Speaking of Meditation

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

  Joh Jarvis — Letting Go, Starting Over, and Teaching Meditation in PrisonsGuest BioJoh 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 Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to Joh Jarvis and her work bringing meditation into prisons06:40 – Coming out, intuition, and learning not to care what people think14:05 – Grief, addiction, and the breakdown that led to real change21:20 – Discovering Vedic Meditation—and a surprising first teacher24:00 – “I’ve never felt like this”: a radical inner shift after learning to meditate39:00 – Moving to New York at 49: two suitcases, no safety net, full reset45:10 – Founding The Light Inside and entering Rikers Island51:30 – 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 -----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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• Marie Farenc – Meditation, Vision Loss & Finding Strength in Stillness

  Marie Farenc: Meditation, Vision Loss & Finding Strength in StillnessGuest BioMarie 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 -----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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• Suzanne Duckett — Why Wellness Needs Less Spin and More Substance

  About Suzanne DuckettSuzanne 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 Timestamps00:00 – Introduction to Suzanne Duckett and her career in wellness journalism02:00 – How Suzanne met Deepak Chopra and her early insights into holistic health06:00 – The evolution of the wellness industry—what’s changed in the last 30 years12:00 – Beauty as a gateway to deeper well-being16:00 – The rise of corporate wellness (and what’s missing)24:00 – The strangest wellness treatments Suzanne has tried29:00 – Discovering Vedic Meditation and how it transformed her life35:00 – Why meditation is different from other wellness trends42:00 – The importance of curating real, effective wellness experiences47:00 – Final thoughts on the future of well-being and personal transformation  -----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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• Sophie Dear – How Meditation Helped Me Break the Burnout Cycle

  About Sophie DearSophie 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 growthSophie 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-----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?  -----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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• Megha Mohan, BBC Correspondent, Writer — Speaking of Meditation

  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.-----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?  -----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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