Meet Shailla

Hello! I am Shailla Vaidya and I am a former Family and Emergency Physician, practicing Mind-Body Medicine in Toronto, Canada. In my 20 years of medical practice, I have worked everywhere from downtown Toronto to isolated rural areas including Canada’s First Nation Communities. I am passionate about improving health care and helping those who work on our frontline.

Despite working hard to improve health care delivery, the toxic environment in which I was working took its toll on my health. After giving it my all, I was completely burnt out and I hardly recognized the person I had become.

My yoga practice saved my life and gave me clarity. As I practiced, I was reminded of my initial intention in going to Medical School - to be able to combine Western Medicine with the powerful practices of the East, in a scientifically-sound way.

I took the opportunity to travel to India and further my studies in Yoga and Ayurveda. I completed my yoga teacher and yoga therapy training with the Mohans of Svastha Yoga and Ayurveda, in the tradition of Krishnamacharya. I re-learned many of the traditions I had been taught in my younger days, healing myself, so I could get back to healing others.

I spent the next few years writing and teaching a program for stress and burnout recovery. It was a really rewarding way to bring creativity back to my medical practice and to watch people flourish with these ancient practices.

Then in 2018, the universe literally hit me on the head. I sustained a traumatic brain injury secondary to a cycling accident. My life changed in an instant.

Luckily, my yoga practice and my understanding of the stress response and how the brain can change (neuroplasticity) gave me hope. I was lucky to have the skills to get better. Then I adapted my stress program for Concussion, filling in a gap in health care.

Now, my medical practice focuses solely on concussion recovery. I also run a coaching practice for burnout recovery and an education platform for Healthcare providers looking to bring therapeutic yoga to their practices.

My goal is to help you regain your energy and vitality, so you can help others to do the same. I hope that I can help you develop clarity, compassion, and courage. Reconnecting with your true self, I hope you will find healing, and live a life of contentment.

Shailla Vaidya MD MPH CCFP(EM) C-IAYT is a graduate of Dalhousie Medical School, the University of Ottawa Family and Emergency Medicine Residency Program, and the Harvard T.Chan School of Public Health. She is a member in good standing with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the College of Family Physicians of Canada, and the International Association of Yoga Therapists. She has completed training with Dr. Kristen Neff and Dr. Chris Germer in Mindful Self-Compassion Program, and the Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities Program. She also serves as a faculty member with the Svastha Yoga Therapy Training Program.

Watch my story

Special Thank you to Soulo Theatre Director Tracey Erin Smith for helping me tell my story. You can find out more about her work at Soulo.ca