In a recent article, I shared my experience visiting a yoga ashram in India and what changed physically, mentally, and emotionally. In this article, I’m going to talk in-depth about what I brought back from this experience. What changed is not in what I do, but in how I meet the challenges I face.
What I Did Not Bring Back
Let me start with what did not happen.
I did not return with a dramatically different life.
- My schedule is still full.
- The operating room is still demanding.
- Leadership challenges are still present.
- The pace of medicine has not slowed.
Most importantly, I did not come back trying to recreate the ashram. That was never the goal.
What I Brought Back
- A Slightly Wider Pause
There is now a slightly wider space between stimulus and response.
- Before answering.
- Before reacting.
- Before deciding.
It doesn’t happen all the time and it’s not always perfect, but it happens more often than before. And in that space, there is choice.
- Awareness of Energy — Not Just Time
One of the clearest carryovers from the ashram is a shift in how I think about capacity. Not all hours are equal. Not all effort is sustainable. Effort is not just time … it is physical, mental, and emotional.
I find myself asking:
“What will this cost in energy … and do I actually have it to give?”
- Recognizing Patterns Instead of Living Inside Them
That early restlessness?
It didn’t disappear, but it became visible.
- The reflex to stay busy.
- The pull toward constant productivity.
- The subtle pressure to live life “fully” at all times.
These patterns are now easier to notice and interrupt when necessary.
- The Body as Feedback
Those small posture corrections stayed with me. So did the awareness of breath.
Since returning, I’ve regained about five pounds … which feels appropriate. This is not a loss of progress, but a recalibration.
- Breathwork as Calibration
One of the more practical tools I brought back is the awareness that breath can modulate state. It can slow things down, or it can increase activation. It made visible how much of my perceived urgency was self-generated.
Since returning, there is slightly less of that. And with less urgency comes better clarity.
What This Means for a Surgical Career
Some of these changes feel meaningful. Some may prove difficult to sustain. But this is how meaningful change typically occurs – through small, repeated adjustments.
Over time, those adjustments influence:
- Decision-making under pressure
- Communication
- Leadership
- Sustainability
In other words:
They influence performance.
The Real Work Begins Now
It is easy to be thoughtful in a controlled environment. It is harder to remain intentional in the middle of real life.
So the question I am holding now is not:
“What did I learn?”
It is:
“What am I willing to practice?”
Three weeks away did not change my career, but it may change how I experience it. Over time, that may matter more because sustainable excellence is not built on occasional insight. It is built on what we repeatedly do … often in small, almost unnoticeable ways.
Much of what I experienced closely aligns with principles I’ve taught for years … and ones I continue to strive to live up to – The 8 PRACTICEs.