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 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?