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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💬 Said Simply

Let me say the quiet part out loud:
​Most of us are chasing happiness backwards.

We’ve been taught that once we get there—hit the goal weight, close the deal, finally clear that mile-long to-do list—then happiness will swoop in like a glittering parade float.

We mix up cause and effect, then reinforce that crossed wiring over and over again for years, sometimes decades, in all areas of our lives.

So when we arrive at the other side of “getting there” and feel flat, unfulfilled, and deeply frustrated, of course, we wonder what went wrong. We accomplish the thing… aren’t we supposed to get happy?

Not quite. Natural, sustained happiness works the other way around.

More on all this below.

✨ The Cosmic Giggle

Meme culture makes us giggle because it’s equal parts relatable and punches us in the gut, like those times when your therapist casually drops an unspeakable truth you are not emotionally prepared to process, and the two of you sit in an awkward silence for the rest of the session.

I look back at seasons of my life when I was so stressed out, my baseline anxiety had me running on fumes, trying to achieve my way into happiness.
​
​Do all the things → Get all the things → Feel happy.

But if this formula actually worked… why have so many of us felt like this sad, despondent cat at the end of all our striving?

There’s a Vedic axiom that explains it perfectly:

“You are only ever experiencing your state of consciousness. Life is lived in the context of your consciousness state, not in the content of the achievements or experiences in life.”

Put simply, if your inner baseline is mainly colored with low-key dread, then anything you think or do will stir up more of that same inner gloomy consciousness cocktail. You could be on the dreamiest vacation of your life—no emails, no drama, all the sunsets—and still feel anxious…

…because if your internal baseline is worry, you’ll bring that worry with you, no matter how picture-perfect the setting.

So, how do we stop feeling like this cat, working hard to get what we want, but still tangled up in our own unhappiness?

We change the internal baseline. We change up the context.

We raise the amount of happiness already present within us. That’s precisely what the daily practice of Vedic Meditation does.

Each time you sit to meditate, you orient yourself toward the source of happiness, that quiet, serene layer of Being that has always been there, just waiting underneath the noise.

Meditation by meditation, the accumulated stress begins to melt away. And what’s revealed is a vibrant, steady state of fulfillment that stirs the bliss alongside everything you do.

So if you’re feeling like you’re ready to get off the happiness hamster wheel, expand your state of consciousness through a steady Vedic Meditation practice. You’ll start to feel the bliss rising in your baseline, stirring everything you place your attention on.

🔍 Behind The Scenes

Three Meditation Teachers, Two Projects, One Epic Vision

It’s been a big week for our community, one that deserves a moment of recognition.

Our dear friends Joh Jarvis, Barron Hanson, and Nicho Plowman were featured in a beautiful 30-minute segment on ABC Compass, a weekly documentary series on one of Australia’s most respected networks.

The episode explores the deep friendship these three have cultivated through their Vedic Meditation practice, and how that bond has inspired two powerful projects aimed at spreading more peace, presence, and joy around the world.

What you won’t see on camera is just how much heart, time, and devotion have gone into these initiatives. I’ve watched Joh, Barron, and Nicho pour themselves into this work, not for accolades, but for the greater good of humanity.

I’m beyond thrilled to see their efforts acknowledged on an international stage.

​Click here to watch the feature.

Love and Jai Guru Deva,
Susan