In May we hosted a special evening exploring the relationship between two powerful approaches to wellbeing: Vedic Meditation and modern psychology.

The panel discussion — Meditation & Modern Psychology: A Conversation About the Meeting of Two Models — brought together Jillian Lavender alongside chartered counselling psychologists Dr Sarah Jane Khalid and Fiona McKinney, in conversation with Michael Miller.

The evening explored an increasingly important question:

What happens when meditation and psychology meet?

While these approaches are often spoken about separately, there is growing interest in how they complement one another. Modern psychology offers valuable frameworks for understanding behaviour, emotional patterns and relationships. Vedic Meditation works at the level of the nervous system, allowing the body to access deep rest and release accumulated stress.

Throughout the conversation, the panel discussed how these models intersect in real life — both professionally and personally.

Topics included:

• why deep rest changes the way we think and respond
• how meditation can support therapeutic work
• the role of the nervous system in emotional wellbeing
• why insight alone is not always enough for lasting change
• what psychologists are noticing when clients meditate regularly

One of the highlights of the evening was hearing from psychologists who are also long-term meditators and London Meditation Centre students. The discussion moved beyond theory into lived experience — examining how these approaches can work together in a practical and grounded way.

We were joined by a thoughtful audience of meditators, therapists, psychologists and coaches, all wanting to deepen their understanding of this rich and evolving area.

The conversation was also recorded for an upcoming episode of Michael Miller’s podcast, Speaking of Meditation, which returns soon for Season 5.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for such an engaged and insightful evening — and to Bobbie and Jack for the seamless technical production behind the scenes.

We’re excited to share the full conversation with you soon.