The Silent Superpower That Gave Me True Freedom: My 8-Year Meditation Journey
Hey, freedom igniters and clarity chasers.
Dr. Shivam Sood here—eye surgeon by trade, but my real mission? Lighting the sacred fire inside you that burns away stress, sharpens your vision (literal and metaphorical), and hands you the keys to a life unshackled.
We talk about wealth, productivity, eye health, and peak performance here because true freedom isn’t just money in the bank—it’s a quiet mind that lets you enjoy it, laser focus that compounds it, and eyes that drink in every sunset without strain.
Today I’m pulling back the curtain on the single habit that tied everything together for me: Meditation. Not the Instagram monk version. The raw, gritty, life-changing version that turned a fiery, anxious, mood-swinging doctor into the calmest, clearest version of myself I’ve ever known.
Peace FROM the Mind, Not “Of” the Mind
We’re all running the same vicious loop in 2025:
Hectic schedules → mental clutter → scattered focus → lower output → poor performance → more anxiety → even less sleep → repeat.
Your brain is the CEO of your entire empire—body, bank balance, relationships. Yet society screams “hit the gym, run 10K, eat kale” while completely ignoring the one muscle that actually runs the show.
Good news? Your brain is neuroplastic. It can rewire, heal, and upgrade—but only when you give it two things:
Time
Silence
That’s why every rishi, monk, and sage you’ve ever seen has their eyes closed. They’re not sleeping—they’re upgrading the operating system.
What Actually Happens When You Meditate (Science, Not Woo)
Gray matter ↑ in hippocampus & prefrontal cortex → better focus, memory, emotional regulation
Amygdala activity ↓ → less anxiety, lower cortisol (I went from borderline hypertensive to 118/76)
Alpha & theta waves ↑ → deep relaxation + creative bursts (ideas for new procedures hit me mid-session)
Parasympathetic activation → “rest & digest” mode → lower BP, better immunity, deeper sleep (I now function like a beast on 6 hours)
Translation: You become the calmest, most decisive version of yourself in the OR, in negotiations, and in life.
Types of Meditation (Pick Your Weapon)
Anchor-Based (Beginner-Friendly) – Give the monkey mind something to hold
Mindfulness of breath
Transcendental Meditation (mantra)
Loving-kindness (Metta)
Body scan
Unconditional Awareness (Advanced Freedom Mode) – No anchor. Let the mind run wild and watch it exhaust itself. Pure observer mode. This is where the magic happens.
My Story: From Human Firecracker to Unbreakable Calm
Pre-2017 Me
Always angry about something I couldn’t name
Mood swings that scared even me
Zero clarity—chased validation in all the wrong places
Business failure → lost money → lost identity → 20 days of pure mental fog
Turning Point – Late 2017
Rock bottom led me to an 18-day silent retreat with a guru in Rishikesh. Learned mantra meditation first (to drown the noise), then slowly migrated to unconditional awareness.
Post-2017 Me
Zero anxiety (even during 18-hour surgery days)
Crystal decisions—I now say no without guilt and yes without fear
Emotional stability that makes my team call me “the Buddha of the OT”
Creative solutions flow effortlessly
Sleep like a baby, wake up at 4:30 AM ready to conquer
Relationships deeper because I actually listen instead of react
I went from needing 8-9 hours of restless sleep to thriving on 5.5-6 hours of deep rest. That’s 700+ hours reclaimed per year—pure freedom currency.
How I Meditate Now (2025 Routine)
20-40 minutes every morning (4:45-5:25 AM)
Mostly unconditional awareness, sometimes mantra if the mind is extra wild
Eyes closed, spine straight, on a simple cotton cushion
No apps, no music, no guided nonsense—just me and the silence
Getting Started (Your 7-Day Freedom Ignition)
Day 1-3: 5 minutes breath awareness (just watch the breath, no control)
Day 4-7: 10 minutes unconditional awareness (sit, close eyes, let thoughts run—don’t fight, just observe)
That’s it. No lotus position required. Chair works fine.
Warning: If you have psychosis, severe PTSD, or uncontrolled psychiatric conditions—consult a psychiatrist first. Some studies show temporary worsening.
The Timeline You Can Expect
Week 1-3: You’ll notice you’re slightly less reactive
Month 1-3: Friends ask “dude, what happened to you?”
Month 6+: People start treating the new you as the default you
Year 2+: You’ll wonder how you ever lived without this superpower
Final Verdict
Meditation isn’t “nice-to-have.”
It’s the operating system upgrade that lets you:
→ Compound your wealth with clear decisions
→ 10x your productivity with unbreakable focus
→ Protect your eyes by lowering stress-related inflammation
→ Actually enjoy the freedom you’re building
Start tomorrow morning. 5 minutes.
You’ll thank your past self in 30 days.
Drop a below if you’re committing to the 7-day challenge. Tag #SilentFreedom on Insta when the new you shows up—I’ll repost every single transformation.
Your mind is the ultimate asset.
Start compounding it today.
Silent, strong, and soaring,
Dr. Shivam Sood
Eye Surgeon | Freedom Igniter | Master of the Inner Game