About Ahmed Hallajian

Ahmed Hallajian is a London-born writer and creative producer currently 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?