{"podcast":{"title":"Conversations","slug":"conversations-320217","podcast_index_feed_id":320217,"rss_url":"https://www.abc.net.au/feeds/7711104/podcast.xml","website_url":"https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/","image_url":"https://live-production.wcms.abc-cdn.net.au/9419a7d446ad3f4620983df5d8d048f1.jpg?src","author":"ABC Australia","episode_count":2000,"summary":"Conversations draws you deeper into the life story of someone you may have heard about, but never met. Journey into their world, joining them on epic adventures to unfamiliar places, back in time to wild moments of history, and into their deepest memories, to be moved by personal stories of resilience and redemption. Hosted by Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski, Conversations is the ABC's most popular long-form interview program. Every day we explore the vast tapestry of human experience, weaving together narratives from history, science, art, and personal storytelling. Conversations Live is coming to the stage! Join Sarah Kanowski and Richard Fidler for an unmissable night of unforgettable stories, behind-the-scenes secrets, and surprise guests. Australia’s most-loved podcast — live, up close, and in the moment. Find out more at the Conversations website.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T12:19:56.982931+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217"},"episode":{"title":"Changing prisoners' minds with Vedic meditation at Rikers Island","slug":"changing-prisoners-minds-with-vedic-meditation-at-rikers-island","published_at":"2026-05-26T03:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217/changing-prisoners-minds-with-vedic-meditation-at-rikers-island","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217","url":"https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/conversations/joh-jarvis-vedic-meditation-mantra-rikers-island-prison-rpt/106710318","audio_url":"https://mediacore-live-production.akamaized.net/audio/02/ku/Z/kk.mp3","summary":"Joh Jarvis was a high-flying boss when grief from a terrible loss began to overwhelm her. She tried therapy, exercise and healthy eating. Then she found Vedic meditation, and the experience was 'psychedelic'. (R) Joh Jarvis is a Vedic meditation teacher in New York City. On a regular basis Joh travels to the notorious Rikers Island Prison in the Bronx. There, she teaches meditation to men waiting on remand. Inside a prison which is often violent and chaotic, she aims to give them a new way of coping. Joh grew up in Adelaide, and always wanted to live amidst the bright lights of New York. After a stint as a bicycle courier, she worked her way up to management at the ABC. As she approached 50, she had a well-paying job, a nice house, and strong connections with friends and family. But long-term grief had hollowed her out, and she asked herself, is this all there is? Then she was introduced to Vedic meditation, and she says her first encounter was 'psychedelic'. Read more about Joh's work at Rikers Island and other US prisons at her website The Light Inside . And you can see Joh in action on ABC TV's Compass. This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison. It explores epic life stories, family dynamics, grief, loss, reflection, Vedic meditation, meditation, personal stories, origin stories, death, career, giving back, New York City, Rikers Island prison, incarceration, justice system, prison system, mindfulness, mantras, health and wellness, suicide.","meta_description":"Joh Jarvis was a high-flying boss when grief from a terrible loss began to overwhelm her. She tried therapy, exercise and healthy eating. Then she found V…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3198,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/conversations-320217/episodes/changing-prisoners-minds-with-vedic-meditation-at-rikers-island/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/conversations-320217/changing-prisoners-minds-with-vedic-meditation-at-rikers-island.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}