Guest Bio

Dylan Smith is an Ayurvedic practitioner and holistic health educator based in Byron Bay, Australia. Founder of Vital Veda, Dylan shares the principles of Ayurveda through consultations, courses, and his podcast. He has trained extensively with the renowned Raju family of South India and brings deep lineage-based knowledge into a modern, relatable context. With a background in Vedic Meditation and a lifelong connection to the Vedic tradition, Dylan is passionate about helping people enliven their natural health through rhythm, routine, and awareness.

Key Topics Covered

Growing up in a meditating family and rediscovering practice as an adult

The moment that shifted Dylan’s path from architecture to Ayurveda

Why health isn’t something to fix — it’s something to enliven

Daily rhythm and the science behind it (including circadian medicine)

The synergy between Vedic Meditation and Ayurvedic treatments

Simple lifestyle shifts: hot water, early bedtimes, mindful digestion

How Ayurveda adapts across climates, cultures, and constitutions

Why Dylan encourages patients to “transcend food rules” and go back to principles

Notable Quotes

💬 “It wasn’t a big aha moment. I just said, ‘Okay.’ And that was the beginning.”

💬 “You don’t need to treat the disease. You enliven health — and the body remembers.”

💬“Meditation is the foundation. But it’s not the house. Ayurveda helps you build the rest.”

💬 “You feel it in the pulse — meditators have lightness. Even under stress, that clarity remains.”

Timestamps

00:00 — Introducing Dylan Smith and his Vedic roots

04:00 — Childhood exposure vs. conscious return to meditation

07:00 — The Deepak Chopra moment and pivot to Ayurveda

11:30 — What Ayurveda really is: dharma, rhythm, and the four aims of life

16:00 — Digestion, fruit rules, and transcending food dogma

18:50 — How meditation complements Ayurvedic healing

22:00 — Treating the nervous system: differences in meditators’ physiology

25:00 — Simple daily tools: hot water, early sleep, living in rhythm

30:00 — Waking up early, morning energy, and creative clarity

Links & Resources

Dylan Smith’s website: https://vitalveda.com.au

Vital Veda Podcast: https://vitalveda.com.au/podcast

Instagram: @vitalveda

Dr. Raju clinic in India: https://www.drraju.com

Recommended reading: Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra

Learn to Meditate: https://www.londonmeditationcentre.com/learn-to-meditate

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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 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?