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

For years, my anxiety didn’t let me “stay in the good.” Even when things were going just fine, the stressful memories of when things weren’t so good would invade my present moment, pulling me away from my happy place and putting me back on high alert.

My stress constantly reminded me that feeling good wasn’t the safe place. “Stay vigilant,” my mind warned, “you never know when the next shoe will drop. Life always felt VERY serious.

Here’s the silver lining: when we release those stored stresses, the fearful stories about life’s treacherousness fall away, too. 🌈

We start to naturally see all the infinite reasons to be happy, and from the biggest perspective, we realize that life is happiness.

Stay regular with your meditations, and you’ll begin to embody Maharishi’s message effortlessly.

📚 Knowledge Sesh: Going “Deep” In Meditation

I’m going to let you in on a little secret…

No matter how long you’ve been meditating, that feeling of “going deep” never gets old. EVER.

Quick disclaimer: We all know deep meditations aren’t inherently better than thought-filled ones. In fact, in Vedic Meditation, those moments when our minds are overflowing with thoughts are crucial—they’re signs that stress is unwinding from our bodies. And that’s not just good; it’s what makes our practice so transformative.

Even meditation teachers will agree—there’s something undeniably special about sinking into that deep, transcendent space during meditation. It’s likely one of the experiences we’re seeking when we start meditating, and it serves as a delicious contrast to our every day, high-demand lives.

Here are a few tips to help you relax into deeper states of meditation:

1. Thoughts are not your enemy in meditation. In fact, they shouldn’t be outside of meditation, either. Learn to make friends with them, and your meditations will naturally feel more relaxing.
2. What is the enemy in meditation? Control, according to my Vedic Meditation tradition. When we try to control, we keep the mind gripped in an alert (and often anxious) state. Look for a practice that doesn’t encourage focus or concentration as tools to control the experience inside meditation.
3. Don’t go it alone. Find a teacher who can guide you through the practice step by step. Apps are great for so many things, but meditation is not best served when learned through an app.

🛋️ Dear Susan: I’m Feeling Sick. Should I Power Through My Meditations or Pause?

“Hi Susan! I have a question about Rounding when you have the flu/ cold. Aside from it being difficult to do pranayama when your nose is blocked 😅, is it advised to round to remove the stress your body is under when you’re sick, or is it better to rest and just do the regular sit-down meditation when you’re not feeling well? Thank you! 💖”
– Natania

Hi Natania,

When we are feeling under the weather, our Rx is as follows:

Meditate as much as feels comfortable.

It’s important to note that the recommendation above does not mean “meditate as much as possible.” It means following charm and seeing how it goes.

Rounding can be good if it helps you feel better, but sometimes it can feel more taxing than helpful. Long meditations seem to be a nice way to help our bodies recover faster.

“As much as feels comfortable” could look like:

• 2 x 20-minute meditations
• 1 x 30-minute and 1 x 20-minute meditations
• ⁠⁠5 x 10-minute meditations
• ⁠⁠0 meditations
• 1 x 45-minute meditation plus a nap

Here’s my own personal program when I’m under the weather: Even when I don’t “feel like” meditating when I have a cold or flu, I sit up and start it anyways, twice a day. What happens after that happens for good.

Sometimes I last the entire 20 minutes, sometimes I bail early in favor of horizontal rest or sleep. I don’t think too much about it and let the body dictate what happens next.

After the cold or flu has resolved, it’s always good to return to the gold standard of 20 minutes twice a day, whether you’ve been meditating more or less than that while you’ve been sick. I hope this helps!

Note: Rounding is an advanced practice available to Vedic Meditators after completing their initial course of instruction in Vedic Meditation. If you’d like to learn Vedic Meditation and Rounding on retreat with me, I have two spots left for my Fall Meditation Retreat in Topanga from November 14-17. Click here to learn more and to register!