Welcome to The Slow Newsletter, your weekly dose of dazzling, aha-moment-generating Vedic wisdom. The Slow is where we break down teachings on meditation and consciousness to inspire easy, abundant living—even in the most demanding times.

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💬 Quote of the Week

I used to obsess over controlling everything in my life—especially the timing.

Whether I was waiting for a table at a restaurant, debating whether to text someone back, or stressing about when the next big milestone would happen, I was either itching with impatience or begging for a delay if things didn’t go my way.

But here’s the truth: there is no “my way.” There’s Nature’s way.

All things happen for all reasons, and with enough distance, we can look back and recognize that every single event folded at the exact moment it was meant to.

These days, when I feel a little grippy with a desire, I relax into the knowing that evolution is happening—right now, in this moment. In fact, it’s all that’s ever happening.

And when I let go in that moment? I’m guided straight into the next right action, aligned and easy.

📚 Knowledge Sesh

A mindfulness teacher and a Vedic Meditation Initiator walk into a bar…

Would they order two hot waters with lemon or go bold with an Ayurvedic mocktail, sipping through a biodegradable straw?
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And importantly, what would they say about how meditation can help with emotional processing?

When it comes to processing emotions, many of us are taught to sit with our feelings, analyze them, and search for their deeper meaning. This approach is common in many mindfulness practices, which emphasize awareness and acceptance of emotions.

But what if there was another way?

Vedic Meditation offers a different perspective—one that doesn’t require endless introspection to move through emotional turbulence.

In Vedic Meditation, the mind and body enter a deep state of rest, allowing the deeply embedded stresses, the very ones which are triggering our emotions, to release naturally. Instead of focusing on the emotion itself, the practice works at a deeper level to unwind the source of emotional stress, often without conscious effort. As a result, emotions that may have felt overwhelming are processed at the level of root cause, without the need for overanalysis or constant reflection.

This doesn’t mean emotions are ignored. On the contrary, Vedic Meditation encourages us to embrace and release them, but in a way that doesn’t keep us stuck in the cycle of rumination. By simply practicing, we begin to react to life’s challenges with more ease and resilience—our emotions no longer holding the same intensity or control over us.

This gentle yet effective approach allows us to experience the full spectrum of our emotions while providing the tools to move through them gracefully. It’s about letting go and trusting that emotional healing will naturally unfold.

Important Note: It’s absolutely normal—and sometimes necessary—to feel into our emotions. This discussion isn’t about bypassing them. We’re discussing how Vedic Meditation helps you move through the process with more ease and flow.

I’ve written an article exploring the key differences between Vedic Meditation and mindfulness techniques. Click here to read.

💫 The Spin: Coffee Meets Anxiety

Over the years, I’ve become hyper-aware of the cause and effect between what I put into my body and my well-being. And it’s not just food and drink. It’s everything—from medications I take to conversations and emotions I absorb.

Take coffee, for example. My go-to, my beloved sidekick that always rescued me after an insomnia-ridden night. My coffee habit gave me permission to hit pause in the middle of a hectic day, and of course, it was the perfect excuse for a catch-up with a friend or colleague.

After living in New York for almost two decades, I became a full-on coffee connoisseur. I knew every hidden gem for that perfect morning brew or afternoon pick-me-up. And since I worked for an Australian firm, I also became fluent in the language of a long black, flat white, and knowing to never ask for vanilla-flavored anything down under.

Which is why what I’m about to say feels huge: I’m done with coffee. At least, as part of my daily routine.

This week, I wrapped up yet another personal experiment with coffee, and I shared my conclusion with a bestie:

Turns out, I’m not the only one feeling this way. A recent article in The Sydney Morning Herald dives into coffee-induced anxiety—racing heart, sweaty palms, and thoughts that spiral faster than a caffeine buzz.

Now, this isn’t some anti-coffee manifesto. It’s a gentle reminder: pay attention to cause and effect. If you’ve been feeling consistently jittery or anxious, and you’re a coffee or tea lover, a small tweak might just soothe your nervous system for real.

Here are the top tips from The Rajus Ayurveda, my holistic doctors who help keep me balanced and grounded:

• Avoid caffeine on an empty stomach. You’ll feel less of those anxious jitters if you hold off until after breakfast.
• Have your caffeine before 2 pm. After that, our bodies move into a phase of rest that caffeine can disrupt.
• Stick to one cup a day. It’s usually enough to give you a boost without sending you into overdrive.
• Avoid drinking black coffee. Add a splash of milk to tame those jitters.
• Tea > Coffee. Generally, tea creates less imbalance in our system than coffee does.

For now, I’m swapping out my coffee for matcha lattes, like the one I’m sipping as I write this week’s newsletter. It’s tasty, it’s nourishing, and it doesn’t make me feel like I’m being chased by a saber-tooth tiger!

As always, do your own research and see what works for you. Let me know if you need any support or want to chat more about making some small but mighty shifts.