Lavender and assistance from Emma Rae.
Editing by James Green at Green Podcast Productions.
https://www.greenpodcastproductions.com/Original music by Rich Jacques.
https://www.richjacques.comGraphics by Elle and Elle.
http://www.elleelle.comSpeaking of Meditation… What are you noticing? Who is benefitting? And how are you staying inspired?
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In this conversation with my good friend and Vedic Meditation teacher Robert, we spend some time exploring how growing up in Texas and his unique childhood experiences really set the stage for his creativity, his drive, and ultimately his transformative effect on Manhattan.
He's also very open about his struggles with depression and self-doubt, even as he continued to meditate and experienced what most people would see as great success. The story of him coming through all that and being in a different place today is a moving one.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Robert. Enjoy.
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I’m very happy to share this conversation.
I met Laurie over 10 years ago at the Do Lectures in California … How and when she learned to meditate really illustrates the way meditation supports people in tuning into their intuition and gaining clarity when making big life changes. For Laurie a significant example of this was when she came with us to India on a retreat and the resulting clarity and trust that emerged before some major life transitions.
She also goes into how her practice helped her to shift patterns in her relationships and find a partner who is now her husband. In the interview, she’s pregnant and talks about the feeling of meditating with a baby inside.
Laurie is a real inspiration, and she’s found a way to make meditation a part of her life and inspire others to learn (though she’s careful to wait until they are interested!)
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Laurie. Enjoy.
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I’m excited to share this conversation with Tausif. He’s a university student who learned just before the pandemic kicked off. He then moved back to his native Bangladesh to be with family during lockdown.
His story will have resonance for many people. He’s a guy in his late 20’s, studying and living in a big city away from family, and he started to feel the strain — some anxiety and depression, low self-esteem and insomnia.
We talk about how, on the recommendation of his therapist, he overcame doubts and learned Vedic Meditation. The impact was immediate: he’s sleeping well, feeling less anxious, he’s more empathetic and doesn’t need to numb his emotions.
His start with meditation was realistic and inspiring… He was inconsistent in the beginning, and it’s encouraging to hear how he got through that and committed to a daily practice.
Tausif is so open about his struggle with the challenges of his mental health and how meditation brought him out the other side — he’s strong and positive and inspiring to others.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Tausif. Enjoy.
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Anna and James learned together in January 2020 — what amazing timing! This is a great conversation about how meditation has enhanced their lives, including in their relationship, as creatives and business owners, in their ability to tap into something bigger and more universal and in their connection to the natural world.
As busy parents of three young children and both running their own business, it’s inspiring to hear how meditation is at the center of their lives.
So Speaking of Meditation, here’s Anna and James
- Se mer
