Even though meditation is increasing in popularity, many people still think of it as a pastime of hippies despite the scientific proof that it boosts your emotional and physical health. We caught up with Scotty Sisson to find out how meditation improved his life, and why he’s now committed to helping other people improve theirs.

Scotty grew up in Scone but he’s a bit of a wandering adventurer. He’s worked on the land as a shearer, in London as an arborist, and spent many years in the mining industry working all around the place. These days you will find him working for Orica as an MMU Operator back home in the Hunter Valley.

“I’ve always been an action person,” shared Scotty. “I like physical work and I like a challenge.”

Though one challenge Scotty wasn’t prepared for was a difficult relationship breakup in his late 20s. His mental health began to deteriorate and he didn’t know how to fix it. 

“Like a lot of men, it’s hard to deal with your mental health as you don’t know how to communicate what you’re going through. Doctors prescribed pills to me for depression, but that never sat right with me as it didn’t seem like a solution. So, I started looking for a different way to heal and manage my own mental health.”

Scotty started what has become a lifelong journey into self-development. First, he dabbled in yoga, then turned to meditation, even trying a 10-day silent meditation called Vipassana. His goal was to find something that was simple and easy to incorporate into his daily life. 

“I discovered Vedic meditation. 20 minutes twice a day. I thought, that’s something I can easily do.”

Vedic meditation is an ancient form of meditation practice – in fact, it’s the very first. The many styles of meditation that you see today all originate from it. For centuries it has had an enormous impact on people’s health and well-being around the world.

Vedic meditation activates your parasympathetic nervous system, the part of your body that governs relaxation and rejuvenation. Additionally, it helps to reduce stress chemicals that accumulate in your body. From sleeping better, to reducing anxiety and stress, to improved cognitive function and creativity, Vedic meditation can improve many aspects of your physical and mental wellbeing.

Scotty dedicated himself to learning everything he could about Vedic meditation, attending lectures and classes and even taking an immersive 84-day trip to India where for 20 days straight he meditated for 12 to 14 hours. It completely changed his outlook on life.

“I feel bulletproof now. I always used to be reactive, but now I have this foundation that no matter what life throws at me I have the tools in the shed to manage it.” 

On returning home to Australia, Scotty knew he had to share what he had learnt and so decided to start his own business teaching people Vedic meditation.

“What really makes Vedic meditation work is its simplicity. It’s achievable for anyone. The 4-day course I run is about teaching you the mechanics so when you leave you are self-sufficient, though I am always here to answer questions or if you feel you need a refresher.

“I have no doubt that anyone can master it, and even better, be able to easily incorporate it into a part of their daily routine. Mediate when you get up, when you’re carpooling, after you drop the kids at school. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your lifestyle is, it can easily be worked into it and will only improve your life.”