We tend to treat meditation like it’s optional.
Like it’s yoga class. A wellness trend. Something you do when you have extra time.
But what if meditation isn’t a hobby at all?
What if it’s a survival mechanism?
That was one of my biggest takeaways from my recent conversation with Dr. Ishan Shivanand — a globally acclaimed mental health researcher, professor, bestselling author, and founder of Yoga of Immortals — and it completely reframed how I think about mental health.
From Ashram to Clinical Research
Dr. Ishan grew up in an Indian ashram as part of one of the most ancient yogic lineages. His father was the head monk. For 20 years, he trained in advanced meditation practices with a singular focus: enlightenment.
But what struck me most wasn’t just his background — it was his decision to step outside of it.
He realized that teaching meditation only to people already interested in Eastern theology wasn’t going to solve the growing mental health epidemic.
So in 2015, he left India and began working at a government level in Mauritius, partnering with healthcare and education systems. That’s when he made a critical shift.
He took ancient practices — breathwork, mantra, visualization, awareness — and removed the theology. He translated them into something clinically measurable.
Then came 2019.
He partnered with multidisciplinary physicians in the United States to run clinical trials. Originally, they planned to study 30 to 40 participants.
Then COVID hit.
Instead of 40 people, they ended up working with 10,000.
The results?
Within four to eight weeks of consistent practice, participants showed reductions in insomnia, anxiety, and depression — and improvements in overall quality of life by up to 72–82%.
No incentives. No Starbucks gift cards.
People stayed — 99% retention — because they felt the impact.
Why Most Meditation Fails
Here’s something I appreciated about Dr. Ishan’s honesty.
He said not all meditation works for everyone.
In fact, the “wrong” type of meditation is anything that consistently leaves you frustrated and averse to the practice.
We’ve all heard it:
“I can’t meditate. My mind won’t stop racing.”
I’ve felt that myself.
Early in my career — especially when I was cast in the reboot of Melrose Place — my anxiety was through the roof. Breathwork and meditation became tools I leaned on to steady myself before auditions and performances.
But what Dr. Ishan emphasized is something deeper.
Meditation isn’t about eliminating stress.
It’s about changing your relationship to stress.
Stress doesn’t disappear.
Your perception shifts.
Your resilience increases.
You begin responding differently to the exact same external pressures.
That’s the reset.
The “Baby Technique” That Changed My State in Minutes
During our conversation, he walked me through a foundational practice.
Simple. Structured. Powerful.
- Focus awareness on the head, navel, and feet (1-2-3).
- Breathe in for three counts, out for three counts.
- Add a sound-based mantra: “Om Jum Sa” on the inhale, “Sa Jum Om” on the exhale.
- Visualize a healing fire moving through the body.
Within minutes, I felt a tingling sensation and a wave of calm move through me.
And what stood out wasn’t just the relaxation.
It was the integration.
Breath.
Sound.
Visualization.
Awareness.
This wasn’t random stillness. It was structured nervous system training.
Meditation as Incremental Mastery
One of the most powerful frameworks he shared was this progression:
- First, master the body.
- Then master the breath.
- Then master the thoughts.
- Then master the emotions.
- Then go deeper.
It’s incremental.
Just like physical training.
You don’t build strength in one workout.
You don’t build emotional resilience in one meditation session.
But over time, something shifts.
Your mind expands.
Your gratitude increases.
Your baseline state becomes more grounded.
Faith, Science, and Mental Health
We also explored something that can feel controversial — religion and spirituality.
Dr. Ishan made a distinction that I found compelling.
Faith and institutional religion are not the same thing.
He believes faith — regardless of the tradition — plays a powerful role in mental health. Community, gratitude, shared values — these protect against isolation.
But meditation itself?
It’s not theology.
It’s an inner science.
Like algebra doesn’t belong to one religion, meditation doesn’t either.
It’s a tool.
A survival tool.
And in a world where anxiety, burnout, and depression are rising — especially among youth — I couldn’t agree more that we need tools like this taught earlier.
The Bigger Mission
Dr. Ishan’s vision is ambitious.
He wants meditation-based mental health education integrated into schools.
He wants healthcare systems to embrace integrative models — not just acute pharmaceutical care, but chronic care support through breathwork and meditation.
He wants communities rebuilt around shared healing.
And I believe conversations like this are how that starts.
Because underneath the noise, the division, the stress, the pressure — we are all human beings navigating the same internal battles.
I’ve faced cancer three times. I’ve lived through 9/11. I’ve battled anxiety in high-pressure environments.
And every time I lean into awareness practices like this, I reconnect with something deeper.
Not just as a thinking being.
But as a spiritual being having a human experience.
Meditation isn’t about escaping reality.
It’s about strengthening yourself to meet it.
Listen to the Full Conversation with Dr. Ishan Shivanand
If this resonated with you, I highly encourage you to listen to the full episode of Beyond Impact where Dr. Ishan breaks down his clinical research, philosophy, and practical techniques in even greater depth.
You can also explore his book, The Practice of Immortality, for a structured path into meditation rooted in both tradition and science.
And if you found value in this conversation, share it with someone who might need a reset.
Because meditation isn’t a luxury.
It’s a skill.
And in today’s world — it might be one of the most important ones we can develop.
