How Mindfulness Saved My Life (and Why I Teach It)

By Dr. Sheena Revak on
June 30, 2025

How Mindfulness Saved My Life (and Why I Teach It)

I did not come to mindfulness as a researcher. I came to it as someone desperate for help.

By the time I was 25, I was working full time, juggling an internship, and completing my master’s degree in mental health counseling. On paper, I was ambitious and successful. In reality, I was barely functioning. My sleep was erratic. My eating habits were poor. My body was screaming for rest and nourishment, but I ignored it. Everything and everyone came before my own well-being.

Around that time, I was also diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder. The constant overthinking, intrusive thoughts, and need for control added another layer of pressure to an already overwhelming life. I felt like I was barely holding it all together.

Eventually, my body could not keep up. I began experiencing seizures brought on by severe stress and exhaustion. I remember one moment in particular. After a sleepless night and a long workday, I went outside to walk my dog. I noticed a strange spot in my vision, and then everything went dark. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hospital bed, disoriented, covered in dirt and blood.

And still, I signed myself out of the hospital against medical advice because I had a final exam to take.

That was the moment I realized how deeply broken my priorities had become. I was so consumed by the pressure to succeed that it was literally destroying my health. The harder I tried to be perfect, the worse things got.

More seizures followed. One caused a car accident that broke several bones in my face and ribs. I lost my job. I lost my apartment. I had to withdraw from school. And I lost my sense of self. I went from achieving everything to having nothing.

I was offered medications, but they made me feel numb and detached. I did not want a life dulled by side effects. I wanted to feel alive again. I wanted to heal.

That was when I stumbled across a speech by Eckhart Tolle on mindfulness. It stopped me in my tracks. He was speaking directly to the pain I had been living in. The constant noise, pressure, and disconnection. Something inside me stirred. I did not know much about mindfulness, but I knew I needed to learn more.

So I began.

I read every book I could find. I watched videos. I started meditating. I had no expectations. I was skeptical even. But I kept going, and slowly, things began to shift.

At first, it was subtle. I noticed that when I stayed fully present in the moment, my anxiety lost its grip. That realization was so powerful that I got a tattoo that reads, “In this moment I am happy,” as a reminder of what I had discovered.

The more I practiced, the more grounded I became. I began to feel a peace I had not known in years. Even when my life still felt messy and uncertain, I could walk down the street and feel calm. I could look around and breathe.

Mindfulness became my anchor.

I began meditating daily, sometimes multiple times a day. I paid attention to my thoughts and started learning how to respond rather than react. I listened to my body when it told me to rest or eat or slow down. Later I would learn there is a word for that: interoceptive awareness. At the time, it just felt like coming home to myself.

With time, things started to shift. I returned to school and completed my master’s degree. I found a new apartment and began rebuilding my life. Eventually, my seizures subsided. Slowly but surely, as I made mindfulness and self-care a consistent part of my life, my health began to stabilize.

I kept moving forward and ultimately achieved the goal I had set years earlier. I completed my PhD.

And here is the most unexpected part. Losing everything made me braver. I stopped being afraid of failure. I knew that no matter what, I could start over and find peace again. Because that peace was not somewhere out there. It was within me.

Mindfulness gave me my life back. And it gave me something else too. A deep desire to share it with others.

I had dreamed of being a professor since I was five years old. That dream came true, and when it did, I knew exactly what I wanted to include in my teaching: mindfulness.

When I first started leading my classes in brief mindfulness exercises, five minutes of breathing or grounding at the start of class, I was not sure how students would respond. I wondered if they would think it was strange or unnecessary. I wondered if what worked for me would mean anything to them.

But over and over again, I heard the same feedback. They loved it.

Students told me it helped with their test anxiety and made it easier to manage all the stress of school, work, and life. They said they were able to focus better, think more clearly, and feel more connected to their bodies and emotions. They noticed fewer intrusive thoughts and more calm. Some told me it was their favorite part of class.

This moved me deeply. Because I remembered being in their shoes. I remembered the pressure, the perfectionism, the sense of drowning in expectations.

So I decided to go beyond anecdotal evidence. I designed a research study to explore the correlation between mindfulness, interoceptive awareness, perceived stress, and academic success. I wanted to see what the data would tell us about what helps students not only survive school but thrive.

The results were clear. Mindfulness was significantly correlated with lower perceived stress and higher academic success. The students who practiced mindfulness showed signs of being more emotionally regulated, more self-aware, and better equipped to manage the complex demands of academic life.

Outside the classroom, I also saw the power of mindfulness in my work with patients. Time and time again, I watched people begin to regulate their emotions, reconnect with their bodies, and navigate life’s challenges with more clarity and compassion simply by learning to be present. The transformation was not just theoretical. It was real and visible.

Mindfulness is not a magic cure. But it is a skill. It is a way of turning inward and creating a stable foundation no matter how chaotic life feels. It helps you regulate your nervous system, build emotional resilience, and reconnect with what matters most. And the science backs this up. Research shows mindfulness can reduce stress, increase focus, improve memory, and support overall well-being.

Interoceptive awareness is equally important. It means tuning into your internal cues, your hunger, thirst, fatigue, and emotional state. It means honoring your body’s messages rather than overriding them. When people develop this skill, they are more likely to take breaks when needed, eat nourishing food, get enough sleep, and avoid burnout.

By studying these concepts, I hoped to shed light on what helps people succeed from the inside out.

It was never just an academic pursuit. It was a reflection of my own healing. I know what it feels like to lose everything and slowly rebuild, not just externally but within. That is why these topics matter so much to me. Mindfulness is not just a concept to be studied. It is a practice that saved my life, and I have seen it transform the lives of others too. It offers a way back to ourselves, especially in times of stress, pressure, and overwhelm.

Today, I continue to teach, write, and speak about the power of mindfulness. I start every class with breathing. I integrate these principles into my workshops and wellness programs. And I carry this message wherever I go:

You do not need to power through. You need to pause, breathe, and return to yourself.

Mindfulness is not about escaping life. It is about being fully here for it. Moment by moment. Breath by breath.

It saved me. And I believe it can support others too.

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You can also explore the free resources available on my homepage, including:

  • 12 Ways to Practice Mindfulness
  • Mindfulness Toolkit
  • The 5 Types of Self-Care (and How to Practice Them)
  • The Peacefully Productive Day Planner
  • The Burnout & Boundaries Reset
  • 15 Healthy Coping Mechanisms

Disclaimer: The content shared on this blog is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. While I share insights based on psychological research and mindfulness practices, this blog does not provide therapy or clinical services.If you are experiencing emotional distress or mental health concerns, please reach out to a licensed mental health professional in your area. If you are in crisis or feel unsafe, call 911 or reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988 for free, confidential support 24/7. Your well-being matters. Please take care of yourself and seek help if you need it.

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