Emily was raised in Westport, Connecticut, with a natural curiosity about what makes life meaningful and how people thrive. This inquiry led her to earn a Master's degree in Industrial / Organizational Psychology, and later to build a career in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles and New York City. Along the way, her interest in spiritual philosophy, led her to discover Vedic Meditation.
Returning to New York City, a place that had always felt like home, she discovered Vedic Meditation. What began as a personal practice soon became something she immersed herself in. She entered a long-term mentorship with her teacher, Thom Knoles, and in 2018 traveled with him to the Himalayas. There, she underwent the same training through which Thom had been trained by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the sage who brought meditation to the West in the late 1950s and guided cultural icons like the Beatles.
Since then, Emily has taught students around the world. In her first four years of teaching, she lived nomadically, traveling through seven countries to bring Vedic Meditation to communities without local access to a teacher. Living within different cultures expanded her perspective, while sharing a practice she found so valuable deepened her sense of purpose.
She later co-founded a nonprofit bringing meditation into conflict zones, including three months of teaching in the Middle East during wartime.
She now lives in Hudson, New York, while continuing to travel and teach worldwide. Emily is dedicated to sharing Vedic Meditation in a way that is practical, approachable, and deeply life-enhancing.
years teaching Vedic Meditation globally
students personally taught (and growing)
Countries where Emily has taught Vedic Meditation
Emily’s path to becoming a Vedic Meditation teacher included advanced preliminary study in New York City, followed by a residential training at an ashram in the foothills of the Himalayas in India.
Under the guidance of Thom Knoles, this training prepared her to skillfully share the practice and hold space for students with clarity, depth, and care.
She continues to study closely with Thom with what has now been over a decade of mentorship.
