Welcome to Season Two of The Squats & Séances Podcast. The guided meditations shared over the break were unanimously well received. What better way to kick off a brand new season than with the master of meditation himself, davidji!

On that note, what if grit isn’t about grinding harder, but about leaning fully into the moment without clinging to outcomes? That one shift frames an eye-opening conversation in this episode with davidji—globally recognized meditation teacher, mindful performance trainer, and the “Velvet Voice of Stillness”—as we connect ancient practices to modern performance and wellbeing.

We start by demystifying meditation as a simple, repeatable tool for presence. We trace its origins from seed sounds in the Vedic tradition to today’s secular methods and shows how consistency, not duration, produces real results. The physiology is striking: stress spikes cortisol, tightens blood, and shuts down immunity; practice reverses those markers within minutes. Over weeks, the brain itself changes—hippocampal growth, calmer amygdala—while research linked to telomeres hints at benefits down to cellular aging. These aren’t abstract claims; they’re the biology of better choices under pressure.

davidji makes the inner path feel honest and human. He maps the six stages of a real session—settling, witnessing, drifting, judging, surrendering, stillness—and explains why the gentle return is the master skill. We talk about reframing “threat” as “challenge,” using a 16-second breath to interrupt patterns, and building bookend rituals that anchor the day. Two resonant ideas bring heart to the science: gratitude as a daily primer for intention, and “evidence of presence,” a perspective shift that turns small annoyances into reminders of what—and who—you love.

We close with a short guided practice blending breath, gratitude, the mantra “I trust,” and intention planting. If you want lower stress, better focus, and a steadier sense of purpose without the jargon, this conversation is a clear, practical on-ramp. Subscribe, share with a friend who could use a reset.

https://davidji.com/
linktr.ee/davidjimeditation
​ ⁨@davidjimeditation⁩

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Until the next time - stay gritty you badass!