Are you interested in meditation but worried you won’t be able to do it? Have you tried to meditate but couldn’t stop thinking? Did you download an app and then never use it? Do you just want to feel better? You’re in the right place.
I was chatting with one of my students the other day about Liz Earle's brilliant new bestseller, “A Better Second Half”. This is such a comprehensive and easy-to-read book in which Liz draws down on her experience across so many areas, from eating, exercise, gut health, supplements and more. In the section “Protecting the Brain”, Liz talks about the importance of meditation in allowing the brain to rest and recharge. It’s been a joy working with Liz on refining her own daily Vedic Meditation practice and I’m thrilled she’s included this in her book. Thanks Liz for highlighting us as your recommended place to learn to meditate. And huge congratulations on hitting the bestseller lists. So very well deserved. If you’d like to hear more, check out my interview with Liz on her podcast, The Liz Earle Wellbeing Show.
“More and more people know about meditation, which is fantastic. But with that comes confusion. The thing I hear time and again, ‘oh, I couldn’t do that. I couldn’t sit down and stop thinking. I couldn’t shut down the thoughts. My mind is crazy busy.’ And in fact, that’s not what we want to do when we meditate, control the thoughts. Another myth is that ‘I don’t have time to meditate.’ What I found when I started meditating, 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the late afternoon, was that I actually had more time. I was more productive and was able to let go of things that shouldn’t have been on my to do list. Meditation really changed my relationship to time.” I recently sat down with our New York Meditation student, New York-based writer Elena Bowes. We discussed why I wrote my book, “Why Meditate? Because it Works” and the most common Meditation Myths that Michael and I hear from those who want to learn. We also discussed how Vedic Meditation helps you stay youthful…
"Twenty years ago, I graduated as a teacher of Vedic Meditation. This was the culmination of many years of meditating and more than a year of one-on-one study involving hundreds of hours of extended, deep meditation. As I left my haven in the mountains of Arizona to begin a new career, I took a massive leap into the unknown. The diversity of people I meet continues to inspire me – the appeal of this ancient technique of transcending thought is universal. And the power of this wisdom to bring truly positive change continues to motivate me. There is no teacher without students. It is a privilege to teach and I am so very grateful to everyone who has placed their trust in me to teach them this profound knowledge." - Jillian
"It's one year since my book, Why Meditate? Because it Works was released. It's been an incredible year. I've loved bringing this knowledge out into the world in this format. Thank you to everyone who has bought the book and messaged me saying how much you've enjoyed it. That means everything to me. And thank you to those who have showcased the book and brought it to wider audiences. From being featured in The Times to The Guardian , How To Academy and more, it's been amazing to see how eager people are to learn more about the life-changing benefits of meditation." – Jillian
A beautiful weekend retreat in the sunshine with a big group of London and New York Meditation Centre students at the stunning Dartington Trust in Devon. Students travelled from NYC, Sweden, the Isle of Wight, and more. Four days of incredibly deep rest, purification and rejuvenation. Nourishing food, new connections, fascinating knowledge, spectacular nature and time away from screens.
Jillian and Michael hosted a wonderful evening at the South Kensington Club with their good friends at the world-class resort, Ananada in the Himalayas. They discussed the transformational benefits of Ayurveda and Vedic Meditation, with the Ananda's COO Mahesh Natarajan and their lead Ayurvedic consultant, Dr Mathew Anchery. Delicious Ayurvedic food was served by Ananda's head chef Diwaker Balodi.
In February 2022, Jillian and Michael led a group of their London Meditation Centre students on retreat at the beautiful 42 Acres Retreat centre in Somerset. Spending time immersed in nature, the students took a deep dive of their Vedic Meditation practice, for a weekend of profound rest, purification and rejuvination.
In January 2022, Jillian led an initimate retreat the stunning residence of Casa Fuzetta in the Portuguese fishing village of Olhão, on the Algarve coast. Over the course of five days, Jillian taught the life-changing technique of Vedic Meditation. There was an immersive programme of rest, relaxation and rejuvenation, and delicious food, yoga, massage treatments and exploration of the local area.
Jillian speaks with the Guardian books editor Lisa Allardice, who learned to meditate in November 2021: "Jillian Lavender, a much-sought-after meditation teacher and author of a new book Why Meditate?, is on a mission to eliminate stress from people’s lives – not to manage it, or cope with, but to get rid of it. Altogether...."
Jillian is one of the world’s most experienced and in-demand teachers for a modern and accessible explanation of what meditation is, and most importantly, what it will do for you. She has taught Vedic Meditation to thousands of people across the globe. In July 2021, Jillian joined How To Academy to share her much sought after wisdom. She busted common myths and explained the science and benefits of meditation in a clear and easy way. Weaving together real-life stories, she provided a foundation to truly understand meditation and inspire you to seek a practice of your own.