From Campfires to Cortisol: Discovering the Heart of Inner Calm

A philosopher and his student walked down a beach, pondering enlightenment. They passed a Swami in deep meditation, frowning with effort.

The philosopher murmured, “That sage is seeking deep inner peace.”

Further along, they found a grandmother, barefoot in the sand, laughing heartily as her grandchildren piled seashells at her feet.

The student smiled: “Teacher, I think she’s already found it!.”

The moral: inner peace isn’t found in mountaintop striving, but in everyday moments—the belly laugh, the hug of a friend, the crackling campfire, the quiet rhythm of breath. It is always available in the “I” of the storm, the calm center of your being, untouched by outer circumstances.

Living a peaceful life has incredible health benefits!

I’ve discovered the same in my own life. I’m a 49-year-old father of three and a family physician with over two decades of practice. I’ve meditated for nearly 30 years, and while cushions and silence have their place, my most profound moments of peace didn’t happen there. They came from holding a newborn baby, sitting by a fire with friends, and listening to children’s laughter float into the open air. Inner peace is not a destination. It is a homecoming—a return to what is already whole within us.

As a doctor, I also know this isn’t just poetic language. The practices that nurture inner peace—whether meditation, mindfulness, forgiveness, or loving-kindness—are backed by solid science. They’re not only spiritually enriching; they’re physiologically healing.

• Meditation changes the brain itself, strengthening regions that regulate emotions and learning while reducing stress and pain.¹

• Mindfulness reduces anxiety, depression, and pain—sometimes as effectively as antidepressants.²

• Cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, drops significantly with meditation practices.^3,4

• Inner peace practices lower blood pressure, stabilize heart rhythms, and boost immunity.⁵

• Forgiveness even weakens the link between stress and illness, protecting health.⁶

This is why I recommend these practices to my patients, not just as a physician, but as someone who has experienced their power firsthand. Inner peace is both ancient wisdom and modern medicine.

The storms of life will come—relationships falter, jobs change, health can fail. But the “I” of the storm remains steady. When we learn to rest in that stillness, we not only heal ourselves, we ripple peace into our families, our communities, and the wider world.

And this is exactly what our upcoming course, Healing Through the I of the Storm: Peace Begins With Me, is all about—learning how to find that calm center in your own life and practicing it in ways that bring healing to yourself and to others. I invite you to join me and Rev Pam beginning September 8 for four weeks of spiritual insight, practical tools, and evidence-based practices for lasting peace.

Endnotes

1. Lazar, S. W., et al. (2005). “Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness.” NeuroReport.

2. Goyal, M., et al. (2014). “Meditation programs for psychological stress and well-being: A systematic review and meta-analysis.” JAMA Internal Medicine.

3. Davidson, R. J., et al. (2003). “Alterations in brain and immune function produced by mindfulness meditation.” Psychosomatic Medicine.

4. Khoury, B., et al. (2015). “Mindfulness-based therapy: A comprehensive meta-analysis.” Clinical Psychology Review.

5. Black, D. S., & Slavich, G. M. (2016). “Mindfulness meditation and the immune system: a systematic review.” Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.

6. Worthington, E. L., et al. (2007). “Forgiveness and health: Scientific evidence and theories relating forgiveness to better health.” Handbook of Forgiveness.