Twenty years ago today, I graduated as a teacher of Vedic Meditation.

This was the culmination of many years of meditating and more than a year of one-on-one study involving hundreds of hours of extended, deep meditation.

As I left my haven in the mountains of Arizona to begin a new career, I took a massive leap into the unknown. Prior to this, my education and working life had followed a seemingly predictable trajectory. Becoming a meditation teacher in 2003 changed all that. I didn’t know how it would all unfold, and I didn’t have a clear model to follow. I didn’t even know where I was going to live.

Soon London became my home base and remains so today, though I’ve been fortunate to teach Vedic Meditation in many countries around the world.

The diversity of people I meet continues to inspire me – the appeal of this ancient technique of transcending thought is universal. And the power of this wisdom to bring truly positive change continues to motivate me.

There is no teacher without students. It is a privilege to teach and I am so very grateful to everyone who has placed their trust in me to teach them this profound knowledge.

Jai Guru Deva.

– Jillian Lavender is co-founder of London Meditation Centre and New York Meditation Center.