Today we’d like to introduce you to Ishan Shivanand.
Hi Ishan, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was born into an ancient lineage of Yogis, where the pursuit of self-realization and service was not a philosophy but a way of life. From a young age, I was nurtured in the monasteries of India under the guidance of my mentor and father, Dr. Avdhoot Shivanand. There, I immersed myself deeply in the classical sciences of Yog—breathwork, meditation, martial arts, and herbal medicine—learning practices that have been refined and preserved for thousands of years. Those formative years shaped not only my discipline, but also my understanding that true knowledge must ultimately alleviate human suffering.
As I grew, I felt a strong calling to bring these powerful yet often inaccessible teachings into the modern world. Rather than keeping them confined to monastic traditions, I dedicated myself to translating them into evidence-based, practical modalities that could serve people living with stress, trauma, burnout, and mental health challenges. This vision led to the creation of Yoga of Immortals (YOI). It is a structured, clinically validated meditative program designed to restore mental resilience, emotional balance, and vitality. Over the years, I pursued extensive academic training alongside my spiritual grounding, earning advanced degrees and leading clinical research to rigorously study the impact of YOI practices. This year was special, also because I published my first book, The Practice of Immortality, which intends to share my life adventures along with an access to these yogic modalities as a part of every chapter. It became an international bestseller and is available in multiple languages and geographies.
Today, my work bridges ancient wisdom and modern science. Through YOI and resilience training programs, I have had the privilege of serving millions of people across healthcare, military, corporate, sports, and academic institutions in more than 150 countries. Whether working with physicians, veterans, executives, or students, my path has remained rooted in a single mission: to make physical, mental, and spiritual health accessible, measurable, and sustainable for all. Everything I do is an offering of that lineage; adapted for our times, but anchored in timeless truth
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has never been a smooth road. And I don’t believe meaningful work ever is. One of the earliest challenges I faced was learning how to stand between two very different worlds. On one side was an ancient monastic lineage that values silence, discipline, and inner mastery. On the other was a modern world that asks for data, speed, proof, and scalability. Translating timeless yogic sciences into evidence-based frameworks that science, medicine, and institutions would take seriously required years of persistence, research, and often walking alone.
There was also skepticism. Scientists and clinicians, at first stance, were usually curious about anything rooted in spirituality. Earning trust meant subjecting my life’s work to rigorous clinical trials, peer review, and constant scrutiny. That process was humbling and demanding, but necessary. Many early efforts were met with challenges before they were recognized.
On a personal level, the journey demanded sacrifice. Long periods of research, relentless travel, and carrying the responsibility of millions of people seeking relief has not been easy. There were difficult moments, especially when the scale of human suffering felt overwhelming. But each struggle clarified my purpose. Every setback refined the work, strengthened my resolve, and reminded me that service is not comfort but commitment. Looking back, the struggles were not obstacles; they were initiations. They ensured that what I share today is not theory, belief, or inspiration alone, but something tested, lived, and forged through experience.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My work focuses on bridging ancient yogic science with modern mental health care. I specialize in translating ancient yogic practices from Indian Knowledge Systems, such as breathwork, meditation, and nervous system regulation, into evidence-based protocols that address anxiety, insomnia, depression, trauma, and burnout. That’s what led to the creation of Yoga of Immortals (YOI), which is IRB-approved and clinically validated by randomized clinical trials and standardized scales, demonstrating up to an 82% reduction in symptoms and significant improvements in overall quality of life. Since COVID, this research has been conducted across diverse populations, including athletes, healthcare workers, and global and Asian cohorts.
As the author of The Practice of Immortality, I’m delighted that it’s published by the world’s leading publications, Hachette Book Group and Penguin Random House, and also the fact that it received immense love to become an international bestseller by USA Today and Amazon India. Before the launch, the book was among the most pre-ordered and most reviewed titles, published in four languages and read across more than 15 countries. Together, the book and YOI distill decades of monastic training and modern research into practical, experiential tools that deliver measurable outcomes rather than abstract philosophy.
What I am most proud of is maintaining the integrity of an ancient lineage while serving over ten million people across 150 countries through rigorously tested, accessible practices. I have conducted resilience training sessions and programs with Fortune 500 companies and leading medical institutions, including Harvard, Mayo Clinic, MD Anderson Cancer Center, and Google. As of now, I’m also serving as Mental Health Professor at India’s top IT and medical schools Indian Institute of Technology, Ropar and Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, Pune (BVP). We’re at the initial stages of leading research with Stanford University and BVP on the long-term efficacy of the said yogic modalities on more advanced aspects of human physiological and biopsychosocial markers. What sets the work apart is that I do not operate solely as a researcher, professor or yogic educator, but at the convergence of all three, inviting people not only to believe, but to experience measurable change.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For me, mentorship was never something I “networked” for in the conventional sense. It emerged through sincerity, discipline, and readiness. My own mentor entered my life not because I sought influence, but because I committed myself fully to practice, humility, and service. The most meaningful mentors are not impressed by ambition; they respond to depth, consistency, and integrity. My advice is to focus first on becoming worthy of guidance through your work ethic, clarity of intention, and willingness to learn, rather than trying to impress or extract value.
In professional and scientific spaces, I approach networking the same way I approach spiritual practice: with service first. Instead of asking, “What can this connection do for me?” I ask, “How can my work genuinely help here?” When your contribution is real, and results are measurable, the right relationships form naturally. This is how collaborations with clinicians, researchers, institutions, and leaders have unfolded for me through shared purpose, not transactional outreach. If you meditate, it can be a great conversation starter to leverage while networking with people across cultures. It does unite the world!
Finally, be patient and discerning. Not every connection is meant to be pursued, and not every mentor will look like the one. Some will challenge you, some will test you, and some will simply observe you quietly before opening a door. Trust the long path. When your intent is clean, and your work is aligned with purpose, the right mentors and networks tend to find you at the exact moment you are ready for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shivyogusatemple.com/
- Instagram: @shiv_yog, @ishan.shivanand
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/500500318221520 and https://www.facebook.com/IshanShivanand
- Youtube: ishanshivanand
